Postal Workers Strike Over Jobs

Thousands of postal workers in London will stage a 24-hour strike in a row over jobs and services, the CWU union has announced.

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Strike action threatens to disrupt mail deliveries across the capital

The union said up to 10,000 of its members would walk out on June 19 after claiming that the Royal Mail was pressing ahead with "arbitrary" cuts in jobs and services.

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "Royal Mail is blocking modernisation by refusing to negotiate change with the CWU.

"We have offered a moratorium on all strike action if Royal Mail will suspend executive action and enter into meaningful negotiations.

"We want to bring forward the successful transformation of the business by working together."

They claim the "arbitrary" job cuts would threaten services and downgrade staff into part-time positions.

The Royal Mail said a fall in mail volumes meant modernisation was needed and this meant fewer jobs.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "Royal Mail is blocking modernisation by refusing to negotiate change with the CWU.

"We have offered a moratorium on all strike action if Royal Mail will suspend executive action and enter into meaningful negotiations."

Mr Ward added: "The future of the business must be safeguarded through careful planning, not shooting from the hip."

Workers in all areas of deliveries, collections and processing across London will take part in the strike and the union warned that further industrial action would be taken if the dispute was not resolved.

A deal was agreed after a national strike in 2007 on negotiating improvements in efficiency and modernisation, which the union said had ensured that the Royal Mail had built steady profits.

But Mr Ward accused the company of "ignoring" agreements to the detriment of services.

"Postal workers deliver a first class service but the current cuts and attitude of management threatens that and worsens services," he said.