Burslem postal workers strike again

DURING THE latest three days of strike action on 30, 31 March and 2 April, by postal workers at Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent, numbers on the picket line have grown and the mood is even more determined.

Andy Bentley, Stoke Socialist Party

In total, they have now taken 12 days' strike action to demand the reinstatement of sacked and victimised postal worker Dave Condliffe, wrongly accused of aggressive behaviour to a manager.

A mass meeting of angry postal workers from across North Staffordshire on 27 March called on the CWU leadership to organise a ballot for wider strike action. Stoke Socialist Party members have helped to produce and get out a leaflet calling for a 'yes' vote to all the depots locally.

This ballot needs to be agreed by the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) leadership and organised as soon as possible.

During the last three days of strike action, Royal Mail drafted in 150 managers to do the jobs of the 100 postal workers who were on strike. Many of these are members of Amicus. This is not the first time that this blatant act of strike-breaking has taken place and marks a dangerous feature of recent disputes.

Royal Mail should be told clearly by the CWU that if they try to use managers as scab labour in the next strike, then the union will spread strike action regionally and even nationally as this represents an attack on all postal workers.

These workers are taking legal industrial action in defence of one of their fellow workers which the management is trying to cut across by using their own ready-made scab workforce. If allowed to continue, this would prevent effective action being taken by any postal workers against an increasingly bullying management or in defence of jobs, pay, pensions or conditions.

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