CWU calls for fresh postal strike
Date: 22 August 2007
A fresh postal strike has been called for by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which is likely to bring more business to alternative courier companies.
The dispute centres around the proposed outsourcing of Crown Post Office services to WHSmiths branches, and has already seen strike action reducing the network to chaos. This has prompted customers to take their business elsewhere and is proving beneficial for courier firms.
Now the CWU is calling on an all-day strike on Tuesday, August 28th all across the UK, adding to the action already called for on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Monday 27th.
"Members should not attend work during these times," a union spokesman warned.
Courier firms that have benefited from the recent postal industrial action - which has also badly affected Royal Mail - include TNT and Citipost.
Huw Roberts, Royal Mail's director of Welsh affairs, has conceded that customers are opting to use alternative firms and called for the organisation to modernise.
Writing in the Western Mail, he says: "The reality is we are no longer a monopoly and rivals this year will be handling one letter in every five posted. They are winning an increasing share of the mail market - not because they work harder than our people - but because technology has made them more efficient."
User Comments
No Comments