Royal Mail workers in Flint, Mold and Deeside join national strikes

Oct 29 2009 by Dave Goodban, Flintshire Chronicle

Royal Mail workers in Flint, Mold and Deeside join national strikes

PICKETING postal workers say their strike action is not about money – and it never has been.

And the defiant delivery and collection staff believe the majority of the public back their stance in the ongoing row over ‘modernisation’ and working conditions.

Scores of Royal Mail employees at offices in Flint, Mold and Queensferry downed tools last Friday, 24 hours after mail centre staff in Chester formed picket lines.

As the Chronicle went to press yesterday talks between Royal Mail and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) were taking place to avert further strike action today, tomorrow and Saturday.

“We’re striking to keep the postal service alive, it’s a democratic decision by the union,” said Kevin Williams, the union representative at Mold sorting office on the picket line.

“The public are supporting us, they always do.”

Peter McManus from Mynydd Isa, the Mold office’s former union representative, told the Chronicle the strikes are over changes to services and treatment of staff.

“It’s not about pay, and it never has been,” he said. “We had a pay freeze in April when we usually get a pay rise – if it was about money we’d have gone on strike then.

“Royal Mail is cutting jobs in offices all over the country. Their attitude is if the machine does half the work half of us have got to go.

“Staff have left and not been replaced, they’re putting extra work on everyone – the days of your jolly postman have gone.”

Mr McManus, 60, added: “At the end of the day they want part-time jobs. We’re here not just for the future of Royal Mail, but for the people of this country. That’s why we get such public support.”

It is thought about 1,700 CWU members in North Wales and Chester went on strike last week, and independent businesses were among the first to be hit by the break in service.

Mike Learmond, North Wales regional organiser for the Federation of Small Businesses, said 89% of small firms in the region use Post Office and Royal Mail services and 77% use the Royal Mail to send parcels.

Royal Mail has condemned the ‘unjustified strikes’ and reiterated its offer to work with a third party such as arbitration service ACAS.

The service says it is continuing to deal with a backlog of 30 million items, but CWU puts the figure nearer to 65 million.

A CWU spokesman said: “We’re disappointed that Royal Mail appears to be more interested in sidelining the views and concerns of its staff than reaching an agreement to bring this dispute to an end.

“Instead of spending vast sums on untrained temporary workers we urge the Royal Mail to engage in talks to reach an agreement to get the permanent staff back to work.”