12/06/2009

Postal Workers To Stage 24-Hour Strike

Thousands of postal workers in London are to take strike action on Friday 19 June in a dispute over jobs and services.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said up to 10,000 of its members will walk out for 24 hours, after claiming Royal Mail is pressing ahead with "arbitrary" cuts in jobs and services.

Distribution of mail deliveries across the capital will be affected by the action.

The Royal Mail has said a drop in mail volumes meant modernisation of the service was needed, resulting in the need for fewer jobs.

CWU Deputy General Dave Ward said: "Royal Mail is blocking modernisation by refusing to negotiate with the CWU.

"We have offered a moratorium on all strike action if Royal Mail will suspend executive action and enter into meaningful negotiations. We want to bring forward the successful transformation of the business by working together."

He added: "The future of the business must be safeguarded through careful planning, not shooting from the hip."

However, a spokesman for Royal Mail said: "A strike will not modernise Royal Mail - it will simply disrupt the service to which customers are entitled, lead to an even greater loss of business and leave Royal Mail far less able to protect full time jobs.

"Productivity in Royal Mail offices in London already lags behind the rest of the UK with the productivity in parts of London now 10% worse than the average."

(JM/NS)

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