STRIKE action by UK postal workers could force island companies to shed staff. The fears came the day after the Communication Workers’ Union announced a further series of ‘rolling strikes’ to start on Monday.
Chairman of the Guernsey Postal Flower Association Mark Fletcher, who runs Fletcher’s Freesias By Post, said members had been predicting a halving of income because of the action. But speaking yesterday, he feared losses would run even higher. His company is currently able to send flowers to the UK only once a week.
‘We can only offer a restricted service, so people are being forced to go to other sellers and to private couriers,’ said Mr Fletcher.
‘The danger to our business is that damage can be done in a matter of weeks,’ he said.
‘You run the risk of customers not coming back.’
He warned that if strike action continued, the industry would certainly be looking at redundancies.
‘There’s only a certain number of times that you can sweep the floor,’ said Mr Fletcher.
‘Bearing in mind you’re dealing with perishables, it’s disastrous and it’s not getting any better.
‘The sad part is there’ll be a time when bills arrive and what little income is coming into businesses simply won’t cover their outgoings.’
He said the striking workers should look beyond a possible pay rise - one of the reasons they are taking action - to the damage being done to Royal Mail as a result.
‘In the long term the workers might achieve the pay rise that they want, but what about the effect the staff’s actions are having on their own business?’ he said.
‘Surely that will affect them in the future.’
He said it was a particular shame because businesses were just starting to catch up following postal strikes a few years ago.
‘Guernsey flowers are a good product that has built up a reputation in the UK,’ said Mr Fletcher.
However, he did point out that, so far, stock sent to the mainland had arrived in good condition.
‘Although we’ve been limited in our sending, what we have sent has got across safely,’ he said, adding that the assistance of Guernsey Post had been fundamental.
Mr Fletcher said he feared the damage extended to bulk mailers as a whole, particularly as Christmas was just around the corner, and not just the postal flower industry.
‘It’s a very serious situation which is producing a severe lack of cash flow,’ he said.
Barry Cash, Chamber of Commerce director and a member of watchdog Post Watch, said the strikes would affect all businesses to some extent.
‘At times like these, people will look for alternatives,’ said Mr Cash.
‘And sometimes they find better ones and prices that are actually more competitive,’ he said.
‘But when you’re sending small items through the post, Royal Mail takes a lot of beating.’
He said that getting mail into and out of the UK was a problem for all individuals and businesses.
‘It’s been brewing for some time and it’s finally happening,’ said Mr Cash, adding that he thought the advent of wildcat strikes - unofficial walkouts - was particularly worrying.
‘We can only hope the situation is resolved as quickly as possible,’ he said.
Article posted on 12th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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