Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 9 November 2022.
Thank you for that, Minister. Before being elected as a Member of the Senedd, I was a postal worker for Royal Mail, and I know how hard deliverers work day in, day out. I walked an average of 12 miles a day for five or six hours, in all weather—extreme heat, storms, snow—and my ex-colleagues have embraced change already to increase productivity and efficiency, being more flexible regarding hours, fleet of foot, coping with increased rounds, lapsing of rounds, using postal digital assistants and van shares, to name a few. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedication during the pandemic and to their customers. I understand that CWU are now in intensive negotiations with Royal Mail about pay and conditions, showing how important it is to be part of a trade union. Minister, will you join me in encouraging the Royal Mail to engage fully with the union to achieve a positive outcome for these negotiations for the benefit of workers, as well as the general public who rely on their service? Diolch.