Norfolk postal workers to strike

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Postal workers in Norfolk are to strike on Friday in a row over jobs, pay and services, union bosses have announced.

Dozens of workers at the Thetford delivery office will take action as part of a nationwide 24-hour strike organised by the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

Those employed at the Norwich and Yarmouth offices are not striking as they did not ballot in time but will be taking a vote for action at a later date to be confirmed.

The announcement follows a series of strikes in cities in recent weeks, with workers in London taking part in a three-day strike earlier this month.

The union has accused Royal Mail of cutting the pay of employees and reducing services.

Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary said: “There are serious and growing problems in the postal sector which urgently need resolving.

“We have renewed our offer of a three-month no-strike deal to Royal Mail in return for meaningful talks over modernisation.

“The current cuts, bullying managers and ever-increasing workloads on a shrinking workforce cannot continue.

“Pressure and stress is at breaking point for postal workers.”

A total out of 44 union members out of a workforce of about 50 voted to strike in Thetford.

They will join workers based in London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Darlington, Stoke-on-Trent, Plymouth and Essex.

Melvin Hill, CWU branch secretary for the NR postal region, said workers have had a pay freeze but managers have received large bonuses.

“The people who do they work are being completely ignored,” he said.

Protest letters will be delivered to the Royal Mail's chief executive, Adam Crosier, and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.

Royal Mail condemned the CWU's plan and said that more than 90pc of its employees would still be delivering the mail to their customers with over 90pc of offices not affected by the planned strikes.

A spokesman said that Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State, has made clear his view that the union is “essentially boycotting the agreed processes for making change in the Royal Mail” and that the union must change its attitude to change and implement the 2007 agreement on pay and modernisation

“We are again urging the CWU to work with us to implement that agreement and help complete the transformation of Royal Mail in all our interests. Royal Mail is already half way through that transformation - and has already invested more than £800m - but we must up our pace in the face of dramatic and accelerating changes in the market in which we operate.”