New Worker 2020 Summer break

Issue no 2070 was last edition of the New Worker before the two-week summer break. The next issue of the New Worker will be published on Friday 17th July.

New Worker delays

The despatch of the New Worker has inevitably been hit by problems facing Royal Mail during the coronavirus emergency. At least three postal workers have died from the coronavirus infection. Many more have either contracted the virus or are self-isolating while industrial action over Management’s failure to implement the emergency health regulations in some depots has led to industrial action right across the country.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), that represents the workers in the mail sector, has called for the closure of any sorting office that lacked protective equipment like gloves or failed to put in place measures to keep staff two metres apart. Though Royal Mail is committed to implementing social distancing measures in some areas postal workers have been forced to work in unsafe conditions, largely without personal protective equipment (PPE), adequate hand cleansing facilities or social distancing. Over the past few weeks there’ve been protest walk-outs at depots in south London and other parts of England including Bridgewater, Chatham, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, Didcot; Edinburgh, Alloa and Fife in Scotland and Swansea in Wales.

Last week Management unilaterally suspended Saturday deliveries without consulting the union. But the CWU forced Royal Mail to limit the cut in service to just six weeks.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “It’s been a very stressful time for our members. We have now secured correspondence to confirm this is only a temporary change and on that basis Rico Back (RM CEO) has said it has been reduced from three months to six weeks. The important point is this is a temporary change only, linked to the current situation in the country with the coronavirus pandemic”.

Ward also received assurances there would be no job losses associated with the suspension of Saturday deliveries that any duty changes would be voluntary and negotiated locally. The CWU leader said: “This major breakthrough wouldn’t have been achieved with our members. We come out of this a lot stronger.”

New Worker subscribers in south London, the Midlands and central Scotland have experienced long delays in getting their paper though the situation in south London has now improved. In practice virtually all our papers are delivered. But some don’t get through even in the best of times. So if you haven’t received your paper by Wednesday ring Carole at the Centre and we’ll put another in the post for you.

Postal Delays

The mail has been classed as an essential service and postal deliveries continue to function under the current coronavirus emergency. Royal Mail have introduced a range of new social distancing measures aimed at offering further protection for the work-force. Standard ways of working have been revised to ensure that, wherever possible, postal workers stay two metres apart. The company has also brought in a new rule that means there will only be one person in a Royal Mail delivery vehicle at any one time.

The implementation of these precautions is being monitored by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) which represents most of the Royal Mail’s staff. Earlier in the month angry postal workers walked out of a sorting office in Scotland after bosses failed to clean the workstation of a worker who was hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms. They returned to work after Management agreed with the union to deep clean their Greenock office and enforce the two metre spacing guidelines.

The Royal Mail’s new health and safety measures have led to inevitable delays in the delivery of the New Worker. Most comrades are still getting our paper with the Friday post but others have reported delays of several days.

We are committed to maintaining the print edition of the New Worker during the current coronavirus crisis. But we are dependent on our suppliers to keep our press running and we rely on the Royal Mail to distribute virtually all of our papers. Should these services be restricted or disrupted we will still be able to produce the electronic version of the New Worker, which currently is only sent to communist and progressive forces overseas. If we are unable to print or post the New Worker we can send the Electronic New Worker to home subscribers who need, first of all, to send their email address to Carole at: newworker77@gmail.com

Normal Service

  We are committed to maintaining the print edition of the New Worker for as long as possible. But we have already had to cut-back the print run because of lost street and bookshop sales in London. We are dependent on our suppliers to keep our press running and we rely on the Royal Mail to distribute virtually all our papers. Should these services be restricted or disrupted we will still be able to produce the electronic version of the New Worker, which currently is only sent to communist and progressive forces overseas. If we are unable to print or post the New Worker we can send the Electronic New Worker to home subscribers who need, first of all, to send their email address to Carole at: newworker77@gmail.com