UK: Post Office strikes continue

Workers at Crown Post Offices struck yesterday and on Friday, and are due to strike again tomorrow to stop plans to outsource services to WH Smiths.

Submitted by Steven. on August 14, 2007

While management tried to downplay the effects of the strike, the CWU claimed that members supported the strikes in overwhelming numbers. Post Office Limited (POL) Head Office was placed in disarray due to severe staff shortages as managers were once again forced to travel at great cost across the country to cover members’ jobs.

Strike action once again reduced the Crown Office network to chaos with reduced numbers of counters, massive understaffing, managers who can’t do rank and file workers' jobs properly and the closure of some branches.

The pressure is now building on POL which is the only part of the Royal Mail group which won’t agree to improve its offer to the workers. Further talks are scheduled for later this week and POL still has the opportunity to avoid further disruption.

The union has kept the dispute separate from the Royal Mail workers strikes against pay and job cuts, which the union suspended last week.

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