Royal Mail has won a High Court injunction, blocking potential strikes by postal workers following a ballot last month.
In October, Royal Mail workers in the Communication Workers Union (CWU) voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a dispute over job security and employment terms. CWU members backed strike action by 97% in a ballot which saw a turnout of almost 76%.
However, Royal Mail sought an injunction at the High Court, claiming there were ‘irregularities’ with the voting process at more than 70 of its UK sites. The irregularities reportedly included the intimidation of staff to vote in favour of strike action.
The CWU is yet to respond to the ruling. In court, the union argued that the ballot delivered the largest vote in favour of national industrial action since the passing of the Trade Union Act 2016 – an act which changed the requirements needed for industrial ballots to be legally valid.
It was thought that strikes may have targetted the Christmas period, an especially busy time for the Royal Mail Group.
Following the High Court ruling, the CWU tweeted;
The High Court has ruled against us. Genuinely this is an utter outrage. 110,000 workers vs the establishment. We will be live shortly. Stand strong. We will not be moved #WeRiseAgain
