UNION representatives had to step in yesterday to call a halt to a strike by 400 engineers at Liverpool’s beleaguered sorting office.
The engineers mounted a picket line early yesterday morning and Liverpool’s postal workers belonging to the same union Communication Workers Union (CWU) refused to cross the line.
Initially, the walk-out was due to last all day as a protest against unagreed changes to their working contracts.
The action, however, was not linked to the proposed closure of the Copperas Hill site and relocation of its work to Warrington.
The controversial move to Warrington leaves 600 jobs in the balance.
Mark Walsh, representing the postal workers said: “The picket line was removed at 12 o’clock.
“We had to put pressure on some people.
“We wanted to distance ourselves from this strike and had no idea they were going to target Copperas Hill.
“We spoke to our headquarters and convinced them that the strike was going to cause more damage than needs be and could overshadow what we’re trying to do.”
Royal Mail confirmed on Friday they had rejected proposals to keep a sorting centre in Liverpool at one of three sites put forward by regeneration agency Liverpool Vision.
They said the switch, which council officials claim could cost the local economy £26m a year, will take place before 2010.
CWU members met at Liverpool’s Liner Hotel on Sunday to mobilise north west and national support to lobby Royal Mail to reconsider.
Liverpool-born CWU general secretary Billy Hayes and union president Jane Loftus attended that meeting.
A Royal Mail spokeswoman said the strike affected deliveries in the L1 to L8 post code areas and mail processed at the mail centre.