Mail Workers Meet To Discuss Strike Dates

[Geezer]

4:37pm UK, Monday October 12, 2009

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Busine ... ikes_Dates


Royal Mail workers are meeting to decide the dates of a series of strikes that are expected to cripple postal services across the country.



There are warnings of widespread disruption in the run-up to Christmas

Some 120,000 workers are protesting over jobs, pay and services.

The union will have to give seven days' notice of a strike so the first walk-out could be on October 19.

However, it is feared further strike action could hit Christmas deliveries if a deal is not reached.

The latest walkout could see the union ordering all its members to strike at once or it could launch a rolling programme of action involving different groups of workers, such as delivery and sorting office staff taking action on different days.

This tactic would maximise disruption to post deliveries while minimising the effect on the pay of workers involved in strikes.

The problem is that once a customer moves they're unlikely to return. The strike could end up delivering some first-class business into competitors' hands.

Sky News business presenter Anna Jones

Further talks are due to be held later this week but there is little sign of a breakthrough.

The union insists that the Royal Mail is imposing changes onto postal workers, cutting jobs and pay which officials say is leading to a worsening service.

The Royal Mail says managers are implementing an agreed deal between the two sides to modernise the service which was drawn up after the last national dispute two years ago.

Members of the union voted by three to one last week to strike following months of regional stoppages.

Business groups have warned that a national strike will have a huge impact on companies trying to recover from the recession.