Peterborough posties take to the picket line as part of two days of strike action

Peterborough posties have taken to the picket line as part of strike action about pay, terms and conditions.

A large number of workers were out in protest outside the sorting office in Papyrus Road, Werrington, this morning, at the start of a two day strike.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have also scheduled more strikes through December, including on Christmas Eve.

Offer is ‘totally unacceptable’

Steve Butts, CWU Anglia Rep said: “We stand in opposition to Simon Thompson’s final, final, final, final offer, which is totally unacceptable and involves compulsory redundancies, which we are not signing up to. Our members are against it.”

Mr Butts said the pay offer the workers had been given was not the only part of the strike. He said: “Pay is only a small component of this deal, they say it (pay deal) is nine per cent, it is not nine per cent, it is more like a Countdown Conundrum. More important to our members is the service we provide we provide to the British public. We are not just fighting for our terms and conditions, we are fighting to save the British postal service, and that is dear to our hearts. If Royal Mail get their way, they are putting the morning post in the dustbin of history.”

The following the current two day strike, the next day of industrial action will take place on December 9, when a number of the Peterborough workers will join colleagues in a rally in London.

Mr Butts described the strike as ‘a final resort’ and said: “Apologies for having to take this action. We wouldn’t have to take this action if Simon Thompson was to get into the real world, and negotiate properly with us, and we can resolve this.”

Reaction has been ‘fantastic’

Luke Smith, who has worked for Royal Mail for 22 years and was one of the workers on the picket line said: “I am out here this morning because the company has been here for 500 years, I’ve been here for 22 years, and I want the job to be here for another 22 years, and the way this company is being run, it is not going to be here, they are destroying a public service.

"The reaction from members of the public has been fantastic. I understand some people are frustrated that they are not able to collect their parcels because we are on strike, and I respect that, but the vast majority of the public who come down here are very supportive, honking horns, some people stop and say ‘solidarity.’ People understand it. We were key workers. Twelve months ago we were heroes for going out and delivering the post. People are very supportive.”

We are urging union to accept offer

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We’re urging CWU leadership to accept the change and pay offer, call off future damaging strike action, for the good of our customers and our people. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience the CWU's continued strike action will cause. We are doing all we can to minimise delays and keep people, businesses and the country connected.”