Labour would-be MP meets with postal union reps

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YEOVIL Labour Party member Lee Skevingto has met with local representatives of the Communication Workers' Union to discuss recent postal strikes which have hit services in the South West and all over the country.

The latest set of strikes have come about as a result of plans to make changes to the terms and conditions of employment for postal workers without prior consultation with the trade union.

Mr Skevington, who will be standing for Labour in the Yeovil Constituency at the next General Election, has pledged his support to the union and promised to support the Communication Workers Union in their struggle for better working conditions.

And he has also warned local party bosses that he will be joining any striking workers in Yeovil on the picket lines as a show of solidarity.

"I am very concerned about the recent strikes and the damage it is doing to small businesses, especially during a recession," he said.

"However I am more concerned about the Royal Mail making people redundant and forcing people who aren't on fantastic incomes anyway to take even worse pay and conditions while forcing upon them more demanding work. Our Royal Mail bosses have even adopted bullying tactics; this is unacceptable."

A local Communication Workers Union representative, Phil Chadwick, of the Western Counties CWU branch which covers the whole of the South West region, said the strike was motivated by the Royal Mail breaking agreements.

"There is much scaremongering going on in the Royal Mail," he said.

"No one can work out why they would attack their own workforce. Royal Mail are also continuing to claim that their workforce is 25% overpaid. They want a pay freeze to be the first step towards reducing pay for postal staff and their families."