In reaction to Postwatch’s performance figures for 2007/08, CWU responded in anger at Royal Mail management’s deliberately misleading and greedy bonus scheme and continued double standards for different levels of staff.

Billy Hayes, General Secretary, said; “The £3 million paid to Crozier was defended on the basis that the company had met its performance targets. We now see from Postwatch’s own statistics that this was not the case. Management are clearly being rewarded for failure and running the business down instead of for raising standards and achieving high performance.

“The postal strike inevitably impacted on service standards last year. However, the postal strike was symptomatic of the failure of management in the industry to take staff with them during a period of change.

“Let’s not forget that the postal strike took place because of Royal Mail’s attacks on the terms and conditions of its staff, which it persists with in its changes to the pension scheme and closure of mail centres, delivery offices and post offices across the country.”