5:44pm Friday 4th September 2009
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OXFORDSHIRE County Council leader Keith Mitchell last night voiced his anger at the threat of further postal strikes in the area.
He appealed to the Oxfordshire Communication Workers’ Union to “think very carefully” about further action — branding it an “appalling” way to treat customers.
Mr Mitchell’s outburst followed CWU secretary Paul Garraway’s admission that he does not think an agreement will be struck with Royal Mail before Christmas.
Staff at the Swindon mail depot, where mail for Oxford is now sorted, walked out for 24 hours on Wednesday.
Delivery drivers will strike for 48 hours next Monday and Tuesday.
Mr Mitchell, writing in his blog on the council website, said: “To say that I was dismayed to hear that the postal service that serves Oxfordshire is again to be blighted by strike action would be an understatement.
“If the union involved in this industrial action wants to win any sympathy for its cause it is going about things entirely the wrong way. Interfering with the post is an appalling way to treat the very customers upon which the postal service and its employees rely.
“I appeal to the union to think very, very carefully before taking such action in future. If they have a point to make, make it without negative affect on the customers whose trade means they have jobs to go to in the first place.”
CWU spokesman Chris Rye said Mr Mitchell was “blinkered”.
He said: “We have the legal right to take action. Our members are suffering bullying and harrasment in the workplace and should not have to put up with it.
“If Mr Mitchell can come up with a better alternative for us, we’ll be all ears.
“Until that time, however, we will take the necessary action to insure our workers get the treatment and working conditions that they deserve.”
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Victor Meldrew2, Oxford says...
6:36pm Fri 4 Sep 09
We are a lucky lot to have Keith Mitchell as County Council leader he knows everything. He knows we are not interested in his expenses when staying in posh hotels, he knows that cutting 500 jobs from the council is what we all want and doesn't need to tell us until after an election and he knows the strike is only the fault of the Union the management is completely blameless.
What a man! Not sure whether he should be on Eggheads or just leader of the free world.
BartSimpson, Springfield says...
7:04pm Fri 4 Sep 09
Mitchell is a complete prat. Typical Tory, always the workers fault never the managers. The sooner he leaves the councul, he is so far up his own a r s e all he can see is his own bull s h i t
