Postal workers announce THIRD wave of strikes as Tories vow

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Postal workers announce THIRD wave of strikes as Tories vow to sell off Royal Mail to stop future walkouts

By Jason Groves and Arthur Martin
Last updated at 4:40 PM on 30th October 2009

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A fresh wave of postal strikes will be held next week in an escalation of the bitter Royal Mail dispute, union leaders announced today.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) served notice of further walk-outs next Friday, November 6 and Monday November 9.

The move came as the Tories said they would press ahead with plans to privatise Royal Mail and the party believes there would be more bidders if the striking Communication Workers Union is defeated.

The Tories are keen to sell off the entire service, rather than just the 30 per cent stake that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson wants to off-load.
strike

A striking postal worker, pictured yesterday, outside Beeston Mail Centre, Nottingham, is one of thousands of Union members to walk out

Today workers who redirect mail were brought out by the union, which is fighting proposed changes to jobs, pay and working practices. Tomorrow 70,000 delivery and collection staff will walk out for 24 hours.

The total volume of mail delayed by this week's postal strikes is around 35 million items.

It has emerged that Ken Clarke, the shadow Tory business secretary, had met potential bidders for Royal Mail and is said to be ready to include plans for full privatisation in the first Queen's Speech after a Tory general election victory.

The Tories are also looking to introduce measures that would ban strike action that was not supported by a majority of all workers being called out on strike.

At present strikes are legal as long as a majority is obtained from those voting in a ballot. The CWU action was not backed by a majority of Royal Mail's total workforce.

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* Your letter is in the cab: Royal Mail bosses beat strike using taxis as Christmas chaos looms

John Major's Tory government failed to privatise Royal Mail in 1994. The party believes that more than 30,000 jobs will have to be cut as a result of introducing new mail sorting machines.

Marks & Spencer has become the latest household name to confirm it was cutting its use of the Royal Mail as a direct result of the industrial action.

As unions began a three-day strike, the high street giant confirmed its online business was turning to other carriers to beat the strike.
A TNT van outside the Royal Mail centre in Coventry. The postal strikes have given the company has 10 per cent more business

Extra work: A TNT van outside the Royal Mail centre in Coventry. The postal strikes have given the company has 10 per cent more business

Rival firm TNT reported business was up 10 per cent, with a spokesman declaring: 'It's an attractive position for us. Long may it continue.'

Meanwhile councils were forced to extend the deadline for applications for school places and take on extra staff to handle the expected backlog.

The developments came as union bosses vowed to step up the strike, despite warnings it could fatally damage the Royal Mail and create chaos in the run-up to Christmas.

Billy Hayes, the head of the Communication Workers Union, said: 'There is every prospect that we will increase the action and we could be looking at longer strikes.'
A growing list of defectors graphic


The CWU failed to announce further strike dates last night, but sources said this was because it was still discussing the best way to 'intensify' the strike and cause maximum disruption.

Options include calling longer strikes or moving to all-out strikes.

Tory post office spokesman Jonathan Djanogly described the decision to step-up strike action as 'suicidal', and warned Royal Mail could suffer a huge, permanent loss of business as a result.
Mahood on postal strikes

Mr Djanogly said: 'We are entering the most sensitive time of year for the post as businesses and individuals gear up for Christmas. To call further strikes now would be deeply damaging for everyone involved.

'The unions should call off the strikes, get back to work and negotiate with the management while the Royal Mail still has a future. Without modernisation there is no future.'

Nigel Wood of the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus warned that further strikes would cause 'a Christmas of chaos for consumer and businesses alike.'

Mr Wood added: 'It is vital that Royal Mail and the unions resolve these issues as soon as possible if they are to restore customers' faith in the service and retain their business.'

In the Commons MPs accused ministers of failing to show leadership in resolving the dispute.

Sir George Young, Shadow Commons Leader, said the Prime Minister 'appeared to have given up' and the 'normally ubiquitous' Business Secretary Lord Mandelson had ' disappeared'.

It also emerged the CWU has written to 40 employment agencies reminding them of their 'legal responsibilities' not to supply workers to do the jobs of striking staff.

The union is considering legal action against Royal Mail over its decision to draft in 30,000 temporary workers. It claims Royal Mail's modernisation programme could destroy up to 60,000 jobs and send the company into permanent decline.

Royal Mail insists the changes are essential to the survival of the business in a competitive market.

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