Brown calls for end to postal strikes

The prime minister has urged postal workers to settle their bitter dispute with Royal Mail over pay, pensions and flexibility, declaring there is “no justification” for further strikes.
His comments came as unofficial industrial action broke out at more than 20 sorting offices across the country, a few hours after the end of a 48-hour national strike.

While deliveries resumed in most of the country, wildcat strikes were reported in Liverpool, Lancaster, Glasgow and east London.

Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Gordon Brown said postal staff should go back to work, and called for a negotiated settlement. He said the dispute should be brought to an end on the terms already offered by Royal Mail.

Postal workers came under further pressure from the Business Secretary, John Hutton, who said the Communications Workers Union (CWU) should accept the “perfectly fair and reasonable” offer from Royal Mail managers and return to work.

Up to 130,000 postal employees were due to return to work last Wednesday 10th October after a strike that crippled services for almost a week, but unofficial action broke out at several sorting offices.

Some workers said they arrived for a shift starting at 5am but were told Royal Mail had changed their timetables without their consent.

By mid-morning, unofficial strikes continued in some parts of London and Liverpool, although postal employees returned to work in Glasgow.

Royal Mail called the action “unacceptable” and called on the CWU to condemn the unofficial strike.

Royal Mail said it had previously warned employees that new working hours would be introduced because of new legislation that would restrict the speed of mail vehicles.

Union leaders will meet today to plan their next move, but on Monday they announced rolling strikes next week involving different parts of the service.

The CWU deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, accused Royal Mail of instituting “slavery”. However, the postal service chief executive, Adam Crozier, dismissed the claim as “cobblers”.

Mr Crozier said the two sides were close to reaching agreement on pay and pensions, leaving flexibility as the outstanding issue.

As the dispute continues, business leaders have warned that more companies will shift their business away from Royal Mail to other delivery firms.