10/10/2007

Royal Mail Express Concern Over Wildcat Strikes

Royal Mail has said that it is "extremely concerned" about wildcat strikes by postal workers, which are taking place despite the end of the latest official 48-hour strike.

Up to 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) were due to return to work on Wednesday following the strike.

However, Royal Mail have confirmed that unofficial strike action is taking place in Liverpool and London.

A statement issued by Royal Mail said: "Unlawful action is wholly unacceptable and must be condemned by the trade union."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also urged the striking staff to return to work. Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, he said that there was "no justification" for the strike.

Union leaders were due to meet on Wednesday to review the dispute, which concerns pay, pensions and flexible working hours and the firm's modernisation plans, which Royal Mail insist are necessary in order to ensure that it remains competitive, but which the CWU says will cost thousands of jobs.

On Tuesday, the dispute erupted into a bitter war of words, with the union complaining that the way employees were treated was like "slavery". Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier responded by accusing the union of talking "cobblers". Speaking on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' show, Mr Crozier said that Royal Mail were only trying to make staff work their paid hours. He said: "We are simply asking people to work the 37 hours and 20 minutes they are getting paid to work and, if they have to work longer, then of course they get paid overtime.

"For the union to say they can't accept this is frankly not a tenable position."

(KMcA)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

03 November 2009
Legal Action Threat Over Mail Strike
Royal Mail is facing legal action over the recruitment of 30,000 agency staff during strikes. The Communication Workers Union are to go to the High Court on Friday to seek an injunction against Royal Mail using the temporary staff while the industrial dispute over modernisation plans continues.
05 November 2009
Royal Mail Deal On The Way?
A peace deal is on the table which could end a series of damaging strikes at Royal Mail, with an unconfirmed report this afternoon that tomorrow's threatened stike action has in fact been called off.
11 October 2007
Wildcat Strikes Hype Postal Dispute
Fresh wildcat strikes by postal workers are taking place in London, Liverpool and Glasgow, according to reports. It is understood that the unofficial action was sparked by working conditions, namely changes to flexible working, rather than pay and pensions, which was at the centre of the 48-hour official strike earlier this week.
19 August 2009
Postal Strikes Continue In England
Postal strikes are continuing in England this week, with workers on strike in Bristol Yorkshire, the Midlands and the South East of England. Strikes are taking place in Birmingham, Coventry, London, Essex, Peterborough Bristol and Leeds are today.
25 July 2007
Postal strikes set to begin
Royal Mail staff are set to begin two weeks of staggered industrial action from 7pm on Wednesday evening in protest over pay and job losses. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said that each division within the firm had been given a different day to strike on in order to cause the maximum disruption to Royal Mail.