Crick - Postal workers vote to strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/ ... 5522813.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail drivers at the county distribution centre at Crick are to participate in a 24-hour strike on Friday.
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) says the strike, which begins at 4am, is in response to Royal Mail's announcement that it intends to introduce major changes to drivers' duties and attendance patterns from September 7. With up to 500 drivers involved, the union anticipates "serious disruption" as the drivers trunk the mail from depot to depot.

Mark Batterham, CWU area representative for the site, said the revision of duties, called Network 2009, will be imposed without union agreement.

He said: "In response to this threat, our drivers at the NDC were balloted for strike action and returned a 76 per cent 'yes' vote.

"Our members have sent a clear message to management they are unwilling to accept these threats and urge Royal Mail to return to the national negotiating table to resolve this national issue.

"The CWU are expecting management to honour an agreement signed in 2007 which details how the much-needed modernisation programme will be jointly introduced."

The CWU claims the union and Royal Mail signed into the Pay and Modernisation agreement in 2007, which detailed the future for the company and its employees.

Mr Batterham said Royal Mail has reneged on the agreement, which commits both parties to negotiate a modernisation programme, a pay and reward scheme and future industrial relations.

He said: "The CWU recognises the company must modernise. Whilst management continue with this stance, however, further industrial unrest is inevitable."

The National Distribution Centre (NDC) is not the only site involved in the strike on Friday. The national parcel hub at Coventry, logistic drivers at Birmingham and the Essex distribution centre and all London-based logistic drivers are taking action.

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said: "Having met the union more than 50 times in recent months, it is increasingly clear that the CWU refuses to believe that mail volumes are declining, despite the clear evidence of this in the UK and in every other postal market around the world.

"We again condemn the CWU for striking locally over much-needed modernisation.

"The changes are all covered by the 2007 Agreement on Pay and Modernisation."

[k979aaa]

WELL DONE CRICK!.