POSTAL workers in the Isle of Man have voted in favour of strike action.
This follows months of negotiations with the Communication Workers Union and the Isle of Man Post Office over the 2010 pay agreement.
The Post Office has been unable to grant its employees a general pay rise this year following the freeze on all public sector pay budgets. Pay was last increased at 2.5 percent for all staff in April 2009 for the year ending March 31, 2010.
Alan Crowe MLC, chairman of the post office, said: "The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has officially notified us of the ballot outcome today. We are saddened that a majority have voted in favour of strike action.
"We appreciate and understand a pay freeze is difficult for all of our staff to accept. However we urge everyone regardless of the way they have voted not to strike.
"Isle of Man Post Office welcomes the CWU's comment today that the ballot result should be used to focus all parties not on strikes but on solutions. We continue to be open to further talks with the union against the backdrop of the freeze on public sector pay budgets.
"Strike action would be reckless and its only outcome would be damage to the business, jeopardising customer and public support for the Post Office and putting jobs at risk. It would not change the freeze on public sector pay budgets that is currently in place.
"Isle of Man Post Office values the loyal and dedicated service of its staff, which is recognised by an attractive package of terms and conditions which compare favourably with those offered by other organisations in the public and private sectors. However employees throughout the Island’s economy are having to exercise restraint in the current unprecedented financial circumstances and Isle of Man Post Office is no exception to this.
"The CWU members account for just over half of our workforce and we have robust contingency arrangements in place which we are confident will ensure a minimal level of disruption to our customers in the event a strike may take place.
"In this case we would be discussing our contingency plans closely with our customers in order to keep them as fully up-to-date as possible regarding the services they rely on us for and any disruption there may be. We work in a customer service industry and our customers are a primary concern."
In the event of strike action 45 percent of the workforce who are not members of the CWU would continue to work as normal.
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