Bolton Postal workers call off 24-hour strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/bol ... ur_strike/

A 24-hour postal strike due to start tomorrow was tonight called off following 11th-hour talks between mail bosses and union chiefs.

Up to 400 workers at the Bolton Mail Centre at Stonehill Road in Farnworth had planned to walk out in a dispute over Royal Mail’s plans to close the centre in 2010.

The strike threatened to seriously disrupt Christmas mail deliveries but the national Communication Workers’ Union executive stopped the strike because it believes progress has been made in talks.

The union had originally threatened strikes in seven offices, but workers in Oldham and Liverpool called off their action earlier.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/ne ... ticle.html

A 24-HOUR strike planned by postal workers in Crewe has been called off, it was announced tonight.

Members of the Communication Workers Union in the town, as well as in Coventry, Bolton, Stockport and Oxford, had planned to walk out in a row over office closures.

It was feared the strike could have disrupted Christmas deliveries.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: "For the last five years we have been fighting attempts by Royal Mail management to chip away at the foundations of a universal postal service.

"We are calling off the strikes as some progress has been made, justifying the continuation of more meaningful discussions."

Mr Ward said the Government's plans to partially privatise the Royal Mail meant the stakes were "even higher", adding: "This is no longer a local or regional dispute.

"What we face is the prospect of losing a much loved British institution. We want the public to join with us in a nationwide campaign to defend a vital public service."

A ministerial aide quit yesterday in protest at the Government's plans for the Royal Mail and a number of backbench Labour MPs warned they would fight to keep the organisation wholly publicly owned.

Jim McGovern, who resigned from his position as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Business Minister Pat McFadden, said: "I believe a PPS has to be fully supportive of proposals of the department which they serve. In this case, I do not support what looks to me like partial privatisation of the Royal Mail.

"In his statement Pat McFadden said he welcomed an expression of interest from the Dutch postal company TNT.

"For me, it simply beggars belief that we would employ the services of a company from abroad to tell the Royal Mail in this country where they are going wrong."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7791448.stm

Postal workers have voted to call off industrial action due to take place on Saturday and Monday in Somerset.

Last week members of the Communication Workers Union in Bridgwater voted to strike over full-time jobs being replaced with part-time positions.

But at a meeting in the town on Friday morning a decision was taken to carry out deliveries and collections as normal in the area.

It was not known why the decision was reversed.


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by my count they were all called off.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.warwickcourier.co.uk/newsl/P ... 4809127.jp

Fears of Christmas post delays around Warwickshire have been allayed as a planned strike today (Friday) at Coventry sorting office was called off.
Letters and parcels posted anywhere in the CV postcode area are currently taken to the distribution centre in Coventry.

More than 800 workers at the centre in Bishop Street planned to take part in a 24-hour strike over Royal Mail's plans to merge the office with the Northampton centre.

But following the government's decision this week to partly privatise Royal Mail, members of the Communications Workers Union - which represents postal workers - say further discussions are now needed.

Secretary of the Coventry area branch Neil Robinson said: "The strike was called off because there has been some movement.

"Because of the issue that came up on Tuesday, which indicates 50,000 job losses, it has become a much wider problem.

"Unless things change dramatically, it's going to be a full national dispute, but we won't be taking any action before Christmas. It's a lot more serious - now they are going to close a lot more centres than previously planned."

Royal Mail announced in July that, as part of a £70 million investment in buildings and machinery in the area designed to improve efficiency, a new combined mail centre for Coventry and Northampton will replace the current one in Coventry - which employs around 1,000 people.

The new centre would be at junction 15a of the M1 in Northamptonshire - about 30 miles from the current Bishop Street site.

Mr Robinson said there could be job losses of up to 400 in Coventry.
Strike action was due to take place in Bolton, Coventry, Crewe, Oxford and Stockport. Union representatives planned to meet business secretary Lord Mandelson today.

The union's deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "For the last five years we have been fighting attempts by Royal Mail management to chip away at the foundations of a universal postal service.

"This is no longer a local or regional dispute. What we face is the prospect of losing a much loved British institution. We want the public to join with us in a nationwide campaign to defend a vital public service."