Postal workers strike to defend conditions
Colin Fox and Willie Marshall, CWU Scotland No2 branch
20th June 2009
Postal workers in Dunfermline, Grangemouth, Cowdenbeath, Broxburn, Bathgate,
Edinburgh and Irvine were on strike today over management attempts to
bully staff into accepting poorer working conditions.
Some 350 members of the Communication Workers Union in Scotland walked out joining
8,000 in London after Royal Mail management tried to impose new working parctices
over the heads of the union and bypass nationally agreed negotiating structures.
Management has refused repeated union offers to discuss any proposed changes
to the walking speed of delivery postmen for example or extending the area drivers
must cover to collect mail.
The union believes Royal Mail managers have targeted certain smaller offices
in an attempt to brow beat and destroy union resistance to these poorer conditions.
The strikes yesterday and today have been '100% solid' and the union now plans
to escalate the action. London postalworkers, for example will follow up this
action with three furthers days strike whilst the union has announced that further
strikes will take place in Scotland on July 4th and 5th.