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London Strike on as Royal Mail Refuses Deal

7th July 2009

Postal workers in London will be on strike for three days starting from tomorrow (Wednesday) as Royal Mail refuses the CWU's offer of a three month no strike deal.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "It's now clear that Royal Mail management is the biggest block to modernisation. When presented with the best deal we - or any other union - can offer, which is for three months of no industrial action and focused negotiation on modernisation, they refuse.

"Management seem to be sulking because the prospect of privatisation and increased executive pay has disappeared. The Chairman Donald Brydon appears to be incapable of focusing on making Royal Mail a success in the public sector. He was clearly brought in to oversee a part sell-off and his skills are not suited to the current problems facing the company.

"The problems that Royal Mail face are not going away. The pension deficit in particular needs to be resolved along with the increasingly important outstanding issues of modernisation. The government is allowing the same management that was criticised for failure to continue mis-managing the company.

"Strike action in London is in response to Royal Mail's continuing executive action of cuts without modernisation. There's no machinery, no redesigning of deliveries and no improvement on industrial relations. The company has abandoned the final phase of the 2007 Pay and Modernisation agreement and is set on piling more work and pressure on already stretched staff.

"This is being replicated right across the country and we have ballot requests for industrial action stacking up. We'll be holding a national day of action on Friday 17th July which will combine industrial action and demonstrations. Royal Mail and the government cannot ignore this situation which is growing worse every day. We need to return to the agreement and negotiate change now."

CWU has written to MPs explaining the current situation on industrial relations and modernisation (letter attached).

Strike action in London is spread over three days with a rolling 24 hour set of strikes on Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th and Friday 10th July. Delivery workers will be striking on Wednesday, distribution and logistics staff will be out on Thursday, and mail centres will be striking on Friday. This will impact on London's mail network for the duration of the three days. Picket lines will be in place over the three days.