The CWU said yesterday that it was sending ballot papers to its members proposing a national strike at the Royal Mail over pay and job cuts. The move comes after it organised a number of localised strikes over the past week, causing an estimated backlog of 20 million letters and parcels in London alone.
Former Porter Novelli global crisis and issues speciality leader Jonathan Hemus said the CWU was failing to use media opportunities to get public support for its cause.
‘The CWU spokesmen are still using the language of the 1970s and too much union management speak,' said Hemus. ‘They are failing to communicate and engage properly with the public.'
Hemus, who currently heads up his own agency Insignia Communications, added: ‘The CWU is missing the opportunity to communicate with the public by speaking in a jargon-filled language.'
Hemus advised the union to speak more plainly in order to get its points across.
‘This topic affects everyone who lives in the UK and the CWU needs to focus on the human element,' he said.
