Bristol:Posties to strike in run-up to Christmas

[POSTMAN]

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MORE than 80,000 Bristol residents are facing late Christmas post due to a series of strikes before December 25.

The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) has confirmed industrial action by postmen and women who work out of the Mead Street delivery office will take place after the latest meeting with Royal Mail failed to bring the long-running dispute to an end.

The Mead Street office delivers to the BS4 and BS14 postcodes, which include Brislington, St Anne's Park, Knowle, Knowle West, Stockwood and Whitchurch.

The strike will affect deliveries to more than 34,000 households of 82,000 residents plus hundreds of businesses. It will not affect out-going post.

The CWU has not yet announced which days will be affected by strikes or how many there will be but The Post has been told there will be more than one before Christmas Day.

The union claims the Mead Street office is understaffed, employees are over-worked and struggle to complete their deliveries. It also alleges "bullying and harassment", which Royal Mail denies.

Both parties had hoped a four- hour meeting between three Royal Mail managers and two union officials yesterday morning would have found a resolution. But "frustrated" David Wilshire, the CWU's Bristol area official, said: "Talks went backwards today and it is obvious that management do not appreciate the concerns of our members or the seriousness of the situation."

The local CWU branch has told its headquarters which days the 100 or so staff intend to strike.

Next week the union HQ will give Royal Mail seven days notice of the first day of action, meaning there will not be a strike until at least December 10.

Mr Wilshire added: "Royal Mail will receive notice next week for the first in a series of strikes in the run up to Christmas.

"This is the first local dispute at this delivery office for 15 years.

"We actually do not feel that some of the managers' leading the negotiations have got the will, or the capability, to resolve these issues."

Numerous talks have been held during the past month.

A total of 63 postal workers at Mead Street were balloted on whether they wanted to take industrial action – 51 said yes and 12 said no.

When the issue of potentially late Christmas deliveries and the timing of the strikes was put to him, Mr Wilshire blamed Royal Mail.

He said: "Royal Mail have dictated the timescale of this dispute because they have not dealt with the issues in the depot and as a result, the timing for this dispute lies solely at their door."

Royal Mail spokesman Adrian Booth said last night: "We have met again with Communication Workers Union representatives today.

"We have invited the union to meet with us again tomorrow to continue working with us to explore every opportunity to resolve concerns of our staff at Mead Street.

"We remain committed to the nationally-agreed framework for resolving these issues.

"However, in response to the threat of industrial action, we have been developing contingency plans to make sure deliveries of festive mail continue if there is industrial action in the run-up to Christmas."

[fishtank]

This is the first local dispute at this delivery office for 15 years.

Didn't make it out before the big national 2 day-athon in 2009 then?
Never mind,i guess the ballot got held up somewhere along the line.
Seemed to happen a lot.

[redissue]

Some of the comments on the link from the general public are classic
"Sack them.
There's plenty who would like to have a job before Christmas, unlike these lazy wasters who refuse to moderninse.
Who can I contact at Royal Mail to offer my services free of charge as a strikebuster and so ensure businesses and people get both essential deliveries and Christmas gifts on time?
As for the union alleging "bullying and harassment", what a joke. They actually mean "pressure from management to do a better job and modernise in a recession", which is what the entire working population deals with. Welcome to the real world.
Do your job.”

[malcolm3011]

Some of the comments on the link from the general public are classic
"Sack them.
There's plenty who would like to have a job before Christmas, unlike these lazy wasters who refuse to moderninse.
Who can I contact at Royal Mail to offer my services free of charge as a strikebuster and so ensure businesses and people get both essential deliveries and Christmas gifts on time?
As for the union alleging "bullying and harassment", what a joke. They actually mean "pressure from management to do a better job and modernise in a recession", which is what the entire working population deals with. Welcome to the real world.
Do your job.”

Lol let 'joe public' have a go and bet they wouldn't last a week in the job

[Sidley]

Strikebreakers? Lol that Andy JRW c@nt has a real hard-on for our Bristol colleagues doesn't he? I get the impression he's more than just a disgruntled crank. An RM manager incognito?
I'm going to start a counter movement to his strikebreakers called Sc@bbreakers.

[POSTMAN]

Postal workers at the depot in Mead Street will take strike action from 00:01 on Monday 10 December 2012 until 23:59 on the same day. There will therefore be no deliveries on Monday 10 December 2012

[ganda]

Some of the comments on the link from the general public are classic
"Sack them.
There's plenty who would like to have a job before Christmas, unlike these lazy wasters who refuse to moderninse.
Who can I contact at Royal Mail to offer my services free of charge as a strikebuster and so ensure businesses and people get both essential deliveries and Christmas gifts on time?
As for the union alleging "bullying and harassment", what a joke. They actually mean "pressure from management to do a better job and modernise in a recession", which is what the entire working population deals with. Welcome to the real world.
Do your job.”

Obviousley someone who hasn't got a clue and making comments about something he/she does not fully understand.

[graffi]

Respect

[redissue]

Some of the comments on the link from the general public are classic
"Sack them.
There's plenty who would like to have a job before Christmas, unlike these lazy wasters who refuse to moderninse.
Who can I contact at Royal Mail to offer my services free of charge as a strikebuster and so ensure businesses and people get both essential deliveries and Christmas gifts on time?
As for the union alleging "bullying and harassment", what a joke. They actually mean "pressure from management to do a better job and modernise in a recession", which is what the entire working population deals with. Welcome to the real world.
Do your job.”

Obviousley someone who hasn't got a clue and making comments about something he/she does not fully understand.

I'd imagine that it was written by a manager.I remember when strikes took place the last time there was managers on here trying to catch people out.
The language used then is very similar to this.Also the person just happened to work at this depot very convenient !