UK Postal strike 'could last for months'
Pastor Dale Morgan
UK Postal strike 'could last for months'*
By Christopher Hope
Last Updated: 1:14am BST 06/10/2007
The postal strike could last for months and become as bitter as the
1980s miners' strike, senior Royal Mail sources have warned.
The five-day postal-strike will cost Royal Mail more than £100 million
After two days of strikes, up to 100 million letters and parcels are
estimated to be stacked up in sorting officers around the country as the
worst stoppage for two decades paralysed Britain's postal system.
The five-day dispute will cost Royal Mail more than £100 million by the
time it ends on Wednesday. Despite more talks about pay, pensions and
job cuts at the Trades Union Congress, both sides were far from
agreement last night.
One executive compared the stoppage to the miners' strike in the
mid-1980s, which ended with workers drifting back to work.
The source said: "I think it has got many similarities [with that strike]."
The executive said the dispute was a "tipping point" in a battle for the
future of the Royal Mail. The source continued: "This is the time. It
cannot go on. This is the battle that was always going to come.
"The key battle is always the one over the future of the organisation.
This is it. This is the tipping point. This is welcome to the real
world. It is very important that people get it."
The Royal Mail claimed that 50 per cent more people were at work
compared with previous strikes in the summer, although this was disputed
by the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which said the action was
"solid".
Managers have drawn up plans for dealing with postal votes if the Prime
Minister calls an election next week. The source added: "In terms of the
postal votes and everything it will be fine. We know how to do it. We
have 36,000 trucks. You utilise your resources in a different way."
Up to 130,000 postal workers walked out at noon on Thursday for 48 hours
and will stage another two-day walkout from 3am on Monday, which will
hit deliveries until the end of next week.
The Government said the local education authorities would show
"flexibility" for parents who have to apply for secondary school places
by the end of this month.
Postwatch, the industry watchdog, warned that retailers relying on
Christmas gift catalogues would be hit because they needed to process
orders.
A spokesman for Postwatch said: "It is chaos. We don't know when it will
get back to normal.
"They won't be rushing to get the job done. They will be trying
everything they possibly can to inconvenience the customers."
The CWU last night claimed "overwhelming support" from the public, and
turned its fire on the Government for failing to back the strikers.
A spokesman said: "If this was Northern Rock they would be pouring money
in. This is a company that they own and they seem to have no interest
whatsoever."
Separately, the Royal Mail agreed a deal with 12,000 of its managers on
pay, modernisation and pension reform, including a 2.5 per cent wage
rise backdated to April.
The postal strike in numbers
400 million - Backlog of letters which will build up if strike lasts for
five days.
£10 million - Estimated cost of strike to small businesses in lost
business and delayed postal payments.
135,000 - Postal workers on strike, out of a total of 180,000.
33,000 - Post Office bicycles standing idle while their riders are on
strike.
£790,000 - Oay packet of Royal Mail Group chief executive Adam Crozier
in 2005.
8 - Miles travelled every day by postal workers, carrying around heavy
mailbags.
5.6p - Loss to Royal Mail every time a stamped letter is sent. The firm
loses some £4 million a week.
£4 billion - Royal Mail Group pension scheme accounting deficit.
113,000 - Post boxes in the UK.
40,000 - Jobs the Communication Workers' Union claims will be lost under
the terms of the current pay offer.
27 million - Postal addresses in the UK.
11kg - The weight limit on a postal worker's pack.