Bristol postal workers vote for national strike action
Postal workers have voted resoundingly in favour of national strike action.
The Communication Workers' Unions said its members backed a nationwide walkout 3-1 in protest at job losses, pay cuts and changes to working practices.
The union will now have to give seven days notice of strike action but 1,000 mail sorters are still expected to strike at the Bristol Mail Centre in Filton tomorrow and 800 staff in 18 delivery depots across the Bristol area on Monday.
The CWU said 76 per cent of those who took part in the ballot voted to strike.
Of the CWU'as 121,000 members, about 81,000 voted - 61,623 in favour of striking, and 19,207 against.
There was a 67 per cent voting turnout.
Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: "This is a huge vote of no confidence in Royal Mail management.
"The company has tried to make out that problems only exist in some local offices, but postal workers across the UK have now spoken and they say no to Royal Mail's arrogance.
"Royal Mail has never really been engaged in modernisation. They've been running down the business, running down services and cutting costs and it's that business plan that postal workers have overwhelmingly rejected today.
"There's still an opportunity to reach an agreement before any national strike action takes place.
"We need a national agreement which secures a fair deal on modernisation and reward for the efforts of postal workers in transforming the business. We want reassurances on job security, covering both redundancies and full-time part-time ratios.
"Crucial to an agreement is fair workloads with agreed standards of measurement. Constantly disciplining postal workers will not improve efficiencies but will drive an ever bigger wedge between workers and what they are told is modernisation.
"We've seen cuts and increased workloads and now we need an agreed roll-out of real modernisation. Aligning the interests of customers, employees and the company as a whole is a prerequisite for the successful modernisation of Royal Mail.
"The Government must act now to resolve the pensions deficit which is crippling the Royal Mail's finances and chances to modernise effectively."
Postal affairs minister Lord Young said: "A national postal strike is completely self defeating and will only serve to hurt consumers and businesses who rely on the post and drive even more people away from using mail as a means of communication.
"Royal Mail must modernise and these strikes will slow down that essential process. The amount of mail being posted continues to fall dramatically and the company's financial position is precarious. Management and the unions have to resolve their differences and work together on the change necessary to safeguard the future of the company."
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by Dave, Bristol
Saturday, October 10 2009, 7:44PM
“Well here we go again. Firstly, the Royal Mail needs to look at costs like every other business since the recession and make sure they do not go out of business. In addition our company now asks every client for an email address and where we used to send 30000 letters a month via royal mail, the last 2 weeks we have sent only 3500 the rest has been by email. This has all been brough about by the strikes, but do you think when the strikes are over we are going back to sending letters again - I dont think so were now saving £8000 a month thanks to the strike and our clients are not complaining as there costs are now going down also, many many other business are bound to find ways to follow suit.
I do sympathise with the Royal Mail workers but with these strikes more and more people are going to find alternatives and there will be even more redundancies and even more strikes - I do agree with some people, eventually Royal Mail will no longer exist which will result in many many thousands un-employed and it will be a shame for them all to be out of work. Our posties do work hard and deserve decent working conditions but if this carries on, the already limited sympathy will be no more.”
by Steve, S.west
Saturday, October 10 2009, 11:45AM
“I have to back what pete skinner has to say here.Whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion those employed in a business have the true facts to hand. I now work in education, so would not be able to comment credibly on the banking sector or dairy farming.
When I did work at the old Cattle Market rd site, for 13 years, a retiring top manager had this to say "I have seen the best years of Royal mail, and feel sorry for those of you left. It is going to be changed out of all shape and form, and will not be an enjoyable place to work" It seems he was spot on.”
by pete skinner, portishead
Friday, October 09 2009, 8:13PM
“what a surprise...the anti postie brigade are on here again. you people who dont work for royal mail know nothing about how it works or how hard the postmen and women of this country work. we are already stretched to our limit in terms of our work loads. not to mention the managers who bully and intimidate people in to working past our time without overtime payments and make it a generally unpleasant place to work. this dispute is nothing to do with money as some of you think and every thing to do with preserving the future of the people who work for royal mail.”
by Mike, Bristol
Thursday, October 08 2009, 11:53PM
“I at one point in my life did a bit of work on contract for Royal Mail. What a bunch of moaning, lazy, millitant, good for nothing spoilt bunch of brats they're. Refusing to unload lorries when its raining the list is endless.
Boys and girls of the Royal Mail, don't strike resign before you get sacked and someone in Government realises what a waste of time, money and fresh air you're”
by Charlie, Hanham
Thursday, October 08 2009, 6:44PM
“All this is due to an edict from Brussels in 1997 that all postal services shall be nationalised. The Directive os EEC97/67 and France largely ignored it, Germany said they couldn't do it because the post was part of the government but our lot bowed three times and said "Certainly".
Which is why there are private carriers taking mail as far as the last stage of delivery which is given to Royal Mail
Nobody from either government or Royal Mail seems to have told the posties or anyone else..”