Contingency Planning in Place if Royal Mail Strike Goes Ahead

On Thursday (5th October), it was announced that Royal Mail workers in the UK are set to go on strike for 48-hours from the 19th October in a dispute over pensions, job status and pay.  The Communication Workers Union (CWU), has informed the management at the Royal Mail Group that 111,000 postal workers will walk out and go on strike until Saturday 21st October.  As a mail order company, this is quite troubling news, especially as we build up to the very busy Christmas period.  However, Everything Dinosaur has already started to put in contingency plans to help manage any potential disruption in UK mail services.

Potential Parcel Disruption with Proposed Royal Mail Strike Action

Everything Dinosaur team members have taken steps to help minimise disruption for customers, but due to industrial action UK and overseas deliveries of parcels will be subject to delays. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur Takes Steps to Minimise Disruption

This industrial action is proposed to take place at or after 11am on Thursday 19th October and run until 11am Saturday 21st October 2017.  The CWU has already intimated that further industrial action cannot be ruled out at this stage.  This dispute, which has been ongoing for some considerable time, may escalate and industrial action of this nature could, potentially disrupt Christmas deliveries.

Everything Dinosaur has already been contacted by Royal Mail over this issue and we have plans in place to help minimise any disruption should strike action go ahead.

Helping Customers

As a mail order company, we have put into place some contingency plans to help reduce any inconvenience to our customers.

• More packing of parcels has been scheduled to take place on the weekend prior to the 19th October.  By ensuring all orders placed on Saturday and Sunday are despatched on the following Monday, these orders should avoid the worst of any industrial action.
• Additional, mail collections have been organised for the Tuesday and Wednesday proceeding the proposed industrial action.  This should enable us to get parcels into the mail system more quickly and help to minimise the impact of any industrial action that has taken place.
• Staff will continue to pack items during any period of disruption, this will ensure a prompt collection and placement into the mail network as soon as any industrial action has finished.
• Time has been allocated on the Saturday (21st), to enable us to pack orders and to get them sent out on that day.
• All our correspondence, letters and such like are being held back so that in our own small way we can reduce the workload and the subsequent backlog for local Royal Mail staff.

In addition to not having any Royal Mail service over the intended period of strike action, further disruption can be expected as the backlog of letters and parcels is cleared.  Orders despatched by other channels such as via courier services are not going to be affected and we have already discussed with our couriers contingency plans to cover any increase in the number of courier deliveries that we use.

Everything Dinosaur Putting Plans in Place to Minimise the Impact on Customers

Royal Mail parcels 2017.

Picture credit: Press Association/Royal Mail

Everything Dinosaur, like many firms, is actively exploring alternative mail delivery systems.  The strike action, if it is to continue, may result in delays with the Christmas post.  We are doing all we can to assist customers and provide support.

However, we urge that it would be very sensible for customers not to leave ordering until quite late, especially as the Christmas mail build up increases.  It is always a good idea to order early, so for birthdays, parties and Christmas our advice is to plan ahead.

Royal Mail Press Release

Royal Mail management have put a press release about the threat of industrial action, in this press release they state:

“We are committed to further talks as a matter of urgency to reach agreement with the CWU.  There are no grounds for industrial action.  We want to reach agreement.  Earlier this week we reminded the CWU of the dispute resolution procedures that we agreed in the Agenda for Growth.  These dispute resolution procedures were set up as a vehicle to resolve industrial disputes.  We wish to use them to do just that.  External mediation as set out in Agenda For Growth has not taken place.  We will use all legal options at our disposal, including applying to the High Court for an injunction to prevent industrial action.”

Naturally, we will keep all our customers informed.  We will keep you posted….

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