Posties prepare for strike action

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POSTAL services could be hit by fresh strikes as Royal Mail prepares to move more staff out of the city.

The organisation is expected to confirm today that up to 80 distribution and 20 processing roles will be switched from Leek Road, Stoke, to Wolverhampton.

That is in addition to dozens of overnight mail sorting positions already transferred to Wolverhampton.

Now union leaders are seeking permission from their national executive to ballot workers over industrial action if the latest jobs are switched.

Andy Plant, Midlands branch secretary for the Communication Workers Union, said: "We are expecting all processing jobs to go and up to 90 per cent of distribution roles.

"We have told them that would be unacceptable. Once you sign a contract it is legal and binding, and if they try to do something against it we will fight that.

"Royal Mail has refused to talk to us since February about this.

"They have said there is no negotiating about these proposals, which is de-recognising a trade union.

"We don't think we should be losing any work from Stoke-on-Trent."

Union leaders fear the change will worsen the Potteries' postal service, which is already officially the worst in mainland Britain, because mail will go on a 75-mile round trip every day to Wolverhampton and back.

Mr Plant added: "This all stems from targets in the business plan. Nationally-agreed targets for every delivery office are to reduce costs by something like eight per cent.

"Royal Mail should sit down with the union and come up with an acceptable figure, but they aren't giving us that opportunity in Stoke-on-Trent."

But Royal Mail officials are disappointed that the union is considering balloting for industrial action.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Faced with full competition and declining mail volumes, Royal Mail constantly has to review its operational efficiency and commercial practicality as we strive to improve the service we offer our customers.

"We continue to talk to the Communication Workers Union about details of the changes to our operation at Stoke. It is disappointing they have threatened to ballot for industrial action in advance of discussions set to take place later this week.

"We do not envisage any compulsory redundancies at Stoke and each individual has the opportunity to talk to us about their future.

"We will do everything possible to match our people's preferences for the future with the options available."