LOCAL NEWSPAPER STORIES HERE PLEASE

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[Par_BS23]

STRONG BACKING' FOR POSTAL STRIKE


"Our people work exceptionally hard and we are very proud of their achievements in recent years, which we have recognised with basic pay increasing by 25 per cent since 2002 and bonus payments totalling £1,500.


Oooh this wont go down well with Leighton and Crozier. Is she admitting that we work extremely hard and because of that the business has recognised the need to increase basic pay??? doesn't this mean that the 20% overpaid statement is really from their own making!!

In work Time Learning (and sometimes listening) our ADOM said that crozier didn't mean that really it came out wrong and we need to work smarter teah right if he didn't meam it why say it :cfo :cfo

[Renegade80]

Link: http://tinyurl.com/yuzvwq (Long URL Shrunk by TBT)

POSTAL WORKERS STRIKE OVER PAY
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ABIGAIL EDGE HERALD REPORTER

06:50 - 30 June 2007

More than a thousand Plymouth post office workers yesterday staged their first strike action since 1996 in a dispute over pay and conditions.Staff from the Breakwater Road sorting office and the Pennycomequick manual data entry centre (MDEC) stayed off work after talks broke down between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers' Union about the future of the post office network.

Dozens of CWU members bearing cardboard placards and leaflets took to the streets outside the two offices to make their feelings known.

CWU branch secretary Jeff Thomas had been picketing outside the MDEC since 5am.

"The mood behind the picket lines is good-natured and upbeat," he said, adding that up to 90 per cent of Plymouth's Royal Mail workers had taken part in the strike.

"Hopefully employers will recognise the number of people who are prepared to lose pay to get a result from this.

"It's a 24-hour strike, after which there will be more negotiations with Royal Mail."

However Mr Thomas said he would not rule out the possibility of another strike being called.

"There are no dates planned as yet. We'll wait and see the outcome of our negotiations," he added.

One Royal Mail worker, who wished not to be named, said that in the five years she had worked for the MDEC she had seen it gradually degenerate from a good place to work to a company 'obsessed by targets.

"The work has become harder and more skilled but the wages don't reflect that," she said.

"MDEC is one of the lowest-paid sections of Royal Mail. They've offered us only a 2.5 per cent pay increase, while inflation's at four per cent.

"The cost of living has gone up, but our wages have gone backwards."

Another member of staff, who had been at MDEC for four years, said that workers felt unappreciated.

"There are pension cuts, post offices closures and talk of 40,000 job losses across Royal Mail," he said.

"Here at MDEC we do a vital job, but are often treated as an afterthought. We've had enough."

Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton said the dispute was about the entire future of the postal organisation.

"We're no longer a monopoly; people have other options," he said. "Our competitors are much more efficient and can undercut us on price.

"We can afford to pay only what we can afford to pay."

Consumer watchdog Postwatch said it was 'disappointing' that the dispute had come to industrial action.

"It's a shame that Royal Mail workers had to resort to this," said the Postwatch spokesperson.

"Obviously there'll be a backlog of mail and delays in delivery over the next few days.

"Although Royal Mail managers aren't striking, without the help of other staff the amount they can achieve will be a drop in the ocean."

Jenny Clarke, branch secretary of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, said she feared that the strike might be the 'final nail in the coffin' for Royal Mail.

"People are already potentially beginning to lose confidence in Royal Mail and if mail starts to be delayed by strikes they may look to other companies for that service," said Mrs Clarke.

"The ripple effect of the strike is far wider-reaching than the postmen and office workers taking part in it.

"It affects every sub-post office in the country, and we are the backbone of the system."

Royal Mail is operating a helpline for customers on 08457 740 740.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/374790.html

At Mount Pleasant the biggest sorting office in London the media are out in force. So for the benefit of the cameras Royal Mail managers are moving items in and out of the depot to make it look like the strike is faltering. The reality is that all of the shop floor staff (over 1,000) are on strike and the only mail being shifted by the scab managers is the special delivery stuff which is a tiny percentage of the business.

At the Old Kent road depot, around thirty workers are picketing the gate and the mood is upbeat. Shortly after myself and another journo arrive a manger drives out in one of the unused vans. His path is temporarily blocked by the picketers who mercilessly take the piss out of him. It seems that every time the media have showed up here today a manager has taken one of the vans for a spin to give the impression that things are still running. Even the security guard is laughing at him.

At Nine Elms the strike is equally solid. This morning over 40 were on the gates. Every now and again a van drives past with its windows blacked out with pages of today's Evening Standard. 'Thats the scab van' one of the stewards tells me. Managers here had told staff that transport would be provided from the local stations so they would not have to walk through the picket lines. The strikers are fairly well convinced that the van is empty and just being driven past on a regular basis to lower morale. They think this because the timing of the drive bys is just not consistant with how long it would take to pick scab labour up from the nearby station. Walking back to Vauxhall we see the afformentioned van parked up by garage. The driver is reading the paper and the seats behind are empty. He drives off when he sees us filming through the gaps in the windows. We phone the pickets to tell them they were right. Another failed attempt at spin by desparate Royal Mail bosses who are now realising that they have a real fight on their hands.

[tasam]

Strike will cripple servicesJun 29 2007



By Sarah Judd, Evening Gazette


MORE than 1,000 Royal Mail workers across the Tees Valley are expected to turn out for a national strike today.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) were picketing distribution centres and post offices across the region as early as 4am today.

The first national walkout by postal workers in more than a decade is expected to cripple services, but branch secretary Dennis Steele said workers had been left with no choice but to take industrial action.

He said: “We can only apologise to customers, as this strike has been forced upon us. Royal Mail is more or less saying a deal’s a deal whether you like it or not and if you want to strike go ahead. Unfortunately, that’s what we’ve had to do.â€

[tasam]

Royal Mail pickets out in forceJun 30 2007




by Sarah Judd, Evening Gazette


STRIKE action caused severe delays to postal services across the Tees Valley as workers picketed Royal Mail premises.




Yesterday’s one day national strike came after Royal Mail workers rejected a 2.5% pay deal and warned modernisation plans would lead to 40,000 job losses.

Pickets were out in force at the Royal Mail sorting office in Cannon Park.

Dennis Steele, CWU Cleveland branch secretary, said the fact at least 95% of workers in the region had turned out proved something was wrong.


Mr Steele also hinted at the possibility of further industrial action if Royal Mail failed to co-operate.


He said: “We hope Royal Mail will come to its senses and deal with the union properly, but at this moment in time, I think the business may push us out on strike again.


“Royal Mail feels support will dwindle, but we need to keep the pressure on, so if we are forced into this position again we will get the same support from workers next time.â€

[bigstu]

Eastbourne Herald

Local postal workers are set to strike today leaving thousands of letters undelivered.


There will be no mail deliveries and no collections from post boxes during the 24 hour stoppage.

However, Eastbourne's sorting office in Southfield Road will be manned by managers who will be delivering priority mail such as Special Delivery.

The Communication Workers' Union, is fighting Royal Mail plans which it says will mean cuts in service, dearer stamps, fewer deliveries, post office closures, and cuts to pay and pensions.

But Royal Mail says the market is declining and it has already lost 40 per cent of bulk business to rival operators.

[waffler]

This is Jane Thomas at her best, economical with the facts! Not much surprise there! Try being honest and direct (nor really gonna happen is it? worth a try, probably get more honesty from a tramp on a street corner!) What she conveniently does'nt tell the public exactly what RM are actually trying to do to us if they implement their proposed changes. So consequently, Joe Public think we are just being greedy troublemakers, which couldn't be further from the truth! I'ts great to see that not all the media are against us, only the ones that hobnob with the ones on the rich list. ie: Leighton and Crozier to name but two!

Jane Thomas frankie, more akin to John Thomas

[fedup postie]

MY APOLOGY FOR POSTAL ACTION
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09:40 - 29 June 2007

Sir, - Can I apologise on behalf of my fellow postmen and women for the industrial action we are about to take? We do not take this strike lightly. Our customers are paramount, but the need to make a stand to protect our postal service from the Government's postcomm and Royal Mail cuts, needs to be tackled head-on.Unfortunately, Royal Mail does not operate on a level playing field to our competitors, and in opening the network to them,

they have allowed them to cherry pick the work.

They are only interested in collecting, processing and then bringing it back to Royal Mail to deliver, thus taking away work that enables us to keep the cost of the delivery down, and to deliver the last mile of the operation which is now at a crossroads.

The Government and postcomm must understand that we cannot operate with one arm tied behind our backs.

We do not fear modernisation or competition, as you may be led to believe.

We are good at what we do.

We only wish Royal Mail knew this, and rewarded us for it instead of wanting job cuts.

Thanking you for your patience.

MIKE RATHBONE Birches Head

[fedup postie]

POSTAL STAFF PLEASED WITH STRIKE FEEDBACK
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09:40 - 30 June 2007

Postal workers have hailed yesterday's strike action a resounding success after up to 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union took part.Mail deliveries across North Staffordshire and South Cheshire faced major disruption as the first national strike in a decade took place. Workers are rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer and have warned that the Royal Mail's modernisation plans will lead to 40,000 job losses. Andy Plant, branch secretary of the Midland number seven branch of the CWU, said the strike had been a positive step forward for the union's members.

He said: "We have 1,600 members in the ST area, and I believe all of them took part.

"The strike went really well, and our members have shown that they are prepared to say what they want as a settlement - that was what today was about.

"We will now wait to see what happens on the national scene before any decision about further strike action is made."

The union is demanding postal workers' pay should rise to the national average over the next five years, which the Royal Mail said amounted to a 27 per cent increase. It is also campaigning to prevent the Royal Mail closing 70 larger post offices and moving services into WH Smith stores.

[TheDoc]

Link: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ViewA ... id=2926795

A good example of how Royal Mail are ignoring pleas from vulnerable members of the publish in the provision of post office services.

The Doc...