Postal strike set to go ahead

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... o_go_ahead

A PLANNED 24-hour strike by hundreds of postal workers in Greater Manchester over plans to close depots is set to go ahead tomorrow (Friday, December 19th).

Up to 700 Royal Mail staff in Bolton and Stockport are due to take part in the industrial action on one of the busiest days of the year - the last for posting first class mail before Christmas.

The strike by members of the Communication Workers' Union, announced after a series of ballots, is in response to close sorting offices in Bolton, Stockport and Oldham. They will be replaced by a £50m new regional distribution and delivery centre in Manchester.

Postal workers in Crewe, Coventry and Oxford will also walk out over plans to close their depots, but a planned strike in the Liverpool sorting office has been cancelled after Royal Mail threatened legal action over the ballot.

Up to 500 jobs are under threat.

Carl Webb, CWU regional secretary for the north west, said: "We accept there will be some rationalisation of sorting centres but want Royal Mail to outline its overall strategy for the future of the mail centre network.

"The ballot was held due to Royal Mail's reluctance to enter into any meaningful negotiations.

Closures

"We were told about these closures around six months ago, followed by a sham of a consultation.

"There will always be a knock-on effect to closures and job losses, particularly for temporary staff. They plan to close Bolton, Oldham and Stockport and move sorting to Manchester, but we're not even sure Manchester will be able to cope with that volume."

Around 400 workers at the Royal Mail Centre on Stonehill Road, Farnworth, Bolton, including sorters, drivers and postmen and women, will strike.

The busy depot, where 77 per cent of staff voted to take industrial action, is due to be axed in 2010.

The strike will mean there are no deliveries in the BL4 areas of Farnworth and Kearsley. Bolton's two other sorting depots will not be affected.

Up to 300 staff at Stockport's Green Lane sorting depot will strike, but there is no delivery service attached to this depot. Workers in Oldham voted against the industrial action.

Mr Webb said the Liverpool strike has been cancelled because Royal Mail were seeking two court injunctions over the ballot.

"Balloting for industrial action is a complicated process and after taking legal advice we accepted the union would not be successful if it went to court," he said.

Further strike action could be taken later this month and in January.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are clearly disappointed that the union is urging strike action at this important and busy time of year.

"We are asking all our people to get on and deliver the Christmas service our customers want and deserve. "We will do what we can to minimise disruption if the strikes go ahead."