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UK postal strike is to go ahead



A nationwide postal strike will go ahead on Thursday and Friday, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) says.

The action, to begin at midnight, comes amid a row over pay, conditions and Royal Mail's modernisation plans.

The CWU said it also planned further strikes and that it would announce details later in the week.

The union criticised Royal Mail bosses and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson for not getting involved in talks to end the dispute.

Mail centre staff and drivers will strike on Thursday while delivery and collection staff will take action on Friday.

'No trust'

Government sources told the BBC the strike was "something of a tragic matter" and revolved around a dispute over implementing working practices and changes agreed two years ago.

Meanwhile Royal Mail condemned the strikes which it said were "wholly unjustified".

It had earlier issued a last-gasp plea for a "strike-free period of calm" in the run-up to Christmas, saying industrial action would bring "huge damage and distraction" and cause "pain and disruption" for customers.

The CWU's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said that progress had been made in the discussions.

But he claimed that agreements struck with negotiators on Tuesday night had been vetoed by Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson - who it accused of overruling a key part of the agreement.

Royal Mail denied this and said it was prepared to sign the agreement it had reached to prevent the strikes being necessary.

The CWU had "no confidence or trust" in either Mr Higson or Royal Mail's chief executive Adam Crozier, Mr Ward said.

And it accused Lord Mandelson of working "hand in hand with Royal Mail" to deliberately undermine the talks, saying the minister had privately expressed his doubts about the capabilities of Royal Mail's management.

Billy Hayes, the CWU's general secretary, labelled Lord Mandelson the "minister without responsibility".

Contingency plans

The decision to go ahead with strike action came after more than 30 hours of talks between Royal Mail and the union this week.

The prime minister had urged unions and managers to agree a deal saying a strike would be "counter-productive".

Earlier, in the Commons, David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of lacking the "courage and leadership" to intervene in the postal dispute to prevent two days of planned strikes.

Since plans to part-privatise Royal Mail had been shelved "union militancy has got worse," the Tory leader said.

Mr Brown said that had nothing to do with the dispute and urged unions and managers to agree a deal.

If the strikes continue for a prolonged period, contingency plans for delivery of hospital appointments and medical test results have been drawn up, MPs were told earlier this week.

And it has emerged that the Ministry of Defence may charter extra aircraft to ensure serving troops get their Christmas post.

THE BBC

I just got post??

I spoke to our postie this morning and he said the postmen are out tomorrow just for the one day.I got post as well!

We've just had a delivery in Prenton. Either the strike is not as solid as they're making it out to be or casual staff are doing the deliveries.

I don't know about Prenton but it was our regular postie that I spoke to this morning. I live in Little Neston, by the way.

Think it's no sorting on Thursday and not delivery on Friday.

Saw a Royal Mail wagon on the M6 at about 00:15ish last night/this morning, so mcuh for the transportation and delivery network being on strike lol.

Here's an insight I stumbled across. A blog of an unhappy postal worker.

The Diary Of Roy Mayall.

I do believe that figures are often manipulated to suit politicians and big business
Reading the blog it looks like someone underbids the mail then gets them to do the delivering
Just like selling gas and electricity by various companies but all get it from the same source

Hehe go royal mail! im off work on full pay till my CRB check comes through and while royal mail are on strike it cant come through.

Things like CRB checks etc, anything governmental that is of importance or can directly affect a persons life, is sent via priority mail - not sure how it works, but say the council send you an eviction notice or summit like that, it will get sent out today and bypass the usual crap and be delivered tomorrow (unless it is hand delivered).

They must have special postal bags/collections that such mail gets sent in, so I would'nt count on your mail CRB check being delayed for very long, if at all.

They all massage figures to their own ends, statistics can be manipulated to which ever meaning you desire. Fact though, TNT have just taken an £8m contract from Royal Mail and more will be found to follow. If losing business like that helps the posties then the best of luck to them. No one ever wins in a strike, least of all the actual working man. You're born, you work, you die. That's the way it goes, enjoy it while you can because you only get one shot at it.

Anyone had post 2day?

yeah i got a letter from me bank but that's about it.

Are the French posties on strike? I wonder what's happening to their letters.