SEVERAL areas of the city were without post again today as postal workers continued their strike.
More than 200 workers walked out of the Royal Mail offices on Papyrus Road in Werrington, Peterborough, at 9pm, on Thursday.
The strike means that there will be disrupted mail deliveries in the PE1, PE3, PE4 and PE6 postcode areas of Peterborough until 6am on Monday.
Yesterday, more than 100 workers were outside the offices, some in fancy dress, including one man dressed as the Grim Reaper, to protest about a new raft of Royal Mail proposals.
Last week, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced that strike action was inevitable in response to Royal Mail’s “draconian and destructive” proposals on business changes and the effect of earning potential and take home pay.
The CWU said Royal Mail’s notification that they intend to enforce changes to duties in all of the offices will put job security at risk, reduce take home pay and increase workload for no extra pay.
The CWU believes that these alterations will have a long-term effect on the delivery time of mail and quality of service.
Local representative for the CWU Mark Cook said the workers had been receiving support during the strike action.
He said: “While there have not been many people coming through, most have been very supportive to the workers.
“We also had a bagpiper come along in the morning, and we marched along Papyrus Road with our banner.
“Lots of people from the companies along the road came out to support us.”
Mr Cook also warned that there was the possibility of more industrial action in the future.
He said: “We want a modernised, first-class service for the Royal Mail. It is still early days, but if the Royal Mail does not sit down and talk, then there is the chance of holding a national ballot, with the possibility of a national strike.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused to the public, but we have to stand up for our rights, and the public’s right to a proper service.”
Royal Mail’s operations director Paul Tolhurst today condemned the strike, and said: “The CWU is again saying one thing and doing another – publicly they say they want modernisation, yet they write regularly to members saying union policy is to oppose change on the ground.
“They agreed with us only last week a timetable for further talks on change, yet they now announce a national strike ballot. Their behaviour beggars belief.”