Brawl Mail - 30,000 new jobs set to anger strikers

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/55 ... ikers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ROYAL MAIL has set itself up for a further bitter clash with the postal workers' union by hiring 30,000 casual staff to clear the backlog caused by strikes.

The dramatic move - which could massively reduce the impact of the walkouts - was announced last night by chief executive Adam Crozier.

It is sure to anger members of the Communication Workers Union and its militant leader Billy Hayes.

The part-time staff will NOT do the posties' work while they are on strike, but will help clear the log-jam of 200 million items between walkouts.

Five additional sorting centres will also be created to keep the country's mail moving. And around 5,000 managers will be sorting and delivering mail during the strike.

Writing exclusively for the News of the World, right, Mr Crozier calls CWU's action "industrial suicide". He vows: "We'll do all we can to deliver for our customers during this dispute." (Will try to post this story when it appears on line)

The CWU is staging a two- day walkout on Thursday and Friday involving 120,000 workers in a row over modernisation plans.

Bosses will spend an estimated £10 million on temporary staff to keep Britain's post moving. That compares to the £120 million cost of the strike in lost business, estimated by consultancy Post-Switch.

Mr Hayes, right, has warned of further strikes up to Christmas. That prospect has led several major firms to cancel multi-million-pound contracts with Royal Mail.

Mr Crozier said Mr Hayes had refused at least 12 invitations to meet and discuss a way forward. Royal Mail has had almost 80 meetings with the unions in recent months.

The strike could cripple small businesses.

The number of letters and parcels Royal Mail delivers is falling by ten per cent each year as people switch to email.

Mr Crozier has tried to push through modernisation using electronic sorting and cutting staff levels.

But his efforts have been bitterly opposed by unions.

When Royal Mail made an operating profit of £321 million last year it was the first time in 20 years it had not made a loss.

It employs 180,000 - down from 230,000 in 2002. There were 18,393 Post Offices in 1999, and that will be cut to around 12,000 outlets after modernisatation.

Last night The CWU declined to comment.


------------------------ This is a story for tomorrows NOW hence mentioning today as Yesterday------------------------------------------

[tailfly12]

Where fighting the government not Adam Crozier anymore. The government is telling Adam Crozier what to do. WAR it is.

[Stormproof]

I hope RM are going to security check all those casuals . I think this strike is going to get ugly now.

[HootyMacBoob]

I hope RM are going to security check all those casuals . I think this strike is going to get ugly now.

Its been ugly for months now stormproof, lets stay disiplined and run the strike our way. RM/Gov would love it to go all unofficial so that tells me let CWU HQ run the strike not RM/Gov.

[steven100]

The union should start telling its staff to start saving, announce 1 day strikes every 2 weeks. Then announce 1 week before xmas and inbetween xmas and new year strike action. This will give us a chance to recover from this years cr** that we are enduring. It would also mean 2 weeks of no mail going anywhere. Hurting RM. Customers generally don't care, why should we.
Xmas is off this year.

[Stumpy]

Where did he get this bull that last year was the first for twenty years that Royal Mail had not made a loss from?

[oypostie]

Ah, this would be the same News of the World that last week managed to find a mail centre with 250 staff in Dorking ( i think not).
I guess we can tell whose side they're on :cfo :lfo :mfo

[kingtubby]

I hope RM are going to security check all those casuals . I think this strike is going to get ugly now.

Its been ugly for months now stormproof, lets stay disiplined and run the strike our way. RM/Gov would love it to go all unofficial so that tells me let CWU HQ run the strike not RM/Gov.

Quite right - discipline is the key. Keep things under control and we'll come through.

[OnAFlyer]

Ah, this would be the same News of the World that last week managed to find a mail centre with 250 staff in Dorking ( i think not).
I guess we can tell whose side they're on :cfo :lfo :mfo

The same news of the World that says packets are falling by 10% a year because people send emails instead.

The number of letters and parcels Royal Mail delivers is falling by ten per cent each year as people switch to email.

Utterly utterly clueless - it just shows that you really shouldn't believe a single word of what you read in the papers.

[Wessex]

Hit them where it hurts dont buy the News of the World or The Sun whilst they continue their attacks on hard working posties but more importantly get your family and friends to stop as well.
Switch to any paper that is sympathetic or at least objective in its reporting