National action could see 3,800 staff down tools

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http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4638609 ... ive_havoc/


11:31am Saturday 19th September 2009

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MORE than 3,800 postal workers could be set to strike in Hampshire as company bosses and union leaders clash over job security, modernisation and bullying claims.

Millions of letters, bills, hospital appointments and other vital correspondence have already been delayed by a series of walkouts elsewhere in the country but it is feared national action will cause mayhem hitting pensioners and businesses hardest of all.

A ballot for countrywide strike action has just opened and will close on October 8 when all 130,000 workers have had the chance to vote.

If staff choose to down tools there could be a series of one-day strikes causing havoc right up to Christmas.

Communication Workers Union (CWU) officer for Hampshire, Kevin Benzer, said: “We feel betrayed by the company, they are drastically changing the service without consulting with us.

“What they are doing is forcing fewer staff to work harder, putting jobs at risk and damaging the service the customer gets.

“I have been a postman for 25 years and I have never seen morale as low as it is at the moment – everyone is utterly cheesed off.

“The company’s attitude is appalling and the bullying and harassment is completely out of order.”

A postman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The problems with the company have been going on for a long time and it’s got to the point where we can no longer cope.

“Mood on the floor is as bad as I’ve ever seen it.”

If the strike goes ahead 1,800 workers from Southampton will down tools.

Royal Mail admits a quarter of mail is already being delayed which equates to nine million items of post.

The strikes and the threat of national action have been fiercely attacked by the giant firm who claims it is “totally unjustified and damaging to customers.”

Royal Mail boss, Mark Higson, said: “It beggars belief that the CWU says that the disruption caused by the CWU strike is hurting customers yet at the same time calls a national strike ballot to step up the damage they are already inflicting on customers big and small.

“While the amount of delayed mail is a fraction of the daily mail bag we are concerned about every letter and we apologise wholeheartedly to customers for the difficulties caused by the CWU strikes.”

He went on to say the firm was forced to modernise and save cash as competition from the web was driving down revenue.

He claims mail volumes are down 10 percent year on year which would equate to £700m.