Postal workers in united front against unfair terms

[TrueBlueTerrier]

OSTAL workers complain of having to carry 100kg of mail a day, working unpaid overtime to get their jobs finished, being bullied by management and not having a moment to pass the time of day with their customers.

In return, they are accused of "Spanish practices", going home early and resisting modernisation.

Rows over working conditions, pensions and pay have resulted in postal workers in Dorset going on two 48-hour strikes and more are planned for next week.

According to union officials, 80 per cent of postal workers in Dorset are involved in the strike, on no pay.

Derek Clash, branch secretary of the Bournemouth and Dorset branch of the Communications Workers' Union (CWU), speaking from the picket line outside the mail centre in Poole yesterday, said: "Postmen and women are not becoming more militant and we do not take going on strike lightly.

"These are serious issues. It is not just to do with pay, pensions and working conditions but the deterioration of the service.

"We are fighting on behalf of the public and we have a lot of support.

"They do not want to see 2,500 post offices close, later deliveries and an end to Sunday collections.

"We are not against modernisation and we will accept a negotiated change, but the employers are not prepared to compromise."

Postman Paul Heaslip, who was on the picket line at Bournemouth sorting office in Wellington Road yesterday, said bosses were trying to increase the workload and changing working practices to cut pay.

He said: "We are not striking for money.

"It's all about the conditions and working practices.

"It's a pretty physical job and they are going to load us up even more.

"It's getting to the stage where you have to be an athlete to do it.

"We love our jobs but there are limits."

Passing motorists showed their support for the workers by honking their horns.

CWU representative Garry Frampton said: "We feel badly treated but we feel sorry for the public because service will be greatly affected.

"Royal Mail have been trumpeting how they offered us six per cent over two years but their pay rise has strings attached, which we reckon will amount to a seven per cent pay cut.

"We accept we've been open to competition.

"However our view is that the best way to deal with that is to offer the public better service than the competition."

Strikes will continue across Dorset next week, with different areas of the service walking out on different days.

Mr Clash, who has been working in the industry for 42 years, said: "People and businesses will experience disruption all next week.

"We will still be coping with the backlog from the two 48-hour strikes."

Nerina Bodenhamer, spokeswoman for consumer watchdog Postwatch in the South West, said: "It's very bad news.

"It is the customers again that are losing out.

"They will find other ways such as email or fax and some of them will not go back to Royal Mail."

Small businesses are particularly badly affected by the strike.

Colin Jamieson from the Federation of Small Business said: "The effect is going to be dramatic.

"About 94 per cent of small businesses use Royal Mail exclusively and the effects on the economy are going to be frightening.

"The warring parties should do what ever it takes to reach agreement."

Hospitals have put in place special measures to cope with the strike.

A spokesman for Poole Hospital said: "Post will be delivered to the sorting office by the hospital on a daily basis to ensure it is ready for processing as soon as the strike ends.

"The hospital uses an alternative method for delivering post within the local health service, so communication with GP surgeries will not be affected.

"Patients requiring appointments within seven days are contacted by telephone, so patients should not be concerned that they will not receive notice of an urgent appointment in time."

In a statement on the website the Royal Mail said: "We are disappointed to see the CWU has communicated the next planned strikes, which are due to commence on Monday, October 15.

"We are heartened that there continues to be an increase in our operational staff attending work.

"We apologise for any disruption caused to our customers and whilst special delivery items are being delivered and some mail is flowing through the network, we are building up significant backlogs. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes. We would like to assure our customers that all mail will be handled in sequential order.

"We will do our best to return to normal as soon as possible but customers should expect significant delays."

Talks between the CWU and Royal Mail are continuing.

7:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2007

[TrueBlueTerrier]

One of the comments to the article

Posted by: Charliegirl, Portsmouth on 8:46pm Tue 9 Oct 07
It is a real shame that some of the public are turning against our posties at a time like this, yes it's inconvenient,I am waiting for parcels, letters etc too, but why should our posties be expected to work for free, yes door to doors with a value for £20-£45+ per week now to be done for free, and because the postie striked...banned from doing these for 3 weeks, a punishment they are told, I call it discrimiation!!! Why the share idea when the majority of the posties will want them cashed in after the 5 year tie in period, surely an expense the post office will ill afford, maybe delaying the inevitable???? 6am starts??? well the post will get delivered even later, sometimes I do not receive my post until 3.30pm, will they still have to deliver at midnight??? (for no extra pay in the summer as apparently summer months are quieter?) As well as having to start at 6am they also have to take breaks when they are told...also reducing pay), and well pensions are not even worth talking about when a part timer is paying at least £1400 per yr but maybe lucky to get a fraction back with the plans made!!! In the meantime, I will struggle supporting my family throughout the strikes in order to get a better deal for my husband, after all it is our future we are looking at too, and if not with the unsupportive bullies at the authoritarian levels then yes the local postie may be out of a job, but hey the competition will be lapping it up so much if it gets that far that I am sure they will take on the local posties, and will not take advanage of them as is being done now
It is a real shame that some of the public are turning against our posties at a time like this, yes it's inconvenient,I am waiting for parcels, letters etc too, but why should our posties be expected to work for free, yes door to doors with a value for £20-£45+ per week now to be done for free, and because the postie striked...banned from doing these for 3 weeks, a punishment they are told, I call it discrimiation!!!

Why the share idea when the majority of the posties will want them cashed in after the 5 year tie in period, surely an expense the post office will ill afford, maybe delaying the inevitable????

6am starts??? well the post will get delivered even later, sometimes I do not receive my post until 3.30pm, will they still have to deliver at midnight??? (for no extra pay in the summer as apparently summer months are quieter?) As well as having to start at 6am they also have to take breaks when they are told...also reducing pay), and well pensions are not even worth talking about when a part timer is paying at least £1400 per yr but maybe lucky to get a fraction back with the plans made!!!

In the meantime, I will struggle supporting my family throughout the strikes in order to get a better deal for my husband, after all it is our future we are looking at too, and if not with the unsupportive bullies at the authoritarian levels then yes the local postie may be out of a job, but hey the competition will be lapping it up so much if it gets that far that I am sure they will take on the local posties, and will not take advanage of them as is being done now.