THIRTY postal workers in Edmonton went on strike because a “farcical” change to reduce working hours means senior managers are now sorting mail and postal workers are struggling to finish their rounds.
Communication Workers Union (CWU) representative Mark Dolan said residents will notice delays in receiving mail because of the change.
According to the CWU, all 30 staff at the Leeds Street sorting office turned out as usual at 5.30am on Saturday, but instead of working held a four-hour demonstration outside while senior managers from as far away as Watford were drafted in to cover their shift.
The workers were protesting at Royal Mail’s introduction of a 35-hour working week for three new workers from last week, saying it was imposed upon them.
Mr Dolan said: “I believe in the future they will be looking to make jobs part-time and we have taken stringent action to protect services and our members.
“The job can’t be done in the time. Yesterday three people started at 8am and were paid until 2.30pm. One of them was still walking around at 4pm and one was working until 3pm.
“Some people in Edmonton are going to get mail later and some may not get it at all. Some postal workers will work longer and claim it on overtime and others will just stop and bring their work back to the office.
“The sorting is now sometimes being done by the managers. They are doing our jobs and we are working part-time. It is completely farcical.”
Mr Nolan said the general manager for north and east London was among those having to make the 20,000 normal and special deliveries usually made to homes and businesses in Edmonton, a move which would have cost Royal Mail “a lot of money”.
He said: “They would have been paid managers’ rates and some of the senior managers couldn’t claim overtime so they would have got days off in lieu.”
“The fact is that Royal Mail has relied for far too long on the goodwill of postal workers, many of whom make deliveries using their own cars, and now they are trying to use that goodwill and get us to work for nothing.”
A spokesman for Royal Mail denied all staff took strike action.
He said: “We are making minor changes to the hours of three new posts at the delivery office and this will not affect any of the existing permanent employees at Upper Edmonton — these changes are part of our drive to become more efficient, improve the service to customers and are within national guidelines consulted on and agreed by staff and unions.”
