Postal staff man picket lines in driving rain

Date published: 26/07/2007

Striking postal workers manned picket lines in driving rain to send a defiant message to bosses.

Up to 300 delivery, processing and distribution staff at the Hamilton Street sorting office in Oldham, where some of Rochdale's post is sorted, are staging a 24-hour strike which started at 7pm yesterday.

It is part of two weeks of national, staggered action by the Communication Workers’ Union over pay and conditions.

Mail centres in Rochdale, Greenfield, Uppermill, Diggle, Dobcross are expected to be hit by walk-outs on Saturday.

Delivery staff will also stage a 24-hour strike from 3am on Tuesday.

A union representative, who remained anonymous for fear of management reprisals, said that postal deliveries would be hit.

The rep added: "We are not for moving. The situation needs to change. This is not just about pay, but the conditions they expect us to work in and the terms and conditions they are bringing in."

Angry workers on the picket lines in Oldham hit out at large bonuses for Royal Mail bosses.

They said that full-time staff at the office were being replaced with part-time workers to save money, but that the same amount of work was still expected to be done without overtime.

Postmen claimed they have to use their own cars to take drop bags (mail) to pick-up points on their walk because van-drivers are over-stretched.

They are also angry at an alleged proposal to move starts from 5am to 6.15am which means that staff will lose a pensionable bonus for starting early while customers will receive mail later.

One person claimed that impossible bonus targets had been set and said: "This place is running on goodwill."