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London's post strike chaos as Christmas gifts may be hit
Dick Murray, Transport Correspondent8 Oct 2009
London faces months of postal chaos as Royal Mail workers back a series of national strikes.
The move will cripple the Christmas post service and could mean millions of presents and cards are not delivered.
Unions were expected to announce the national walkout today after a ballot of 120,000 workers.
It comes after a series of localised strikes across the capital as the Communication Workers Union fights plans to cut services and jobs.
With 80 million items of post handled every day, a UK-wide strike would mean a massive and immediate backlog that will take months to clear.
Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, said today he is “very confident” the workforce will vote for strike action.
Royal Mail is seeking massive cost savings as its core parcel and letter business declines by 10 per cent a year — a loss of £170 million.
Today it suffered another blow as Amazon looked set to cancel a contract with Royal Mail worth £25 million, to deliver parcels weighing more than 500g (1.1lb). The online retailer will now use rival service Home Delivery Network.
An estimated 25 million letters and parcels are already piling up in sorting depots after the localised walk-outs and there are fears that the system will not be able to cope with the extra Christmas post.
Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail operations director, said: “A national strike is going to be damaging. It will hurt our customers.” But he said “intensive talks” are now taking place with the CWU and there was still an opportunity to avoid strike action.
“We have stopped our changes for this year,” he said. “We have had intensive talks during the last few days and we want to continue talking.”
More localised 24-hour strikes will take place tomorrow in Greenford, Nine Elms, Vauxhall East and other areas of north, south and east London.
Business leaders warned the UK walkout would mean “considerable” losses for many firms already suffering from the recession. Dr Helen Hill, policy director of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Those going on strike need to take on board that they are pushing vital customers into the hands of rival mail providers.”
Union bosses will hold off from naming any strike dates to allow talks to continue with Royal Mail this week.
A spokesman for Amazon denied the company had cancelled any long term contracts with Royal Mail but added with the possibility of strike action, they weren working on contingency measures with our other carriers to ensure they could continue to deliver to their customers.
Reader views (31)
I`m still waiting for an "ebay" package which is send on 2 october, The Netherlands isn`t that far away !!??
- Ivo, Hardegarijp, Netherlands, 14/10/2009 22:32
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although i am receiving all my letters on most days, i am still awaiting several small packets and parcels from over three weeks ago. and have not recieved 4 which were posted 5 days ago, all are ebay purchases, it seems that they are holding all such items back, why would they do this? also there seems to be 2 deliveries for the last 2 weeks in my area. iam in east london, are others also in this situation?
- Sara, East London, 12/10/2009 16:55
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Unions on strike, rubbish mounting up on the streets, the country is bankrupt ~ must be coming to the end of another of the Labour party's failed tenures.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/10/2009 08:55
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Thank god for Pay Pal and the internet communication. Who needs snail mail anymore anyhow? There are many private parcel carriers for my christmas presents.
Close the Post Office and do it all the modern way on the Web.
- Mike Tally, London UK., 09/10/2009 05:39
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When was the last time they held a strike when it wouldn't affect the average guy in the street too badly at the special times of the year? Hint - you'll need to think in negatives.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/10/2009 04:14
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Poor Pensioner - if there are plenty of people eager to earn a weekly pay packet
how come we have to employ so many foreigners whilst our lazy lot live off the
dole and benefits.
- Dee, london england, 08/10/2009 22:00
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Profit-seeking is the problem.
The postal service should be a public service.
The workers should get a decent wage, even if the stamp does go up a bit.
Better than it going up to £5 with private suppliers,
- Alex Mckenna, Woodford, 08/10/2009 20:47
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The Royal Mail is the last bastion of the old union "we are owed a living" philosophy & it represents the last sector where widescale union action has the power to hugely disrupt the UK.The Royal Mail delivery arm is also the last job where flexible hours allow "posties" to have 2 jobs or work & study.They are of course signing their own career death warrants but they are too pig headed to realize it.
- Dalstonblogger, London, 08/10/2009 19:27
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The unions have to go and so has the EEC rules until the French government get rid of their 82% holding in the EDF Power Company.
- Stan White, leeds, 08/10/2009 19:23
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Do these strikers realise the irreparable harm they are causing their own place of work? Businesses like Amazon.com and many others will find other firms to deliver their goods....thus this strike can only hasten the end of Royal Mail, loss of jobs, etc.
Yes, you can always seek higher pay, but not through striking. This is a case of shooting yourself in the leg.
- Sidney Marks, London, UK, 08/10/2009 19:13
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The news today said the strike was because of objections to "modernisation". True, but it puts the whole matter into context. Later they changed the word.
The more damage these idiots do the less the country needs them. Get them replaced as soon as possible by the unemployed.
- Michael, London, UK, 08/10/2009 19:06
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Adam Crozier messed up when he was at the FA, now he`s messing up the mail.By the way where is he. Not seen him on tv, or in the press. Is he on holiday?
- Malk, chingford, 08/10/2009 18:25
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Oh! Is that why I am still waiting for a package that was sent in May 2009, via UK post office. Silly me and here I was thinking it had been lost or stolen. (and it's not the first time) Which is why I have ordered that all my stuff be sent via UPS. Well done Britain keep up the good work.
- Jon Vickers, S.C.USA, 08/10/2009 17:28
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"If this bunch of scroungers does'nt want to work, sack them all"
The only ones who really deserve to be sacked are useless Lady Mandy of troughs and his mate, snake oil salesman Crozier.
Not only are these two slimy individuals been sitting on their hands while a great British institution is falling to pieces, but they are getting paid a great deal of taxpayers' cash for their crass incompetence.
And to those who want to privatise RM, just look at the energy suppliers cartel and the state of the railways.
- John Smith, Londonistan, EUSSR, 08/10/2009 17:23
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Here we go again, the simpletons follow the TV news, never mind that these people actually work for a living, just attack em. All done by idiots sitting at home, it always costs money when people kick up for a living wage, or many other things, but never when it's the fault of the well paid and pensioned people who are supposed to be running things, no wonder this country is in a state, and getting worse, judging by the comments on here.
- Baz Bazzan, London UK, 08/10/2009 16:47
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Here we go again, the simpletons follow the TV news, never mind that these people actually work for a living, just attack em. All done by idiots sitting at home, it always costs money when people kick up for a living wage, or many other things, but never when it's the fault of the well paid and pensioned people who are supposed to be running things, no wonder this country is in a state, and getting worse, judging by the comments on here.
- Baz Bazzan, London UK, 08/10/2009 16:46
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If this bunch of scroungers does'nt want to work, sack them all. There are plenty of unemployed folk who would jump at the chance of working for a weekly pay packet.
- Poor Pensioner, London/England, 08/10/2009 15:48
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I look forward to Royal Mail being privatised,and to the £2 stamp.
- Eric Bishop, London, 08/10/2009 15:26
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"London's post strike chaos as Christmas gifts may be hit" - Ummmmm, wasn't that the whole idea in the first place? Cause as much chaos as possible at a sensitive time in the seasonal calendar so they can wring hurried concessions out of the employer?
They aren't "withdrawing their labour" - they are targetting the end-user to force the employer to give in. The only people affected by it all are the people waiting for their mail.
- Rogan, Irving, 08/10/2009 15:16
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We will now pay our suppliers electronically for the first time. Not quite as big as amazon, but.....
- Alan, carlisle uk, 08/10/2009 14:50
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The EUromonster has decreed that Royal Mail must be broken up to comply with EU competition rules (i.e. the rules that mean that French and German utilities must be allowed to take over those in other EU countries). Gormless McBroon has given his solemn promise to Jose Manuel Barosso, de facto President of Britain, that he will comply with his master's wishes.
So, get real folks! NuLiebour don't give a stuff about our postal services or our postal workers. The postal unions are playing right into our Britain-hating government's hands!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 08/10/2009 13:22
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I worked for Royal Mail for 40 years. I am glad I am no longer there.
- Phil George, Castro Marim Portugal, 08/10/2009 13:20
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I bet that famous 'old postie' Alan Johnson is keeping his head down. Another ex-postie trade union waster with no brains and he is actually being touted around as a possible PM !!!
- Nick Holland, glasgow, 08/10/2009 12:23
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From what I see around me not too many people in London recognise this annual farce anyway.
- Steve, London, 08/10/2009 11:27
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The postal services management team should indeed be sent home permanently and a team put in capable of managing industrial relations.
In the meantime many of us will be supporting the CWU.
- David Holland, London UK, 08/10/2009 11:24
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I will support the privatisation of Royal Mail,if the private company taking over the business,will guarantee that they will continue door to door deliveries,especially to the most remote hamlets in the north of Scotland,and at the current cost of a letter 32p,and not make us travel miles to a central pickup point,after all,we all of us know how well the other privatised companies work.
- Brian Chapman, Kinlochbervie Scotland, 08/10/2009 11:15
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The means of the betterment of the English nation lie in the hands of the postie!
There are tens of thousands of small postal based business in England that rely on the next three months to sell abroad and within the UK. Of these tens of thousands of businesses some, maybe just ten thousand will employ other people eventually, perhaps the sons and daughters of striking postmen. The problem is that with out the facilities to deliver small packets and yet not enough turnover to justify a courier contract these rising stars will be snuffed out like a lighted candle if the deliveries are not made.
Now I have no doubt that postman have a genuine grievance and almost certainly are entitled to take strike action, but I would ask the following, is it right to kill one of the means of future employment. Can you make your point a better way without affecting the public an small business ie not processing income form bulk advertising or refusing to take that bulk advertising. Can you make a valid point without upsetting the majority of your strongest supporters for keeping your business running.
Think hard, think carefully, think that your strength lies in public support and think how you can make your point without disrupting your great service to your supporters.
- James, City of London, 08/10/2009 11:04
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The loss of the Amazon contract is only the beginning. Next stop is the likes of Asos, Play.com and pretty much all online retailers.
Is my post missing? Is it lost? is it stolen? is it delayed? if this action continues (as my company loses 000's through missing cheques) then Royal Mail will indeed collapse and its financial black hole will only get bigger leading to the inevitable job losses the CWU is seeking to avoid.
Its stupid and something needs to be done ASAP as the situation is getting critical.
- Alan, London, 08/10/2009 10:40
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this is the damage unions can cause. get rid of them. Needing to provide better service and the need for the bst staff to do that is what will give employees bettter wages. Unions only cause long-term damage. Ban them
- Mek, London, 08/10/2009 10:30
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The CWU are doing a good job for the next Government as they won't have to privatise the Post Office as it will collapse completely within the next year if the CWU leaders don't engage their brains before acting.
I'm already having most of my parcels delivered by private company's with excellent delivery times.
- Mike M, Bedford England, 08/10/2009 09:32
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When will these twerps realise that they are just going to find themselves sitting at home permanently?
- Paul, London, 08/10/2009 09:25
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