'Wake up' Mandelson tells union
Strife continues at the UK's Royal Mail service as a series of 24 hour strikes makes all parties edgy. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says the strikes are not proving particularly effective, though they will continue until next week, when a vote on authorization of a national strike is scheduled. The union has accused the ministers, led by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, of 'sulking' because their privatization and modernization plans for Royal Mail have not gone through. In turn, the ministers have said that the union needs to 'wake up.' They say that the union must help to stem the decline of Royal Mail. The CWU has not expressed particular opposition to modernization, but they say that the ministers are cutting positions and pay, and changing duties around without consulting union members or leaders. Modernization without consultation, if you will.
See "'Wake up' Mandelson tells union", BBC News Online, August 18, 2009