We want to make Royal Mail a workplace to be proud of

Postal

CWU deputy general secretary postal Terry Pullinger is urging CWU members to “be part of making every unit a workplace to be proud of,” as the union kicks off 2019 with a sustained initiative to improve the working environment inside Royal Mail.

Starting next week, our senior field officials and their respective counterparts from the company’s management will be taking a ‘temperature check’ at selected workplaces in every corner of Britain.

During these joint visits meetings will be held with frontline members of the workforce, asking them key questions about their own work experience, the good and the bad about their own unit and how the working environment or working relationships could be improved.

“And the most important question everyone will be asked is: ‘Would you be proud for your own children or relatives to work here’?” says Terry, adding that this question in particular, and the need to understand the responses to it “really is the core purpose of this initiative.”

From 14th January until February 22nd, CWU divisional representatives and their respective Royal Mail managers plan to call in at 62 units altogether.

The visits cover all geographical areas and all Royal Mail functions, with 48 delivery offices, nine processing units and five logistics workplaces – including two fleet and maintenance facilities.

“I want to assure people that all of their responses to our questions will be recorded anonymously,” Terry explains, adding: “We want an accurate sense of how people feel about their workplaces, but there’s no naming of names – that’s not what this is about.

“Our intention, and what we’re determined to achieve, is to identify what the problems are, what the successes are and most importantly, what we can do to make the environment better in units that need improving and learn from successful units.”

Gathering this form of “emotional intelligence data” is crucial, our DGSP points out, adding that the CWU sees this as the first step in delivering on the joint commitments in the Four Pillars agreement.

“I hope every one of our frontline members will be part of this initiative to make every unit a workplace to be proud of,” he concludes.