Royal Mail postal dispute staff work shifts without pay

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/c ... 3A09%3A050" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

POSTAL workers were on duty two nights without pay after they refused to stop deliveries and decided to sort parcels instead.

The workers at the huge East London sorting centre at Bromley-by-Bow involved in a long dispute with Royal Mail said they needed to continue their work to make sure deliveries were maintained.

Some 29 workers were taken 'off pay' as they insisted on carrying on with their work rather than switching to sort packets instead, according to the Communication Workers' Union.

"They had their own work that needed delivering," union area rep Angela Mulcahy told the East London Advertiser.

"More importantly they will be diverting all Second Class mail from East London and we don't know how long the delay will be."

There have been backlogs from postboxes as part of the national dispute between Royal Mail and the postal workers over threats to jobs.

Around 9,000 postal workers in East London have been joining pickets during this summer's series of industrial action.

Royal Mail insisted in cannot accept the disruption to services caused by individuals refusing to work normally and was not prepared to continue to pay those who were "not prepared to work normally.

[britwrit]

Wow. Can someone translate this? Does this mean that instead of prepping their rounds these guys were told to sort packets instead?

[Spedley]

POSTAL workers were on duty two nights without pay after they refused to stop deliveries and decided to sort parcels instead.

I can't understand this sentence at all?
They refused to stop deliveries whilst on night shift?
Did they refuse to sort parcels, or decided to sort parcels?

All I can think they meant is that they were supposed to be doing sorting on a night shift but decided to prep their own walks instead. If that is the case then I can understand stopping their pay.

[bow-locks postie]

From what i understand is members within the East London Distribution Function (night shift) were stopped from taking there Com drives out and told to perform processing inward packets work over in the mail centre. totally unacceptable, big problems with bullying by rm managers, cwu reps being told no release time for with 90 days, senior i/r managers being drafted in to try and resolve issues, all second class and outward mail being diverted, RM reporting unofficial I/A- slow working.