Posties set for smallest strike in history

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co. ... ticle.html

THREE trade unionists will be staging what could be the smallest strike in English history in a Westcountry village next week.

The members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will picket their tiny wooden workplace in Woolavington, near Bridgwater, Somerset, in protest at Royal Mail's refusal to guarantee them a future in the village.

Janet Cox, Nick Lock and local CWU representative Dave Chappell will be petitioning and leafleting local residents, for a week from Monday, asking them to support their fight to keep the village delivery office.

Bristol and district CWU branch secretary Dave Wilshire said: "Royal Mail should be aware that this protest strike may be small but it is justified and deadly serious. Our members Janet, Nick and Dave are proud of their local knowledge and the personal service they provide, which would be all lost if a village sorting office closed. I believe the whole community understands and supports the reasons for our protest – but Royal Mail must listen."

The village has had a delivery office for at least 30 years, but the current premises are in need of repairs and could be closed down by the end of January.

Royal Mail is believed to want to transfer the service to Bridgwater or Burnham-on-Sea.

But the CWU maintains it has identified a suitable, alternative site in the village for the office.

The three-man strike would take place against a background of industrial disputes over redundancies and the closure of more than 2,500 of the 11,500 post offices nationwide.

Nearly 150 branches were closed across Devon and Cornwall last year as part of a cost-cutting programme.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "Talks with the CWU aimed at averting the planned action at Woolavington are ongoing and we remain hopeful that the strike can be averted. However, should the action go ahead we will implement contingency arrangements to ensure deliveries will be maintained in the area."

The business minister, Lord Mandelson, has urged the Government to rethink the closures programme, so that post offices can survive by taking on a range of extras Government and financial services.

[not me]

lets be honest here
is there anyway tihs DO(?) can be in any way financialy viable?
we have had a rural DO merged with ours and they have 12 walks & 2 van duties
before that they shared an office in a different DO
whilst i accept there has to be limits to RM's cuts(especially in Delivery) but there are needs for some cuts

[dvbuk55]

What springs to mind is Nero fiddled whilst Rome burned.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thing is the report is short on facts and without the individuals concerned actually coming on here and explaining the reasons behind the strike we wont know what they are striking for or what has been discussed.

They may have not received assurances that they will keep the same duties.

They may have been advised they cannot get travelling allowances.

Their start times may have changed.

The shift system may have changed.

They may have not been fully briefed to their own satisfaction on what impact the changes will have on their own duties.

They may have accepted the move in principle, but need some, all or even more questions that I have listed above, answered, I suppose we will never know the full story.

However, as a Union member, if they have had a full ballot of affected members, have followed the rules concerning IA and have followed all the IR procedures then they have my full support, after all they will be the most aware of their situation and how it will impact their own office and duties.

[Lounge Lizard]

Thing is the report is short on facts and without the individuals concerned actually coming on here and explaining the reasons behind the strike we wont know what they are striking for or what has been discussed.

They may have not received assurances that they will keep the same duties.

They may have been advised they cannot get travelling allowances.

Their start times may have changed.

The shift system may have changed.

They may have not been fully briefed to their own satisfaction on what impact the changes will have on their own duties.

They may have accepted the move in principle, but need some, all or even more questions that I have listed above, answered, I suppose we will never know the full story.

However, as a Union member, if they have had a full ballot of affected members, have followed the rules concerning IA and have followed all the IR procedures then they have my full support, after all they will be the most aware of their situation and how it will impact their own office and duties.

Or they may object to sorting alongside people from another village ! ( Rural communities can be a bit like that, especially down that way )
Seriously though, does anyone know of strikes, petitions or other protests that have ever been successful in preventing a planned cloure of an SPDO ?