Postal strikes spread across UK

Postal workers are continuing to stage a series of 24-hour strikes this week in an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and services.As the walkouts spread to East Anglia, from several locations since the weekend, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced it was balloting members on a national strike, which would take place in September and cause widespread disruption to deliveries. Meanwhile, Royal Mail played down the effect of the current strikes and released figures showing that performance targets were met despite previous action in June and July. Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail operations director, said robust performance in July showed that contingency plans to ease the impact of the strike had worked. He said that across the UK more than 90 per cent of staff were working as normal. We again urge the CWU to call off its plans for further strike action and to stop blocking change and modernisation. The union is not only failing to live up to what it says and what it signed up to under the 2007 pay and modernisation agreement but is actively opposing change on the ground.”Tolhurst added that Royal Mail was planning to invest £2 billion to create a modernised and market-leading business. "More CWU strike action will do nothing but damage Royal Mail’s ability to protect the universal service and preserve as many jobs as possible at a time when mail volumes are falling by almost 10 per cent year-on-year," he said.The CWU has reiterated its offer of a no-strike deal in return for negotiations to avert current and future action. Dave Ward, CWU deputy-general secretary, said: "Postal workers and customers are experiencing cuts to services, cuts to hours, cuts to jobs and threats over future jobs and services. This is just downsizing, there's nothing modern about it.We want to see a modern Royal Mail at the cutting edge of British deliveries. There are opportunities in internet delivery fulfillment, modern machinery and innovation in products and services. However, without engagement and negotiation over how this affects the workforce there is no light at the end of the tunnel for postal workers.”