Swansea victory – solidarity wins justice

Postal July 13 2018

Sacked postman Martin Henwood has won his battle for re-instatement, after the threat of strike action at Swansea Delivery Office forced a dramatic about-face from management.

With nearly 200 of his colleagues set to walk out on his behalf, following yesterday’s announcement of a massive 89.9 per cent ‘Yes’ vote in the strike ballot, the company agreed to rescind his dismissal to the delight of Martin and his fellow workers.

CWU national officer Ray Ellis, assistant secretary, said: “It’s great news and wouldn’t have happened without the magnificent support and solidarity from all the members at Swansea and across the South West Wales Amal Branch – as well as the growing support for him from other parts of the country.

“We’re meeting management on Monday to work out the details of exactly when he will return to work – but it will be as soon as possible and everyone’s really pleased that a solution has been reached.”

“Justice has prevailed,” said local branch secretary Gary Williams speaking to members today, praising them for their “support and solidarity throughout the campaign to get justice for Martin, without which this would not have been achieved.”

Martin, who has worked for the company for 32 years with no previous disciplinary record, had been sacked in May after bosses accused him of not following a procedure on door-to-door (unaddressed) mail, despite him following the protocol of the office, sparking an official strike ballot held by the union among Swansea Delivery Office members, which returned an 89.9 per cent majority for action.

As well as the support of his office colleagues, his branch, the union’s industrial executive and members around the country, Martin’s fight for re-instatement also won the backing of his local MP Geraint Davies, who wrote to Royal Mail’s senior national management urging “positive engagement with the CWU” to enable Martin to be re-instated “so that local services are not needlessly disrupted.”