WALTHAM FOREST: RM chief hits back at striking posties

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WALTHAM FOREST: Royal Mail chief hits back at striking postal workers

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A ROYAL mail official has accused a union of damaging services as the row over postal working methods in East London intensifies.

Officials from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have slammed Royal Mail bosses for cutbacks, allegedly changing working terms and conditions without consultation and for refusing to allow the East London Mail Centre, which sorts mail for Waltham Forest, to process items.

This has, says the CWU, led to severe delays to postal services, as thousands of undelivered letters pile up.

But Royal Mail has this afternoon hit back and says the CWU members, who have repeatedly gone on strike in recent weeks, are “hurting customers.”

Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail operations director, said: “It is now more clear than ever that the CWU is focussing all its efforts on strike action and political posturing. “Their claimed support for change is no more than lip service but their determination to damage services and undermine the future health of the business and the universal service is increasing. “Royal Mail is getting on with modernisation in an entirely fair and reasonable way which is completely in line with our existing agreement with the union on flexible working practices.”

Angela Mulcahy, CWU East London area processing representative, and John Ayres, drivers' representative, both say the Royal Mail service is deliberately being destroyed to make a future privatisation more feasible.

The latest 24 hour strike is due to take place at the East London Mail Centre, and at delivery offices throughout east London, on Wednesday.