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London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
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Public warned not to send mail for a week as postal strike begins
Last updated at 12:52pm on 04.10.07
Postal strikes will badly disrupt services for a week
Up to 130,000 postal workers across the country were walking out today for what is effectively six days of strike action.
It means mail posted yesterday and this morning is unlikely to be delivered before Thursday of next week.
Leaders of the Communication Workers Union stepped up their action in a long-running dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.
The strike was due to begin at noon for 48 hours, until the same time on Saturday.
A second 48-hour walkout will begin at 3am on Monday until the same time next Wednesday.
Then, from the following Monday, 15 October, there will be a rolling programme of strikes every week until the dispute is settled.
Dave Ward, the union's general secretary, described the strikes as a "proportionate response to an employer that is completely out of control".
It threatens to cost London's business tens of millions of pounds a day and cause distress for millions more private individuals as bills will go unpaid and benefits won't be received.
Royal Mail stopped short of sealing letter boxes but appealed to customers not to post during strike days.
Post Office branches, however, will remain open.
A spokesman said the strike would have a "significant impactî on deliveries both during the stoppage and after in clearing the backlog.
He also warned the customer helpline - 08457 950950 - would be very busy and asked people to be patient. Emphasis would be given to protect "vulnerable" people, such as those who depend on the service for pensions and other payments, he added.
Millie Banerjee, chairwoman of Postwatch, the consumer watchdog, said: "It is hugely disappointing to watch a great British institution tear itself apart."
Natalie Evans, head of policy at the British Chamber of Commerce, said: "The strike is helping neither customers, staff,nor the strategic aims of the organisation.
"All it is likely to achieve is the continued demise of Royal Mail."
The company is planning huge changes in how it conducts its business with £350 million in cost cuts.
This will include halving the number of collections from post boxes.
In busy areas, particularly London, collections could be cut from an average of four a day to two - and in some other areas to a single collection.
Many weekend and night shifts could cease, meaning post put in the boxes on Friday will be left there until Monday and will not arrive until the Tuesday.
The CWU, which fears up to 40,000 job losses through planned modernisation, branded the moves a "cost-cutting frenzy".
Union chiefs have accused Royal Mail of conducting a "slash and burn" approach to pay and conditions.
Postal workers have staged four strikes after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer.
Reader views (13)
The service from Royal Mail has been so poor over the last few years recent strikes have not been noticed. I am sure I am not the only one to suffer stolen mail and letters taking weeks to arrive. Why don't they just let someone else have a go at doing a good job of meeting the customers' needs. These people can't expect more money for a service which is getting worse not better.
- Mark Keatley, Birmingham
Forget Christmas cards better get the Valentine cards off now. No excuses!
- Steve Evans, Malta
It is now time to allow any company to deliver the post. Royal Mail are incompetent - when they do bother to work our letters are frequently delivered to the wrong address or go missing.
- Lionel Sinclair , Acton
Some unions have learned nothing from the expeprience of the National Union of Mineworkers. Outdated practices, no concern for the customers = alternatives are found and the unions suddenly have no jobs to strike about!
- Roy G, Solihull, England
The post in my area is so bad I don't even notice a strike!
- Stuart, UK
These days Royal Mail is neither an essential service or a monopoly.
Hence I find it incredible that postmen can actually afford to take strike action and hence lose day after day, if not weeks of wages...and that management are obviously fiddling, while Rome burns!
Come on children --this is 2007!
- William Grierson, Kimpton, UK
Like turkeys voting for Christmas, the workers are hastening Royal Mail's end. I hope they enjoy their days off. They'll be enjoying quite a few more when Royal Mail is torn apart by the super-efficient postal operators under full competition. Many of us will breathe a sigh of relief when the unions' decades-old grip on our postal service is broken.
- Mark, London, UK
"I wonder if union bosses would be so quick to call a strike if it affected their wage" - unions ballot their members on strike action, and only strike if the required majority back it. Workers on strike are NOT paid for strike days -so it does affect their wage!
- Caroline, London
I believe the postal system is a cornerstone of civil society and thus should not be privatised.
The current transitional stage to privitisation has obviously led to widespread demoralisation of the workforce - I personally receive at least 10 letters addressed to other people every week, and who knows how many of my letters end up getting lost or binned through wrong delivery.
- Nick, London
This is not purely Royal Mail Staff V Royal Mail Bosses. This is a classic example of a management so out of touch with the workers rights. Since the new management came in the mail service has continued to decline, i would say however strike is not, and never will be the answer, i wonder if union bosses would be so quick to call strike if it affected their wage, unlikely. Royal Mail has had a monopoly on postal services in Britain for over a hundred years, and still somehow managed to blow it. The only ones who will benefit here are outside delivery agencies, and the management, who will get a nice little payment when,, not if, but when Royal Mail ceases to be.
- Scott Lamont, Glasgow
This is not purely Royal Mail staff V Royal Mail bosses. This is a classic example of a management so out of touch with the workers rights. Since the new management came in the mail service has continued to decline, I would say however strike is not, and never will be the answer. I wonder if union bosses would be so quick to call a strike if it affected their wage, unlikely. Royal Mail has had a monopoly on postal services in Britain for over a hundred years, and still somehow managed to blow it. The only ones who will benefit here are outside delivery agencies, and the management, who will get a nice little payment when, not if, but when Royal Mail ceases to be.
- Scott Lamont, Glasgow
Come on, let's just ditch the Royal Mail. The workers obviously don't want to work there having already lost 40% of their business via 1 contract and now they seem to believe that they deserve more than a pay rise in line with inflation rather than receiving none at all. The sooner we can ditch them the sooner we'll have an efficient mail system.
- Terry Roll, London
So we're returning to the Callaghan days of the late 1970s, where the big unions ran the country. Predictable with Brown as Prime Minister. What a laugh that he should position himself as successor to Margaret Thatcher!
- Phil Jones, London, UK
