Fresh wave of post strikes
Thursday 29th October 2009, 11:00AM GMT.
Thousands of mail workers are taking part in a fresh wave of strikes – amid warnings the bitter dispute could escalate into longer walkouts.
Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, believes there is “every prospect” that industrial action will now be stepped up.
Mr Hayes said: “We will be upping the dispute. We will not be scaling it down. There is every prospect that we will increase the action and we could be looking at longer strikes.”
More than 1,000 postal workers from the Royal Mail Centre in Sun Street, Wolverhampton, today took part in the 24-hour action due to end at 4am tomorrow.
Those on the pickets warned of a fresh wave of action affecting 1,500 workers in district offices across the Black Country on Saturday.
Dave Jones, Wolverhampton political officer of the CWU, revealed all processing, delivery and distribution staff were on strike with only management and agency staff in the building.
He said: “We want to resume normal working but we don’t want to return on the back of a poor deal. We are striking for the right to negotiate our terms and conditions. We have lost 63,000 jobs in the last five years so we’ve shown we are not against modernisation.
“Wolverhampton was the first centre in the country to introduce a flat sorting machine for A4 envelopes, and we had no problem with that.”
Around 1,000 workers also walked out at the centre in Newtown, Birmingham today with delivery staff set to strike on Saturday.
Up to 120,000 union members will be on strike over the next three days following the collapse of peace talks last night.
The CWU claimed today that Royal Mail’s plans could lead to 60,000 job losses, while the company accused the union of tabling fresh demands which scuppered hopes of a deal.
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I stand by my original statement regarding the postal strikes situation.
With the highest number of unemployed people in our city, we have an ample number of people who would grab these striking posties jobs with grattitude and a smile!
If there are indeed so many people currently unhappy there…then quit!
go find yourselves jobs where you are going to be happier!
Give the people that are crying out for jobs, that have been laid off through redundencies or closures of industry a chance.
Im sure while your happy enough to go to work and stand on a picket line not earning a damn thing, they will be happy to take over your post and do some hard days grafting!
Hard days grafting…hmmm. did i say that about posties?
I seem to have missed out soomewhere. i remember the days when posties delivered 2 times a day (morning and afternoon. But then, they thought it was too much hard work and reduced it to one.
And now?
dont want to even fulfil that 1st public need for post!
instead, hold up the picket line…AGAIN!
Well done all, really helps the situation and frustrated those out of work who would grab your jobs without a second thought and wouldnt be complaining as reguarly as you “posties” do!
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I personally think that they should all be sacked anyway. They are obviously all awful at their jobs as the level of service from the postal service has been on the decline since the Labour Party took control of the government.
That’s a bit of a coincidence!!
I’ll not vote for them again.
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Hmmm….looks like even more incentive to use alternate methods of sending money, bills, goods and letters.
Roll on a much reduced demand for Royal Mail services.
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How stupid are the Postal works – go on strike when there is a recession – fantastic. They are so clever they are putting their own jobs at risks. Would serve them right if they lost them.
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1 – Well said Bilston/Wolves, how they expect any public sympathy is beyond me – are they even aware that a recession is going on?
Its a case of the ‘workers’ being deluded by the unions yet again, it will utimatly get you no where, just ask Red robbo, or the miners (who by the way were striking for their existence, not a couple of job losses)
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I will back posties on this,speak to them and you will see what this strike is about (it is not about money). They don,t want to strike (as they don’t get paid) but are doing it so they can try and give a service. If the changes are put in place next year (which they don’t want) then we won’t be getting post delivery’s till the afternoon. And with larger rounds they are being given and let time to do it in, a lot of post will not be delivered.
Speak to your postie before comenting and you will see!
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Number 6 – Ron. Maybe they don’t want to strike. But they are striking.
Costing other people money.
Maybe things would end up with afternoon deliveries. Would that be better than no deliveries, mail taking over a week and so on?
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1,2,3,4,5,Will you say the same when the post office is sold off then you have to pay more to sent your post.
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I find that, as I’m inconvenienced by these actions to the point where it costs me extra, ill afforded money to ensure delivery, any sympaty or empathy I have for this whole strike malarky has been eroded and extinguished.
Remember, we are customers receiving a poor service.
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i agree with bilston/wolves totally, if 80,000 applied for 30,000 temp jobs, then there are plenty out there who would work for them, makes me sick that they moan about the way things have to change, we have had to adapt in my work so just put up and shut up, be thankful you have got a job!!!
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We are having the same sort of reactions here in France.For the same reasons.But at present the Post is not too perturbed but the staff are also very angry.
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As regards to getting mail early thats a joke, i dont get my mail till 1.45 its been as late as 3.00pm ! so i dont call that a very good service and when all this is over it will be the customers who suffer through postal prices going up again, all for a second rate service. SACK THE LOT AND GIVE 2.5 MILLION OTHER PEOPLE A CHANCE !
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To all the posties who read this site let me apologise for the mindless people who want you all sacking.
Assuming these people actually have a job, it would be nice to see their reaction if their employers tried to change there terms and conditions like they are yours.
The bad news for you guys is you are being forced along the same route as we at BT were in the 70′s.
It is designed by the government to break your monopoly up without having to pay you out.
Unfortunately you are not going to win but good luck anyway to all of you.
As for you people that want them sacking, you really are sad people. Sorry.
Hopefully one day it will happen tou you too.
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english exile you have go it in one buddy one problem im in faver of the brake up of the postal service no one holds the goverment to ransome if all the miners and the british steal and every one eles backed down at the last minit they would still be hear !!!
and who ever wants to strike let them becouse the good times are coming to an end like the iron fist that brought down all the unions back in the day and the last secure jobs in the UK will GO and where will you be like the miners loseing there homes there income know where i usto have pitty on you lot now all im waiteing for is the day they say good bye and ill have a party becouse no one will mess about with the mail any more.
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im waitin on 2 very important letters 1 was posted in wolverhampton on mon and still hasnt arrived and both are needed urgently so thanks alot
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no.9 Lambert 58,
time to go back to school i think mate!
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I think they are only doing it as they know it’s going to be very busy for them this time of year.and they have been working all the year with the same pay but it’s time for the to postal strikes
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I was one of the first to take redundancy in Wolverhampton, i was glad to get out. Im going back to 2004 and Royal Mail was a shambles then,to many gaffers who had only been there a few months, in one case the person in question had only been a Xmas casual worker the year before, and was put in charge of the Xmas casual workers the year after. If people could delve deeper into some of the issues they would see what the problems are. I actually witnessed postmen/women who had 25-30 years service being searched by the I.B.(Royal Mail police) to see if they had stolen anything, while agency workers (who in some cases) could only just string 2 words of English together were walking past (with God knows what in their pockets). At one point the toilets at the old sorting office began over flowing,when investigated it was found casual workers had been opening mail and putting the evidence in the cisterns. You are moaning now about not recieving mail, but come Xmas when your kids dont get the card with the £5 in their grandparents have sent them, thank the government who are encouraging Royal Mail to employ agency workers
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I’d be happy to pay more to send my post if I could expect it to get there within a reasonable time. At the moment there’s a delay of over a week to some places I’m sending to, for London thats over 2 weeks. Not the service I pay for.
At the moment Royal Mail staff are holding the country to ransom and are likely to end up like the miners did.
They’ve already lost some custom, they will lose more.
Some of those striking may be surplus to requirements anyway. Who would choose to use Royal Mail these days?
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How lucky they are to have a job to strike from. Move over and let someone who wants to work have a chance.
There are thousands with money troubles right now!
Count your blessings and get on with the job you are paid for!
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The break up of the Royal Mail will NOT improve the service at all.
The whole object of the exercise is to sell of an public asset to use the money to pay off some of the county’s debt.
The ”new company” or ”companies” will employ the same staff to do the same job but for less money.
That will be the workers choice, ”work for us for less money or loss your job”.
Some choice that is isn’t it.
Labour are doing exactly what the Tories did during their reign of terror.
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iam quite affrended by the comments as i do also work for royal mail i cross the [picket line so no i dont deserve the sack but what i will say is that its not our fault you recieve your mail at 1.45 and three oclock its because we use to start at 4.30am and now they bought us in at 615am so stick that in your pipe and smoke on it
and if royal mail get there way we be starting even later so start expecting it 4,5,6 oclock night people dont want toi strike i dont agree with what they doing either but its a job
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The postal workers are cheesed off because what was once a “cushy” job has now evolved so that they are having to do a bit of graft!
They have expressed their anger because some of the sorting offices now have machinery that can do their jobs quicker and more accurately than they ever could. They need to realise that in a competetive marketplace, EVERY business needs to improve their service and make efficiency savings where possible. The postal workers even signed an agreement on this matter.
Clearly they are nothing more than dishonourable liars to go back on the agreement that they signed and then have the audacity to claim, “it’s not about the money, we just want to continue giving good service”!
Well let me tell you, the postal service has been getting worse and worse for years and years, costing the public more and more.
I genuinely believe that they have seen an opportunity to hold the country to ransom, however, they expected to get more public apathy than the couple of morons that have suggested that they are being hard done to, on this site.
If Royal Mail stand by their convictions, these idle idiots will fold faster than Superman on washing day.
Surely they realise that in such a technologically advanced world with email, faxes and e-commerce, fewer people are needing to use the postal system. Packages can be sent by courier faster and cheaper than royal mail. The business needs to be evolved and the system/workers need to be streamlined.
If people stop using the services then none of them will have jobs. Then any prospective employers will laugh heartily at their application forms whem they read the previous employment section.
Merry Christmas.
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The standard of education and knowledge by contributors on this site is lamentable. Common sense should indicate that no one prefers to stand on a picket line, losing money months before Christmas just for the hell of it. As usual the national press only print one side of the story.
In most cases management incompetence is to blame for the situation. Management do not have a monopoly on wisdom and are quite capable of taking decisions which prove to be ill-considered, inefficient or just plain wrong.
One contributor bemoans the late arrival of the post and blames the postman. Has he ever considered the possibility that management may have reduced sorting staff to save costs and are instructing delivery staff to do it. Thus they hit the streets later then earlier? Management may have even increased the round size so the postman arrives at his door later. They may have even dictated that the round be walked by a different route so he is the last to be seen not the first.
In cases of industrial dispute it is wise to remember that there are two sides to every story.
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@ 16 Britt
“no.9 Lambert 58,
time to go back to school i think mate!”
Yes, my single typographical error was deplorable.
Was it that obvious that I’m a teacher?
My point stands that we, as customers, are not receiving the service we pay for. Sadly, I have very few alternatives, in some cases, to using Royal Mail. Where I can avoid this, I do.
We pay for their services and do not receive said services. If that were said of a plumber, electrician or mechanic (or any one of thousands of occupations) there would be a negative reaction. Why should this case differ?
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Number 24 – yes, there are 2 sides to the story.
Its our side that usually concerns people – the side thats paying for a service but not getting it.
Our side thats being charged extra if payment arrives late, our side that works for a company losing money with the postal strike.
I have no sympathy at all for the mail staff.
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Fire the lot of them, Scrounging, idle, workshy tyrants!
The public deserve better than these buggers!
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