Small Business Blighted By Postal Strikes For August

[Geezer]

http://www.hellmail.co.uk/postalnews/te ... 1&zoneid=3

Online Retailers Blighted By Postal Strike In August

Industrial action at Royal Mail is set to continue next week, threatening online retailers who have already seen a decrease in orders due to the economic crisis. One retailer in the north-east that supplies sporting equipment and did not wish to be named said:

"This will be the death knell for many e-tailers. Its hard enough bringing in new orders in this recession without this on top. For us it will be a case of switching to services such as City-Link. If we can't deliver, customers will just think its us and then they go elsewhere, but thats not an option for some sellers, particularly those that have already lost their jobs and are making ends meet by selling small items on Ebay." he said.

More delivery offices are expected to walk out starting on the 21st August in East Anglia and the Midlands, followed by Irvine, Carrickfergus, Stockport and Hadfield on the 22nd. Huntingdon and Skegness are expected to follow on the 24th. The action is aimed at interrupting the movement of mail across the country to persuade Royal Mail to enter further talks.

The action although supported by many union members has come in for criticism by some postal workers who fear that a continuation will accelerate job losses and see more mail centres close. The CWU maintains that it wants Royal Mail to cease introducing further changes to streamline the business and enter further talks on the way in which the business is being modernised.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU, accused Royal Mail of trying to crush the business through cuts and that services would suffer but Royal Mail said that an agreement had already been made in 2007 for necessary change and that it was meeting performance targets.
Further proposed action at delivery offices includes:

21st August:

* Kings Lynn
* Peterborough mail centre (distribution)
* Burslem delivery office

22nd August:

* Boston delivery office
* Stockport
* Hadfield
* Irvine
* Carrickfergus

24th August:

* Huntingdon
* Skegness
* Wigan

© Hellmail.co.uk (18 August 2009)

[TrueBlueTerrier]

and the little one said - "roll over, roll over"