Strike called at Royal Mail Northern Ireland office

Postal February 7 2019

Delivery members at a Northern Ireland unit will strike later this month unless management “see sense and listen to reason” over a controversial discipline action against two postmen.

Craig Stewart and Jim Magowan, from Bangor Delivery Office, were handed two-year suspended dismissals back in September for an alleged “non-completion” of a duty, but they, their workmates and their branch insist that the pair followed the proper procedures and that the disciplinary penalties are unfair.

Despite pursuing an appeal through the internal procedure, the company maintained the penalty against the pair and the branch was left with no alternative but to request a strike ballot last month – which returned a 81% majority in favour.

The CWU postal executive met yesterday, noted the result and formally authorised two days of strike action at Bangor, which will take place on Saturday 23rd February and Monday 25th February.

“Members here are furious at what’s happened to Craig and Jim,” reports Northern Ireland East Branch secretary Davy Moffett, “and there will be rock-solid backing for the action in the Bangor office, as well as strong support right across the branch area.”

Meetings between the company’s senior Northern Ireland and the union have taken place over the past week and there are plans for further discussions, reports Davy and he points out that “there is still time for the company to avoid this strike.

“But they need to see sense and listen to reason.”