Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:39 pm on 25 January 2023.
Diolch. Can I thank Mike Hedges for helping answer my question there in advance? I will say at the outset that I welcome Joel James putting on the record that he recognises that it's a person's right to take industrial action, and the decision to take industrial action is one that is never taken lightly by any worker or trade union. Here, we support the right of all workers to take industrial action, and it is always the last resort.
As I said previously, we know the best way to respond is to work in social partnership with employers and trade unions to find a negotiated solution. That isn't easy; it can be difficult, it can be protracted. But, it's the right thing to do. In my meetings with both CWU and Royal Mail, they have confirmed they are back in talks. Although I'm unable to comment on that, as it's not my place to do so today, we hope we can seek a solution. We know that Royal Mail faces many challenges, but the way to work through those challenges is to involve your workforce and support them to support our communities in Wales.