Thousands Turn Out In Support Of Post Strike

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12:54pm UK, Saturday October 31, 2009

Lulu Sinclair, Sky News Online


Thousands of postal workers have turned out to "solidly support" a fresh strike that is crippling mail deliveries across the UK.

The strike is the latest in a wave of walkouts to hit the Royal Mail.

Members of the Communication Workers Union are mounting picket lines outside mail centres on the third consecutive day of industrial action in a bitter row over jobs, pay and modernisation.

Around 77,000 delivery and collection staff are on strike for 24 hours, with further action planned over the next week unless marathon talks between the two sides produce a breakthrough.

The next 24-hour national walkouts, involving all 121,000 postal members, are scheduled for Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9, although frantic efforts are continuing to try to find a peace deal.

Negotiators from the union and the company are considering a series of proposals drawn up during talks chaired by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

The two sides are aiming to resume negotiations early next week.


CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "It is not necessary for this strike to take place and the union remains focused on reaching an agreement. We hope that Royal Mail will also now be equally focused.

"CWU is determined to reach an agreement or make enough progress to call off strike action next week."

Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail condemned the union for calling more strikes, warning it would "distract" from the peace efforts.

"The CWU's irresponsible behaviour underlines just how muddled and confused the thinking of the union is - and how little it really cares about customers or the future of the UK postal service.

"Thanks to the efforts of all our people who continue to work ... we will be able to limit the effect of the current strikes and expect to get any delayed mail to our customers by early next week, well ahead of the CWU's next planned action."

The Royal Mail on Friday said there was backlog of 35 million items of post, a figure which is likely to rise over the weekend.