Motorola outhouse

[dudleylicious]

Posties in threat to picket 'scab' factory

Last Updated: 29 October 2009 1:38 PM
Source: West Lothian Herald and Post
Location: West Lothian ON STRIKE:

TH1_2910200918Web-posties.jpg

Posties on the picket line at Bathgate's delivery office say Royal Mail are selling them short.


Date: 29 October 2009
By Scott McAngus
THE Royal Mail is taking over the former Motorola factory in Bathgate for use by casual workers, bringing threats from striking staff that they will picket the premises.
County postal workers say the Royal Mail will use "scab" labour at the site to clear backlogs as a three-day strike got underway today (Thursday).


Royal Mail insisted that the use of the Bathgate factory was part of an annual arrangement to cope with the Christmas rush, but said the centre would also be used to clear strike backlog if necessary.

The casual workers will be part of a 30,000-strong contingent recruited across the country to keep the mail moving in the run-up to Christmas. CWU's area processing representative Graham Steedman, warned that the factory would be picketed if the union suspected it was being used to divert work from plants hit by industrial action.

He added: "If they're moving our work from the Edinburgh Mail Centre that could escalate the official dispute.

"Obviously there would be potential legal challenges to the Royal Mail by the union if they're employing agency and temporary staff to do the work of striking workers."

The CWU and local postal workers are unhappy about the company's modernisation plans over pay and conditions.

Preparations at the building in the Pyramids business centre are understood to be well underway, although a Royal Mail spokeswoman could not confirm how many casual workers would be employed at the site or when they would start work.

She said: "The people who will be based at Bathgate are being taken on as part of our Christmas recruitment.

"We will use it also, because we're in an industrial action situation, to clear backlog if there is one, but there is nobody there doing the work of normal postmen who are on strike. This is something we do every year."

Around 250 staff in West Lothian took part in a 48-hour strike last week. One picketing worker at the Bathgate delivery office said: "At this delivery site all they've done is extended our indoor and outdoor work.

"We are striking about Royal Mail's modernisation plans because there is not one bit of it in here."

The full article contains 373 words and appears in West Lothian Herald and Post newspaper.
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Last Updated: 29 October 2009 1:38 PM
Source: West Lothian Herald and Post
Location: West Lothian