Second walkout of postal workers
[caption id="attachment_78828" align="alignright" width="346" caption="Post workers strike outside Wellington Post Office."][/caption] The postal workers' strikes have led to 30 million letters being delayed, it was revealed today. The Royal Mail said the figure was equivalent to about 40 per cent of an average daily postbag. [caption id="attachment_78829" align="alignright" width="242" caption="Post workers strike outside Wellington Post Office. Seen here are Chris Pryce, Richie Allen, Ian Leggat, Barry Brown and, front, Conrad Hunt and Ned Kelly"][/caption] The postal workers' strikes have led to 30 million letters being delayed, it was revealed today. The Royal Mail said the figure was equivalent to about 40 per cent of an average daily postbag. The company branded the strikes as "unnecessary and irresponsible", as a second day of action crippled deliveries. Royal Mail say they are doing everything possible to get mail delivered quickly. Meanwhile the Communication Workers Union confirmed there will be a three-day strike from next Thursday involving over 120,000 workers. In Shropshire, nearly 700 postal workers walked again today, with picket lines being set up in Wellington and Oakengates, Telford. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
The postal workers' strikes have led to 30 million letters being delayed, it was revealed today. The Royal Mail said the figure was equivalent to about 40 per cent of an average daily postbag.
The company branded the strikes as "unnecessary and irresponsible", as a second day of action crippled deliveries. Royal Mail say they are doing everything possible to get mail delivered quickly.
Meanwhile the Communication Workers Union confirmed there will be a three-day strike from next Thursday involving over 120,000 workers.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are very grateful to the 20 per cent of our delivery staff who have chosen to come to work today and who are doing everything possible to get all delayed mail delivered to customers as quickly as possible over the next few days."
In Shropshire, nearly 700 postal workers walked again today, with picket lines being set up in Wellington and Oakengates, Telford.
Up to 78,000 union members joined today's walkout, following a "solidly supported" strike yesterday by over 40,000 mail centre staff and drivers in a bitter row over jobs, pay and modernisation.
In Shropshire, centres in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, as well as those at Oakengates and Wellington, were hit.
Pete Kelly, area delivery representative for the Shropshire and Mid Wales branch of the CWU, said that yesterday's strike involving 500 postal workers at the sorting office in Shrewsbury, had gone to plan.
He said they wanted a swift end to the dispute.
"We are not afraid of change but we want to be part of that change," he said.
"Many members of the public have been wishing us luck and wishing us well," he added.
Details of how long next week's strikes will last and which group of workers will be involved are expected to be announced today.
The union offered "unconditional" talks at the conciliation service Acas in a bid to break the deadlocked row over jobs, pay and modernisation.
Mark Higson, Royal Mail's managing director, said it was "appalling but sadly not surprising" that more strikes had been called.
