In the early hours of Monday 2 March, Burslem postal worker, Paul Dawson, started a rooftop protest at Burslem delivery office. His banner read, “One year on – Still no apology.” He was demanding an apology from Royal Mail 17 months after he was wrongly accused of bullying and harassment by Royal Mail bosses.
Paul said, “I am not coming down until I get the apology I am entitled to in writing from a senior manager, as promised after myself and eleven of my colleagues were suspended.”
As a result, Burslem depot was brought to a standstill with no mail deliveries taking place. The responsibility for this lies 100% with the vindictive bosses who run Royal Mail.
Paul had been marched out of Burslem delivery office in September 2007, along with 11 other postal workers by security staff brought in by Royal Mail. They were accused of bullying, harassment and intimidation, told that they were suspended and not even to speak to other workmates or enter any Royal Mail premises.
Five weeks of solid strike action of the 100 workers at Burslem depot followed in attempt to get all of the victimised 12 reinstated.
When the 12 were originally suspended they received a written statement from Royal Mail which said: “If you are exonerated by the investigation you will be returned to duty and given an apology.”
Paul was later exonerated, along with seven others but had still not received an apology despite returning to work in 2008. This is how Royal Mail bosses treat their staff.
Paul came down from the roof after seven hours when Royal Mail produced the apology that he had demanded. But the fight also goes on to get the jobs back of the other five who have now been sacked by Royal Mail and are continuing their struggle through appeals.
