POSTAL STRIKE: We don't want to be doing this, says union (From Oxford Mail)

POSTAL STRIKE: We don't want to be doing this, says union

10:42am Thursday 11th December 2008 in

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Hundreds of postmen in Oxford are planning a strike on their busiest day in the run up to Christmas – disrupting about three million items.

Bob Cullen, area processing representative for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), confirmed up to 360 workers would strike on Monday over the planned closure of the mail centre in Garsington Road, Cowley.

Last night, Royal Mail said it would look at “contingency arrangements” to make sure Christmas cards arrived on time.

In May, the Oxford Mail revealed Oxfordshire had the fourth worst postal service in the country, with just 80.6 per cent of first class mail delivered the next day.

'No-one wants to be out at Christmas. There is nothing our members enjoy more than sorting Christmas cards because you know every item is wanted'

Union members are battling a plan to close the centre, and move to Swindon, but customers said the timing of the strike was “appalling”.

Mr Cullen said December 15 was the centre’s busiest day of the year, dealing with about three million items of post.

He added: “No-one wants to be out at Christmas. There is nothing our members enjoy more than sorting Christmas cards because you know every item is wanted by the home.

“There is still plenty of time to pull back that mail and make sure everyone gets their presents and cards in time for Christmas.”

Mr Cullen said CWU union members from the centre voted three to one to strike on Wednesday.

If the strike goes ahead, it will be the 16th day of action in 18 months. Other mail centre workers in Bolton, Coventry, Crewe, Liverpool, Milton Keynes and Stockport, will also strike next week if union bosses fail to come to an agreement with Royal Mail about closures.

Royal Mail plans to shut the Cowley centre, which employs 430 people, in June.

Post would then be sorted in Swindon.

Mr Cullen said: “The strike is a demonstration of our feelings to the Government and to the Royal Mail.”

He added workers had become increasingly worried that if they lost their jobs they would have to compete with laid-off agency workers from the nearby BMW plant for a small number of manual jobs in Oxford.

Mr Cullen also said no other Royal Mail offices in Oxfordshire would be affected by the strike.

One long standing postal worker – who declined to be named – said: “The workers are pretty angry. It is a big move to make. We are desperate to have anybody listen to us.”

Customers have been left furious by the move.

Richard Groves, chairman of Jericho lingerie company Silk Cocoon, uses Royal Mail to send out orders.

He said: “What can we do? We are stuffed every time. If you want to buy something on the Web and you know there is a strike you are going to think twice.”

Lorraine French, of Cratlands Close, Stadhampton, could not pick up a book vital to her childcare degree when staff shortages caused the closure of a Royal Mail office, in Ledgers Close, in September.

She said: “I think the timing is appalling.

“It is the busiest time of the year and the backlog will be horrendous.

“Once again it is the public that suffers.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are clearly disappointed that the union has chosen to take action, particularly at this busy time.

“We are currently examining what contingency arrangements we can make to minimise the impact.”

The spokesman said customers should post first class mail by December 20 and second class mail by next Thursday, to ensure items reached their destinations by Christmas Day.

ghamilton@oxfordmail.co.uk