No end in sight to wildcat postal strike in Liverpool

Oct 17 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

WILDCAT postal strikes are to continue in Liverpool today after Royal Mail workers failed to reach agreement with either their union or managers.

It means local workers have been out on unofficial action for a week since a two-day nationwide official action ended last Wednesday.

Nationally the Communication Workers Union has agreed to suspend official planned strikes for today, tomorrow and Friday, as they continued to consider a proposed deal aimed at resolving the bitter mail dispute.

But in Liverpool talks between Royal Mail and union leaders made no headway yesterday, with 21 depots still out of action in the city, and 800 postal staff still boycotting work.

Local workers are defying the CWU’s recommendation to return to work, as they say they have not yet reached agreement over changes to shift patterns. It comes as the wave of unofficial action spread across the country to Yorkshire for the first time yesterday.

Hundreds of workers at a huge distribution centre in Normanton, near Wakefield, took industrial action, hitting deliveries in the region.

The executive of the CWU met for a second day yesterday to decide whether to recommend the deal, which includes a 6.9% pay increase over two years.

But workers in Liverpool say they are not prepared to go back to work without any assurances from local union officials, who are still unclear as to the contents of the national agreement.

CWU branch manager Mark Walsh said: “There has been no progress but we are prepared to talk with management at any time. We have made that clear but they will not compromise.

“All the workers want is negotiation and we apologise again to those who are suffering.”

The unofficial action started last Wednesday after two official 48-hour strikes over job conditions, pay and pensions.

Liverpool staff are unhappy their starting hours have been changed and weekend working is being introduced. Many say it will affect their family lives.

A mass meeting was held on Monday at the Liner Hotel in the city, where members voted to carry on with the action.

Antony Stone, from Walton who works at the city’s Copperas Hill, depot said after the meeting: “Everyone was going to return to work until the question about shift patterns came up.

“When we were told we would still have to start at 6am and then work Saturday afternoons, without any negotiation, that was the turning point.

“The new shift patterns, which have been imposed, will really affect our lives.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “The national executive of the union are still considering the deal and we are hopeful that if they do approve the deal our people in Liverpool will return to work.”

lizawilliams