Peterborough Postal workers are set to walk out again

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THE union behind last week's two-day strike, which crippled Peterborough's postal services, has confirmed members will walk out again.
More than 200 workers stepped out of the Royal Mail sorting office on Papyrus Road, in Werrington, at 9pm on Thursday night ahead of two days of industrial action. And on Friday, more than 100 workers were outside the offices, including a man dressed as the Grim Reaper.

They walked out in protest about a new raft of Royal Mail "draconian and destructive" proposals on business changes and the effect of earning potential and take home pay.

It caused disruptions to mail deliveries in the PE1, PE3, PE4 and PE6 postcodes until 6am yesterday – and it is set to happen again soon.

Extra workers and managers were called in to cope with the problems caused by the walk-out, before the workers returned from the picket line and back to work yesterday.

Today, local representative for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Mark Cooke said further strike action would be announced in the coming days.

He said: "We went back into work yesterday morning. It was a difficult time and it caused disruption and Royal Mail has to bring in casual labour to cope.

"There are no talks going on. Royal Mail are not talking to the union, so more strike action will be announced in the next few days. It's a public service and we want to give the public the service."

However, Royal Mail insists that talks have been taking place between both parties with the view to ending the action and stopping any further disruptions to customers.

They also claim CWU is going against a working agreement made in 2007 over pay and modernisation and it is therefore the union who are to blame for the disruption.

"We have talked with the union more than 50 times in the past few months, so we have been talking with them and we continue to talk to them.

"By going against the agreement from 2007 they are the ones who are affecting customers," said a Royal Mail spokesperson.