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Postal Strikes as Royal Mail Blocks Modernisation

18th June 2009

Postal workers in London and Scotland are taking strike action on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th June in response to cuts by Royal Mail which break a national agreement and threaten modernisation.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary, said: "Royal Mail has broken the 2007 agreement which committed the company to negotiating modernisation with the CWU. We are now seeing cuts but not modernisation in the postal industry and there's only so long before this is going have a major impact on services.

"We have delivered the first three phases of the 2007 agreement. This was fully audited by Royal Mail and triggered the 6.9 per cent two-year pay deal. Royal Mail have abandoned the fourth phase of the deal which involves joint working groups to improve industrial relations and negotiate on the future of Deliveries, Mail Centres, the Distribution Network and the full introduction of new automation.

"Royal Mail can't have it both ways. Their record profits were delivered by our members carrying out the 2007 agreement. The CWU does not and has not blocked change. Once again we are seeing Royal Mail working against the union and failing to engage the workforce. This behaviour is exactly what they have been criticised for by both the government and Hooper.

"The company is failing on the big picture. Machinery is not being brought in and deliveries have not been re-designed.

"We are offering Royal Mail and the government a three month no-strike deal if they fulfil the agreement to engage the CWU over modernisation and move to get the company on a sound footing for the future."

Postal workers in London are on strike for 24 hours on Friday 19th June. Picket lines will be in place at most delivery offices from 6am.

Postal workers in Edinburgh Mail Centre will also be on strike on Friday. Workers in the following areas in Scotland will be on strike on Saturday 20th June: Edinburgh South West and Central, Alloa, Grangemouth, Irvine, Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Broxburn/Bathgate.