Union to ballot for postal strik - Herne Bay and Whitstable

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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POSTAL workers are days away from striking over sorting office closures in Herne Bay and Whitstable.

Posties want a combined delivery office on the Thanet Way, and are preparing to take a ballot on industrial action unless Royal Mail bosses listen to their proposal.

Any action is unlikely to affect Christmas deliveries because strikers must give 28 days notice to the Royal Mail. The last Christmas collection for first class deliveries is December 20.

The Herne Bay office in Eddington Lane has already shut and the Whitstable one, in Cromwell Road, faces the axe in 2013, in the second phase of a major shake-up which will see every sorting office in Kent relocate to a "super" sorting office in Medway.

Postman and Communication Workers Union member Chris Stone claimed the plans made no sense.

He said: "We are considering strike action. It could be before Christmas.

"We do not want to take industrial action but the Royal Mail has forced our hand. There was no consultation and they have not listened to our proposals."

He added: "It's a short-term cost-cutting measure that will cost £180,000 a year in travel time alone, as postmen are paid £9 an hour to travel from Whitstable to Canterbury to collect the post and then return to Whitstable to deliver it, and then return any undelivered parcels to Canterbury before returning to Whitstable.

"This doesn't include the cost of fuel and vehicle wear and tear. It's an absurd decision. It'll be a worse service for customers and an environmental disaster."

Mr Stone said Canterbury's Military Road site already had air quality issues because of traffic congestion, that parking was difficult and customers in Herne Bay were already being advised by Royal Mail to collect their parcels in Canterbury rather than wait for redelivery.

He said 37 union members in the 50-strong workforce at Whitstable were waiting for ballot papers to be delivered before the vote was cast, but that a poll of 20 union members last month saw 19 voting in favour of some form of industrial action.

Royal Mail spokeswoman Sally Hopkins said the plans had been announced in June 2010, and that a decision was made in November 2012 after consulting staff and a balloting union members, which voted in favour of the decision.

She added: "We had a long period of consultation and are working within plans agreed by the Communications Workers Union. We strongly dispute there's been no consultation."

[nuttyboy]

we were never consulted just told and as for the ballot i would like to see the paperwork for this as there was not one . royal mail quote a strike is bad for customers who do they think we are striking for?