Town hit by mail strike - Wigan

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ail_strike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE first of two postal strikes crippled mail deliveries across Wigan.

More than 350 delivery staff walked out for 24 hours from 6am today.

A second 24-hour strike is set to hit deliveries again on Monday unless a deal between unions and Royal Mail bosses can be reached.

The dispute centres on the Hallgate sorting office in Wigan and the Royal Mail's national programme of re-structuring.

Nine jobs have been lost at the plant by voluntary redundancy.

National strikes took place in 2007 after the Royal Mail's plans on modernisation and pay were revealed.

All postal rounds in Wigan have been reviewed, but union bosses said the revision was not agreed beforehand and breaks a deal previously agreed with management.

Workforce

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: "Postal workers are more productive than ever, handling more mail with a diminishing workforce. Stress is now reaching breaking point while morale is at an all-time low.

"The company is rigging the work measurement systems to overload postal workers. Budgets are cut year on year and delivery rounds are then overloaded to match that budget."

Royal Mail said talks were ongoing. Business bosses however said trade would suffer.

Patrick Prinsloo, Wigan manager of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said the strikes would be 'damaging for local firms already struggling to cope with tough business conditions'.

He said: "The two-day dispute has been planned around the weekend before the bank holiday, meaning that many firms in the borough will not receive any post until Tuesday at the earliest.

"This will undoubtedly have a negative impact for many local businesses damaging productivity, and causing unwanted delays to orders and payments."

Strikes have also taken place this week in East Anglia, London and the South west. ends

[ROCKS]

just one postie turned up for work(he not in union) plenty "managers"from other areas plus one that hid under his hood on his coat even when he was driving a van out