Bristol hit by postal strike
Thousands of postal workers will launch fresh strikes this week as industrial relations continue to worsen ahead of a national ballot for action. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in Bristol will walk out throughout the coming week in a long-running row over jobs, pay and services.
The union has accused Royal Mail of cutting pay and jobs – leading to worse services – without agreement, in breach of a deal which ended the last national strike two years ago. The company has denied the claims and maintains that the union is going back on an agreement to modernise the service.
The CWU is planning to ballot all its postal members next month for a national strike following several weeks of localised action.
The series of 24-hour strikes this week will hit Coventry, Leamington Spa, Nottingham, Stoke on Trent and London from Monday; Birmingham, Coventry, London, Essex, Peterborough, Bristol and Leeds on Wednesday; Peterborough on Thursday and Friday; and Boston and Carrick Fergus on Saturday.
The strikes in Nottingham, Leeds and Carrick Fergus will be the first in these areas since the 2007 national dispute.
