Preston - Postmen walk out at mail office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/postmen ... -1-4996151" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hundreds of postmen have walked out of a Preston mail delivery office after an argument.

Staff at Royal Mail office on Christian Road, Preston, walked out at around 9am on Friday after an argument between two workers escalated.

It is understood one postal worker has been given precautionary suspension while the line manager involved in the dispute has remained in his position.

Lenny Crook, of the local branch of postal workers’ union, the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), said other workers had been upset at the failure to suspend the management involved in the dispute.

He said: “It was a discussion relating to a duty change between a line manager and a delivery worker which has escalated into something further.

“Members said that, had this been an argument between two members, both would have been given precautionary suspension, but in this case only the delivery worker has.”

He confirmed workers had walked out, but said delivery rounds were not due to begin until 9.30am.

An office worker, who asked not to be named, said staff had “not done any work for a couple of hours” since 7am due to the row.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/postmen ... -1-4996151" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postmen walk out at mail office

Thousands of letters went undelivered in Preston after a row between a postman and his boss saw a walk-out at a postal delivery office.

Workers at the Royal Mail site on Christian Road in the city centre walked out yesterday morning after the argument led to a worker being suspended pending an investigation.

However, 150 workers were left furious after the manager involved in the argument was not suspended in the same way.

A crisis meeting is due to be held at the site on Saturday morning in an attempt to break the deadlock and get letters delivered again over the weekend.

Lenny Crook, a representative for the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), said: “Our members asked for parity of treatment between our member and the manager involved and the business has refused this request, which started the walk out.

“The management then refused to discuss the situation with workers until they went back to work, and the workers refused to go back to work until the manager was suspended.

“There will be a further meeting on Saturday morning in an effort to resolve the situation, although I would imagine it is unlikely there will be a resolution.”

A Royal Mail spokesman described the incident as “unlawful industrial action” and confirmed it had impacted deliveries in the PR1, PR2, PR3,PR4 and PR11 postal areas.

Delivery director Adrian Fielding said additional staff and managers had been drafted in yesterday to attempt to deliver mail and limit the impact of the action.

He said: “We are fully aware of the concerns of staff which relates to a conduct case involving one individual in the office and Royal Mail has robust procedures, agreed with the CWU, to deal with such matters.

“This needs to be resolved within the standard disagreement framework as agreed by the Union and implemented successfully elsewhere.”

He added that deliveries had been prioritised to Royal Mail’s tracked mail services, including Special Delivery items, and asked people not to visit the Christian Road site unless they had received a card asking them to do so.

Mr Fielding said: “We sincerely apologise again to our customers for the impact of this unlawful industrial action and we will keep them informed of developments.”

[mahrm1]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/postal- ... -1-5000671" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A strike at a Preston postal office sparked by a row with management had stretched into a second day.

A crisis meeting at the Preston Central Delivery Office, on Christian Road in the city centre, on Saturday morning failed to find a resolution and led to 150 workers walking out for a second day.

The row was sparked by the suspension of a postal worker following an argument with a manager on Friday morning.

Lenny Crook, a representative of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said talks would continue on Saturday in an attempt to reach an agreement by Monday.

He said: “The company has robust complaint proceudyre, but they do not carry onto the management.

“This a case of six of one, half-a-dozen of the other, and in normal circusmtances, if this had been two non-management staff, both would have been suspended pending an investigation.

“That is all we are asking for, if the company is willing to do that people will go straight back to work.”

He added staff wanted to “apologise for any inconvenience” caused to members of the public who have not received mail as a result of the action.

Mr Crook added: “Our members have lost two days pay over this, so I can assure people this is not a decision they are taking lightly.”

On Friday, Royal Mail drafted in additional staff and managers in an attempt to clear the backlog of letters which impact on the PR1, PR2, PR3,PR4 and PR11 postcode areas.

Delivery director Adrian Fielding said deliveries had been prioritised to Royal Mail’s tracked mail services, including Special Delivery items, and asked people not to visit the Christian Road site unless they had received a card asking them to do so.

Mr Fielding said: “We sincerely apologise again to our customers for the impact of this unlawful industrial action and we will keep them informed of developments.”

[mahrm1]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/postal- ... -1-5002670" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A wildcat strike which has halted work at Preston’s biggest postal delivery office has stretched into a fourth day.

Up to 150 postal workers turned up at the Preston Central Delivery Office on Christian Road in the city centre at 6am on Monday for a meeting with management.

They were told there was movement from the company’s position regarding the suspension of a manager involved in a row with a worker which led to the walk-out on Friday.

Lenny Crook, of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), confirmed members had voted not to go back to work for a fourth day with a further meeting organised for 6am on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

He said: “Management has made it quite clear they have no intention of accepting the union’s request, they are not willing to give the manager a precautionary suspension or even remove him from the building.

“What I cannot understand is the union are not asking for the worker to be reinstated, we are simply asking for the manager to be given a precautionary suspension whilst the investigation is ongoing.

“It appears the company’s own policies only apply to regular workers, their managers are untouchable and appear to be above such rules.”

A spokesman for Royal Mail refused to comment on the issue but said workers have been told there are no plans to suspend the manager.

Managers and extra staff have been drafted in to handle the thousands of pieces of mail building up at the centre which covers PR1, PR2, PR3,PR4 and PR11 postcode areas.

[hans solo]

i just hope none of their colleagues from nearby offices are doing ther work on ot

[lauraroth87]

is the strike still on? ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Merged all the threads and made a sticky - all Preston stories and comments in here please

[wahughes]

When are we going to get the post?

I don't know what has happened but I need my post, I'm not going to get all sobby saying I can't pay my bills or I'm waiting for my bank card or important machine parts, I just want my mail for day to day living.

I'd love to work for RM with a union like theirs but I certainly dont benefit as a customer haha

[pauliboo]

I'm also wondering if I'll ever see the postman again. He hasn't been seen since Thursday when he delivered my magazine subscription a day late.

I gave up smoking last week and I've been waiting for refills for my e-cig, they were posted last Weds with next day delivery and haven't arrived yet! I'm getting a bit stressed and need the nicotine. If I start smoking again I'm blaming it on the postman ;-)

[POSTMAN]

Unballoted industrial action Preston Central Delivery Office (PR1-4 & PR11)

Staff at our Preston Central Delivery Office have returned to work today, following the recent, unballoted industrial action at that office.
Deliveries and collections in the PR1-PR4 and PR11 postcode areas should be made in all areas today. Deliveries are likely to continue to be disrupted in these areas though, as services return to normal over the next few days.
We'd like to apologise again to all affected customers for any inconvenience this action has caused.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Wildcat strikes bring misery for businesses

http://www.lep.co.uk/community/wildcat- ... -1-5004919" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A business woman has hit out at Preston’s striking postmen who she says could damage her professional reputation.

Emma Darley, 25, who runs Discount Pet Supplies, said that she was already suffering after two working days without deliveries.

And although she had every sympathy with the dispute, which caused 150 postal workers to walk out last Friday morning, she was now 
concerned about the damage it was doing to her business.

The wildcat strike at the city’s biggest delivery office on Christian Road, began after an employee was suspended 
following a disagreement with his manager.

But a refusal by the 
Royal Mail to also suspend the 
manager sparked a walk-out.

After a crises meeting between unions and management yesterday workers decided to continue their protest.

Emma, who is one of a number of businesses based in Oyston Mill, said the strike was having multiple effects.

She said: “I do have sympathy with the postal workers, but these are hard times.

“I have important pet 
medication on order for a number of customers and I feel like I’m letting them down.

“It’s not just me. There are other businesses here who rely a lot on internet sales and 
without the post they can’t send out any orders.

“I want to build up my business and hopefully take on an apprentice.”

Lenny Crook, chairman of the North Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the Communication Workers’ Union, said even if workers returned to work today it would take until next week to clear the backlog, which stood at more than 10,000 items of mail after the weekend.

Royal Mail spokesman Adrian Fielding, delivery 
director, apologised for the 
impact of the industrial action.

He said: “We are continuing to work to resolve this matter and have drafted in additional managers who are doing their very best to deliver mail and limit the impact of this industrial action on our customers.

“We are prioritising our tracked mail services which includes Special Delivery items.” He asked residential customers not to visit Preston Central Delivery Office to collect their mail without receiving a card.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Preston postal workers return to work after wildcat strikes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-la ... e-19884806" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wildcat strikes by Royal Mail workers in Preston have now ended after three days of action.

Staff walked out of Preston Central Delivery Office on Friday, after a worker was suspended following "an argument" with a manager.

The action caused delivery problems in the PR0, PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4 and PR11 postcode areas of the city.

The Communication Workers Union said workers involved have now voted in favour of returning to work.

Union representatives and workers held daily meetings with management at the site in an attempt to resolve the issue.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-la ... e-19884806" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Preston postal staff back at work after wildcat strikes

Wildcat strikes by Royal Mail workers in Preston have ended after three days of action.

Staff walked out of Preston Central Delivery Office on Friday, after a worker was suspended following "an argument" with a manager.

The action caused delivery problems in the PR0, PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4 and PR11 postcode areas of the city.

The Communication Workers Union said workers involved had voted in favour of returning to work.

Union representatives and workers held daily meetings with management at the site in an attempt to resolve the issue.

A Royal Mail spokesman said they were pleased staff had returned to work and apologised to customers who may have been affected.

He said: "We are fully aware of the concerns of staff and now that they have returned to work, we will be able to investigate this matter in line with our conduct procedures which are agreed with the union."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal delivery hit by walkouts

http://www.longridgenews.co.uk/news/pos ... -1-5010363" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postal services across Lancashire were expected to return to normal after four days of walkouts by mail workers.

More than 150 postal returned to work at a Preston mail depot yesterday after strike action.

The workers at the Preston central delivery office walked out on Friday in a row with management.

The dispute centred around the refusal of bosses to suspend a manager involved in a row with a worker.

Yesterday (Tuesday) after a series of meetings members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) decided to go back to work.

Lenny Crook, chairman of the North Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the CWU, said management were not going to budge on the issue while workers were on strike and there was a concern union members were affecting themselves and the service to the public by continuing with the action.

But he added senior managers who addressed the striking workers have given an undertaking to work with the union to resolve issues and concerns at the office.

He said: “The members have decided to return to work. Basically nothing has changed as far as the management position is concerned.

“The union put it to (members) that they have made a statement with the actions they have taken so far. This could go on forever and a day if they continue with the current position.

“They (the members) put it to the vote and decided to go back to work.

“The senior managers came out and addressed the members themselves after the vote and they fielded questions from them.

“They asked members to tell them what grievances and complaints they had and they did in no uncertain terms.

“The management, for their part, have given a commitment to work closely with the union on these issues around the office and to start that work straight away.”

No one from the Royal Mail was available to comment.

Managers and extra staff had been drafted in to handle the thousands of pieces of mail building up at the centre which covers PR1, PR2, PR3,PR4 and PR11 postcode areas.

[DGP1]

We all know that this could have been sorted out a few minutes but RM management don't do sorting out, they just do confrontation and arrogance