Motion 14
Scotland’s Postal Service
“Congress notes many Scottish communities rely heavily on Royal Mail, as private couriers judge remote and island areas financially unappealing. Consequently, Scotland faces acute impact from underinvestment and the Royal Mail’s worst staff attrition rates in the UK. A fundamental impasse exists between the Communication Workers Union and the EP Group/Royal Mail Group over Universal Service Obligation (USO) reform and equalising terms for new entrants. Whilst the CWU fights for protected terms and conditions and union recognition, the wider delivery industry increasingly adopts exploitative gig-economy models. Currently, mail backlogs are rising, and second-class letters are delayed for days to the detriment of the public and businesses, because more lucrative parcels are being prioritised.
“Congress believes without an agreement prioritising service quality and growth, rural connectivity will deteriorate further. These operational failures now pose a grave risk to the delivery of Scottish Election materials and postal ballots. The ‘two-tier’ workforce model introduced in 2022 is a primary cause of staff friction and record attrition. As the UK Government holds a ‘golden share’ and acts as a guarantor for union agreements, it has a clear responsibility to intervene and resolve the current impasse.
“Congress calls on the General Council to:
- campaign for the end of the ‘two-tier’ model, equalising terms through a ‘new career pathway’ to stabilise the workforce;
- demand that the UK Government convene a five-way meeting between the Secretary of State, EP Group, MSPs, MPs, and the CWU to review financial obligations;
- lobby the Scottish Government to pressure Royal Mail and the UK Government for formal assurances that the Scottish Election will not be compromised, and that all communities receive the service they need.”
Mover: Communication Workers Union (CWU)
RSS