Royal Mail Case Study

Mediation contract for Royal Mail and its Unions

Royal Mail, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite have, for the first time, jointly appointed external mediators to help resolve issues and establish fairness in the workplace at an early stage.

Royal Mail and its trade unions have agreed to appoint an independent mediation partner, The TCM Group, to help deal with workplace issues throughout the company that employs 150,000 workers.

This is the first time that the business and its trade unions have jointly employed an external mediation company to help resolve issues and ensure that all employees are treated fairly and with respect.

Royal Mail and the Trade Unions have recently re-launched its Stop Bullying and Harassment policy. It offers an informal resolution process using the new mediation partner. The policy underpins Royal Mail’s and the trade unions’ commitment to help encourage a culture of mutual trust and fairness in the work place.

Royal Mail, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite have, for the first time, jointly appointed external mediators to help resolve issues and establish fairness in the workplace at an early stage.

TCM Group is an expert in its field and has already developed mediation schemes in both private and public sector organisations. These include The UN, Marks and Spencer, British Telecom and American Airlines and various Whitehall Departments. TCM Group Chief Executive, David Liddle, added:
“Mediation is a proven method for resolving complex workplace issues. Royal Mail is taking a lead in how it manages workplace disputes by offering mediation to all of its employees with the full support and involvement of its trade union partners. The professional mediators from TCM Group will assist the parties in a dispute to identify and agree a constructive remedy. This will assist Royal Mail to achieve its vision for a culture of co-operation. This initiative will be evaluated by a team of leading academics offering the chance to gather evidence about the effectiveness of mediation within the modern workplace.”