340 Cumbrian postal workers out on strike

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By Jenny Barwise

Last updated at 10:48, Saturday, 31 October 2009



About 340 Cumbrian postal workers started a 24-hour strike this morning.

Workers from around the county took to the picket lines at 4am.

It means that post will not be delivered today as postmen and women and delivery drivers across the county walked out, after talks between the Royal Mail and Communication Workers Union over jobs, pay and modernisation failed to reach an agreement.

Barry Bowes, assistant branch secretary of the North Lancs and Cumbria branch of CWU, said: “We have been in talks on Thursday night and again yesterday. There is a number of issues that need resolved. We have got concerns and we believe these issues need addressing. We want agreements and want to be back at work.”

Mr Bowes added that there was no further action planned for the next seven days, but that did not mean that they had ruled out the possibility of another strike. “We don’t have an alternative. They [Royal Mail] keep telling us we will lose thousands of jobs – but we will if we don’t go on strike,” he added.

Their action came just hours after it was announced that a fresh wave of strikes are planned for next week – on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.

On Thursday 43,000 workers nationwide went on strike from regional distribution centres including those at Carlisle and Preston. Four hundred workers who redirect badly addressed mail walked out yesterday and 77,000 delivery and collection staff took action today.

The strikes went ahead after the failure of three days of intensive talks between union leaders and Royal Mail bosses.

Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, said there was “every prospect” that industrial action would now be stepped up.

Mr Hayes also revealed that the union was close to making a decision on whether to take legal action over Royal Mail’s move to hire 30,000 agency workers to deal with the backlog of mail caused by the strike, as well as the Christmas rush.

The warning raises the threat of huge disruption to Christmas post unless the bitter dispute over jobs, pay and modernisation is resolved.

The union claims that Royal Mail’s plans could lead to 60,000 job losses, while the company accused the union of tabling fresh demands which scuppered hopes of a deal.

Royal Mail say the union was playing havoc with customer confidence and urged the CWU to come back to the table. Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail Letters, said they were willing to talk for as long as it took to resolve the current dispute and get everyone back to delivering consistent service for customers.

First published at 09:11, Saturday, 31 October 2009
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