20.04.1995

PO strike against local contracts

NEARLY 900 Newcastle delivery workers have been out on strike for two weeks against Royal Mail’s plans to destroy their national agreements and impose new contracts.

One worker told us, “This is not just a strike against the terms of the new contracts but against the attempt to destroy national agreements.”

At the moment Newcastle is an isolated case, but Royal Mail plans to impose the same local agreed contracts on offices throughout the North East if they can push them through in Newcastle.

The contracts demand more work with less pay. Like bosses everywhere they are trying to squeeze more out of fewer workers by speedups and pay cuts. It is proposed that the shift will start at 3.30am instead of 5.15am, overtime agreements will be abolished as will night duty allowances. Deliveries which are already overloaded will be increased for individual postal workers.

Other offices are not yet being balloted but the Team Valley sorting office which has already shown support is to be balloted.

The union is trying to keep the action local but it is important that all postal workers in the North East ensure a victory for the Newcastle strikers. Otherwise the new draconian conditions will be imposed throughout the area and national agreements torn up.

Linda Addison