Postal workers strike to break Royal Mail strike-breakers -

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Postal workers strike to break Royal Mail strike-breakers - See more at: http://union-news.co.uk/2013/07/postal- ... LJFkB.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More than 100 postal workers at the Royal Mail Delivery Office at Bridgwater, Somerset, are on strike today for their second Saturday.

The initial causes of the strikes are CWU accusations of managers bullying staff and breaking local and national agreements.

However, activists say the dispute highlights increasing unrest in many West Country Royal Mail workplaces as the ground is prepared for possible privatisation later this year.

A hastily-convened gate meeting of postmen and women on Thursday (3 July) saw furious CWU members reject walking out on an extra day’s wildcat strike by only a slim majority.

Staff are angry that their senior manager has not been suspended pending a serious investigation into evidence of possible interception and theft of a postman’s mail.

They are also protesting that during last Saturday’s strike, staff were bussed into work in the back of a windowless and seat-less van, in an attempt to prevent local CWU reps from exercising their right to picket strike-breakers.

Dave Chapple, Bridgwater CWU shop steward said: “Why have Royal Mail not suspended this Bridgwater manager after 3 weeks, when a postman or woman suspected of the same thing would have been suspended in three minutes?”

Dave Wilshire, CWU Bristol and District branch secretary said: “We would not expect Royal Mail to make fundamental mistakes :there is the question of breaking laws against dangerous driving, the 11-hour rule between shifts and the carriage of people in an unauthorised vehicle.

“This smacks of desperation and a snub towards the CWU offer of further negotiations.

“Our members continue to picket peacefully as part of a legitimate trade dispute.

“Surely at national if not regional level, there is a Royal Mail director with enough common sense to put a stop to this nonsense and realise Royal Mail will not win this dispute by attempting to bypass the strong union organisation at Bridgwater and the wider Bristol CWU Branch?”