postal service
News and articles about work, policy and struggles in the communications sector, from telecoms to postal and delivery services around the world.
London postal workers strike set for Friday, other regions to be balloted
Royal Mail is braced for further industrial unrest, with unions expected to ballot more regions for strike action as early as this week. It follows the vote last week by postal workers in London to stage a 24-hour walkout this Friday.
With plans to privatise the state-owned group in disarray, Jonathan DeCarteret, from the consultancy Post-Switch, is predicting that the London vote will prove to be the "starting pistol in a long summer of industrial strike action".
Postal workers in Lincoln stage wildcat strike
Postal services in Lincoln have been disrupted for the third day running as postal workers continue to stage a wildcat strike over the introduction of van-sharing.
Workers say they have not been trained for the revisions and that there is no national agreement via the union for the introduction of the changes but Royal Mail says that the changes were agreed with the CWU as part of a modernisation agreement and that the strike action is unlawful.
Belgian general strike diary, 1960 - Maurice Brinton
Maurice Brinton's vivid and captivating first hand account of the massive general strike in Belgium in 1960-61 against a new law "loi unique" to reduce workers' purchasing power.
THE BELGIAN GENERAL STRIKE: DIARY DECEMBER 28-31, 1960
THE BACKGROUND
General strike hits France
As the recession begins to bite in France, transport, education and other services are brought to a halt by a national strike demanding action on unemployment and the rising cost of living.
Bloomberg business news reported that France’s rail network, airports and public schools were disrupted today as the country’s eight biggest labor unions called for a one-day general strike.
Christmas strikes could hit Royal Mail
Workers in Coventry, Crewe, Liverpool, Stockport, Bolton and Oxford are threatening 24-hour strike action on Friday over the proposed merger of some depots. The Communication Workers Union says 500 jobs could be lost and has challenged Royal Mail to negotiate.
The firm's plans include transferring work from the mail centre in Weston, Crewe, and the Copperas Hill sorting office in Liverpool to a new regional centre in Warrington. Royal Mail has said Copperas Hill is no longer viable in the face of falling mail volumes.
Workers at Royal Mail sites to strike next week
Maintenance staff at Royal Mail facilities to strike over attacks on working conditions.
Maintenance workers at Royal Mail sites are to begin a three day strike over “draconian” attacks on working conditions.
Postal workers wildcat in York
Postal workers wildcat in solidarity with a colleague facing disciplinary action
Collections drivers at the York mail centre struck during the afternoon shift yesterday over disciplinary action being taken against a colleague. A Royal mail spokesman claimed that 30 workers walked out at 1.30 pm, leading to managers covering their duties, collecting mail from postboxes and businesses around the city.
Melbourne postal workers in wildcat strike
Postal workers in Melbourne returned to work today after taking unofficial action yesterday (June 12th) against a bonus cut.
Mail into and out of Victoria was also be affected by the snap strike by mail workers at the Dandenong letters processing centre, which normally is staffed by up to 1200 people. The workers walked off the job yesterday afternoon over the loss of special Sunday shifts that took about $160 out of their pay packets.
Health and postal strikes in Trinidad
Health and postal workers in Trinidad and Tobago have been out on strike this week over hospital overcrowding and pay and conditions respectively.
Accident and Emergency staff carried out a mass sick day strike at San Fernando General Hospital on the 16th of April in protest at overcrowding. Overcrowding has gotten so bad at the hospital, that the asthma room, a room supposed to be dedicated for those awaiting emergency asthma treatment, is being used as a holding bay for those awaiting hospital beds.
Strike threat resurfaces at Royal Mail
Hot on the heels of the wildcat strikes over pay in 2007, Royal Mail faces the threat of a new round of industrial action.
Unions have rejected the postal group's plan to overhaul its pensions scheme and are poised to ballot nearly 150,000 members over whether they back the plan or not.
