Well we were out this morning again and this is the latest from the Evining times .
Thousands walk out as Royal Mail strike spreads
Comment
Royal Mail staff outside the postal depot in Springburn this morning
by Wendy Miller
A WILDCAT strike by thousands of Glasgow postal workers has spread as it enters its second day.
Workers at the main Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn are out again amid the escalation of a bitter dispute with Royal Mail.
And the dispute now covers 13 centres across the West of Scotland.
Unions say in total around 3500 posties and sorting staff across Glasgow are striking, with no mail being delivered to businesses and householders in the area.
advertisementIt comes as the Communication Workers Union prepares for another official 24-hour strike scheduled to start at 3am tomorrow.
The unofficial action started yesterday when workers walked out in support of 13 delivery drivers sent home for refusing to cross a picket line, as reported in later editions of last night's Evening Times.
Their walkout had coincided with an official strike by 1100 staff at Springburn.
Royal Mail had expected staff to return to their duties today.
Instead management were greeted by picket lines early this morning at 13 centres across the West of Scotland.
Five of them are in Glasgow, including Springburn and Baird Street, as well as centres in Johnstone, Paisley, Greenock, Ayr and Dumfries.
Jim McKechnie, branch secretary of the Glasgow and district branch for the Communication Workers Union, said today: "There are hopes of a resolution to the row over the delivery drivers.
"We are holding out the olive branch. We want to get our members back to work."
The CWU has called a month-long campaign of staggered strike action aimed at all areas of Royal Mail's operations as part of a dispute over pay and potential job cuts.
The latest row was caused by the refusal of delivery drivers from Glasgow to cross a picket line at Edinburgh Airport.
A union spokesman said the response of Royal Mail bosses was to send them home and "abate their pay".
He said they had suggested the Royal Mail kept the staff working instead of sending them home but it was rejected and managers were deployed to deliver mail.
Royal Mail said the workers who refused to cross the picket line were deemed to have taken "illegal and unofficial" industrial action.
Julie Morrison, the firm's head of external relations, said: "This is having an impact on our ability to deliver mail in some parts of Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire.
"We apologise to our customers throughout these areas."
She said their top priority was to continue to provide services and they remained "open to dialogue on this matter".
thats us at the kilmarnock office out on strike for the second day in a row after walking this morning at 6:30a.m we have had four drivers sent home without pay in two days, RM is pulling some real dirty tricks here.
keep it up we will make it three in a row tomorow.
Time you boys down south walked with us so we can make :lfo & :cfo sit up & listen, we could be here for the long haul!
thebigguy wrote:thats us at the kilmarnock office out on strike for the second day in a row after walking this morning at 6:30a.m we have had four drivers sent home without pay in two days, RM is pulling some real dirty tricks here.
keep it up we will make it three in a row tomorow.
Time you boys down south walked with us so we can make :lfo & :cfo sit up & listen, we could be here for the long haul!
Well done the Killie guys and the rest of the Scottish posties.
Go on Royal mail, try moving the mail down to Newcastle,Carlisle,Preston and see what happens.
thebigguy wrote:thats us at the kilmarnock office out on strike for the second day in a row after walking this morning at 6:30a.m we have had four drivers sent home without pay in two days, RM is pulling some real dirty tricks here.
keep it up we will make it three in a row tomorow.
Time you boys down south walked with us so we can make :lfo & :cfo sit up & listen, we could be here for the long haul!
dont think there will be any lack of support from the lads and lasses down South. :lfo :cfo
First I`d heard about the walkout up the town was first thing this morning when I went into the office. No six o`clock van. About 2 trays worth of mail for each duty. I took out 4 bundles instead of my usual 12 or so. I`d imagine I`ll find out what`s happening tomorrow when we are out anyway.
"We can`t stop here. This is bat country!"
(Del.Officer/PHG, Glasgow)
Apparently there's a meeting at an undecided place tomorrow around 10 AM ish?
What was the point of teaching the whole of RM this Diversity nonsense, if the ones that disrespect and antagonise people are the managers .. double standards. One for us, one for them !!
johnston65 wrote:Dont know how much truth there is in it but the word is that Liverpool are in much the same position.
I hear they had a mass sit in which lasted a few hours before it was resolved. Sorry mate, I don't know any more than that, but if I do, I'll let you know.
The Industrial Workers of the World. The union whose members never scab!
"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
Fraz118 wrote:I'm just wondering if they is anymore offices that have walked out unofficially. I am a postie in motherwell and we agreed to go back to work today but in the last 45mins we have walked out again cause the managers have sent a driver home who refused to cross the glasgow picket.
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Julie Morrison, the firm's head of external relations, said: "This is having an impact on our ability to deliver mail in some parts of Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire.
Is she the master of understatements or what.
Last edited by TrueBlueTerrier on 01 Aug 2007, 14:11, edited 2 times in total.
All post by me in Green are Admin Posts. Any post in any other colour is my own responsibility. If you like a news story I posted please click the link to show support Any news stories you can't post - PM me with a link My sharing of news articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement or condemnation of any particular viewpoint or the issues presented. I share them solely for informational purposes.
johnston65 wrote:Dont know how much truth there is in it but the word is that Liverpool are in much the same position.
I hear they had a mass sit in which lasted a few hours before it was resolved. Sorry mate, I don't know any more than that, but if I do, I'll let you know.
dont think there will be any lack of support from the lads and lasses down South. :lfo :cfo