Protest over sacked posties

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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ROYAL Mail workers protested outside Stoke sorting office this morning in support of former employees who have been out of work for more than 16 months.

And union leaders have warned staff across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire could walk out on strike if the five sacked postal workers are not given their jobs back.

About eight staff staged a two-hour protest outside the Leek Road depot from 5.30am this morning.

They are calling for the reinstatement of the remaining five of 12 workers who were suspended from Burslem delivery office in September 2007 over bullying accusations and were later dismissed.

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) is threatening strike action unless Royal Mail promises to abide by appeal judgments and bring workers found innocent of the claims back to work.

Royal Mail said the protest "helps nobody".

Lee Barron, Midlands Regional Secretary of the CWU, said: "As part of our campaign in support of suspended colleagues in Burslem we were protesting and handing out leaflets to members of the public. We want to see some reinstatements, or potentially there could be a ballot. This has gone on since September 2007 and we are going to keep this campaign going to make sure they return."

The CWU has been locked in a bitter dispute with Royal Mail since allegations of bullying and harassment, sparked an unofficial walkout in the run up to Christmas 2007.

The company sacked six workers and suspended a further 12. Of those, seven have returned to work.

But five workers who were sacked are still waiting to learn whether they will return, and are receiving financial support from the union.

The CWU has said it has new evidence to support their reinstatement, which they are planning to present to Royal Mail bosses before internal appeals take place.

Mr Barron said the CWU could opt for strike action, which would involve all workers in the ST postcode area.

The union would also seek agreements from members across the region that they would not fill in for striking colleagues.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "All cases are being handled in accordance with our conduct procedures which are agreed with the CWU.

"The threat of further disruption helps nobody."

[norbert]

that's the interesting bit - " this helps nobody " , that sounds very vindictive , bit similar to " people speculating and ranting " making things difficult for the Bristol 3 by a poster of apparent dubious identity on the three w's .

Some very large but very fragile egos there , which is a trait of a bully , the nasty smell just won't go away

they certainly don't enter into the spirit of the Conduct Code , the goalposts must be a mile apart , at best RM operate at the very legal limit and they have always regarded themselves to be above the law , 350 + years of " culture " ; I suppose . :lfo :cfo :mfo

[dvbuk55]

I have just had an email to tell me yet another of our members has been suspended - that is the 3rd one in a fortnight and in all honesty neither deserved to be treated so harshly - I haven't heard the reason for the third one yet and I don't know if he was full or part time but the first two are full timers - so if this is a trend I'd be very careful to abide by the rules.