Eastern Scotland to be hit by one-day postal strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott ... -21519367/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A ONE-DAY postal strike will affect delivery centres and collections across the east of Scotland, it was announced today.

The Communication Workers Union said at least 12,000 of its members across the UK will walk out for 24 hours on Friday over job cuts, pay and services.

Royal Mail is cutting pay and jobs of postal workers without agreement and reducing services, according the the union.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "There are serious and growing problems in the postal sector which urgently need resolving.

"We have renewed our offer of a three-month no-strike deal to Royal Mail in return for meaningful talks over modernisation.

"The current cuts, bullying managers and ever-increasing workloads on a shrinking workforce cannot continue.

"Pressure and stress is at breaking point for postal workers so we urgently need a fresh start for a modern Royal Mail."

Royal Mail said the strike will affect 11 eastern delivery offices from a total of 180, with later action planned in Ayrshire.

Collection and distribution in Edinburgh will also be involved in the strike.

Other Scottish centres on strike are in Bathgate, Bo'ness, Cowdenbeath, Grangemouth, Dunfermline, Anstruther, Alloa and Dalkeith.

The Irvine delivery office in Ayrshire will strike on Saturday July 18.

Royal Mail said CWU's claims of a three-month no-strike deal is "misleading nonsense" which threatened to halt "modernisation".

Contingency plans are in place to ensure mail collections continue from Post Office branches and associated post boxes, as well as from large business customers in Edinburgh, according to Royal Mail.

In a statement, the Royal Mail said: "Royal Mail will be doing everything possible during the strike to provide as complete a service as possible to customers.

"Strike action hurts both businesses and individuals and our customers will not understand how the CWU leadership can keep saying it backs modernisation while constantly resisting the introduction of new technology and more efficient working practices on the ground."

It said the CWU is objecting to changes agreed by its own leadership under the 2007 pay modernisation deal, signed in the presence of the TUC.

But the union said Royal Mail has abandoned the final phase of a deal which ended a national strike in 2007, and added that there have been no negotiations over changes to working practices.

[dudleylicious]

Proud to be a member of Scotland no 2

[Barry Trotter]

Proud to be a member of Scotland no 2

[Wild Rover]

What's a Union Rep?

[happy hibee]

town 8 area rep who is on sanctions due to dalkeith having unofficial strike action, you could always phone him on his mobile ??????

[Barry Trotter]

cheers