Royal Mail workers in the York area set to vote for postal s

[Geezer]

http://www.thepress.co.uk/news/4641446. ... al_strike/

Royal Mail workers in the York area set to vote for postal strike

8:57am Tuesday 22nd September 2009

comment Comments (21) Have your say »
By Mike Laycock »


UNION leaders warned today that 1,400 postal workers across the York area look set to vote for a crippling strike – unless Royal Mail returns to the negotiating table.

And they claimed the introduction of new machinery could mean households and businesses in York failing to see any mail delivered before 11am in future, with deliveries continuing until 3pm in towns and as late as 4pm in rural areas.

They said they also continued to fear for the future of York’s sorting office in Leeman Road and 350 jobs.

The Communication Workers’ Union’s 1,400 members across the York postcode area – which stretches from Selby and Market Weighton to Thirsk and Scarborough – are taking part in a national strike ballot over modernisation plans.

The result of the secret ballot will be known early next month, but local union spokesman Paul Clays said today that all the indications were pointing to a resounding “yes” vote.

He said: “With postal workers facing a longer day and having to carry heavier bags of mail, the chances of members voting against a strike are as likely as a turkey voting for Christmas.”

He said mail was currently delivered as early as 9am, and businesses would not be happy about post failing to arrive until 11am at the earliest, or as late as 3pm.

“They want the post early so they have time to respond to letters and bank cheques,” he said.

Dave Dowling, secretary of the union’s York and district branch, said: “I assure all The Press’s readers that the CWU who represent postal workers will leave no stone unturned to resolve this dispute, but neither will they flinch to take whatever action is required to defend their members and to defend postal services into the future.”

He claimed Royal Mail had refused to honour an agreement reached in 2007 to negotiate and agree how postal services should modernise and how issues such as job security and pensions should be dealt with.


Royal Mail launches attack on union

ROYAL Mail has blasted the strike ballot as “totally unjustified”.

The company claimed the union’s actions were damaging to customers, and a clear attempt to undermine modernisation, which was essential if Royal Mail was to face up to the reality of a rapidly changing marketplace.

A spokesman declined to comment on the specific union claims about later delivery times in York, but reiterated its stance on the future of the Leeman Road sorting office, saying: “We have no plans to close York Mail Centre at the mo-ment.”

The company accused the union of reneging on a 2007 agreement on pay and modernisation.

Managing director Mark Higson said: “The CWU leadership is well aware that it has already agreed all the changes Royal Mail is making, and we urge them to recognise the tough economic conditions faced by all our customers and Royal Mail itself and to live up to their claims to support modernisation and to focus – as the company is doing – on delivering the postal service on which so many customers depend.”

[POSTMAN]

The CWU leadership is well aware that it has already agreed all the changes Royal Mail is making

[Geezer]

Managing director Mark Higson said: “The CWU leadership is well aware that it has already agreed all the changes Royal Mail is making, and we urge them to recognise the tough economic conditions faced by all our customers and Royal Mail itself and to live up to their claims to support modernisation and to focus – as the company is doing – on delivering the postal service on which so many customers depend.”




Shouldn't that read .............. on delivering the postal service on which so many customers CANNOT depend.