As Personnel Today points out the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has accused Royal Mail management of bullying and harassing postal workers as the war of words ahead of next week's strikes heats up.
In a letter to Royal Mail chief Mark Higson, CWU leader Dave Ward claimed "unagreed HR procedures" were being used in an attempt to bully employees into agreeing to changes to working practices. The CWU said these referred to the firm ignoring pre-determined steps that any employee must go through when being disciplined.
According to PT, Royal Mail denied the accusation. In its reply to the CWU letter, Higson asked the union to come forward with any examples of bullying or deviation from pre-agreed terms around disciplining staff.
All this is very unfortunate and in this instance mediation really should have been or should be used.
1 The War of Words. The parties are now briefing journalists and increasing the tension. This is damaging for both parties as it is locking them into a corner, which they cannot leave gracefully. Mediation is confidential and would achieve an end to to the public mudslinging. Recently I conducted a mediation and insisted that the parties in the run up to it would stop sending emails to each other as this was polluting the environment.
2 The emotiveness of bullying. The danger of the language of bullying is that Royal Mail is going to get a reputation as a bullying firm though this allegation has been made before. But it can harm the Trade Union making the allegations. Mud can fly back..
3 Can this salvaged? Yes. The Royal Mail and the trade unions have a vested interest in sorting this out due to competion elsewhere. Now may be the best time to mediate this dispute and sort this out once and for all. The biggest incentive. Desperation of the parties. The biggest barrier? Trust.