Well we were out this morning again and this is the latest from the Evining times .
Thousands walk out as Royal Mail strike spreads
Comment
Royal Mail staff outside the postal depot in Springburn this morning
by Wendy Miller
A WILDCAT strike by thousands of Glasgow postal workers has spread as it enters its second day.
Workers at the main Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn are out again amid the escalation of a bitter dispute with Royal Mail.
And the dispute now covers 13 centres across the West of Scotland.
Unions say in total around 3500 posties and sorting staff across Glasgow are striking, with no mail being delivered to businesses and householders in the area.
advertisementIt comes as the Communication Workers Union prepares for another official 24-hour strike scheduled to start at 3am tomorrow.
The unofficial action started yesterday when workers walked out in support of 13 delivery drivers sent home for refusing to cross a picket line, as reported in later editions of last night's Evening Times.
Their walkout had coincided with an official strike by 1100 staff at Springburn.
Royal Mail had expected staff to return to their duties today.
Instead management were greeted by picket lines early this morning at 13 centres across the West of Scotland.
Five of them are in Glasgow, including Springburn and Baird Street, as well as centres in Johnstone, Paisley, Greenock, Ayr and Dumfries.
Jim McKechnie, branch secretary of the Glasgow and district branch for the Communication Workers Union, said today: "There are hopes of a resolution to the row over the delivery drivers.
"We are holding out the olive branch. We want to get our members back to work."
The CWU has called a month-long campaign of staggered strike action aimed at all areas of Royal Mail's operations as part of a dispute over pay and potential job cuts.
The latest row was caused by the refusal of delivery drivers from Glasgow to cross a picket line at Edinburgh Airport.
A union spokesman said the response of Royal Mail bosses was to send them home and "abate their pay".
He said they had suggested the Royal Mail kept the staff working instead of sending them home but it was rejected and managers were deployed to deliver mail.
Royal Mail said the workers who refused to cross the picket line were deemed to have taken "illegal and unofficial" industrial action.
Julie Morrison, the firm's head of external relations, said: "This is having an impact on our ability to deliver mail in some parts of Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire.
"We apologise to our customers throughout these areas."
She said their top priority was to continue to provide services and they remained "open to dialogue on this matter".
Publication date 01/08/07
dont think there will be any lack of support from the lads and lasses down South. :lfo :cfo