[A-List] UK labour militancy: postal workers

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

1.30pm update
Postal workers vote to strike

Staff and agencies
Thursday November 14, 2002
The Guardian

Postal workers today voted overwhelmingly in favour of going to strike over
the proposed sale of the Royal Mail's cash handling business.

Members of the Communication Workers Union backed industrial action by 95%
and could stage walkouts within weeks.

The CWU general secretary, Billy Hayes, said: "This is as clear a mandate as
anyone could receive."

The union is protesting over the proposed sale of the business to Securicor,
which it says will not guarantee pensions, employment conditions or other
hard won terms and conditions.

"Our members would have to accept that their livelihoods are put on the line
because of a business decision which we consider to be essentially wrong,"
Mr Hayes said.

The CWU said it could not tolerate a situation where workers were "treated
like cheap furniture".

The union, which balloted 3,000 workers, will meet next week to consider
setting strike dates.

Mr Hayes warned that industrial action could mean that post offices would be
"starved" of cash and would not be able to provide a service.

The strike ballot comes as firefighters prepare to enter the second day of a
48-hour strike over pay and university and college staff in the capital are
striking for an improved London weighting.

About 500 Magistrates court clerks, ushers and administration staff in the
west Midlands walked out this week in the first strike since the courts were
set up by Richard I in 1195.