Businesses angry at postal strike disruption

Businesses in Rochdale are angry at the disruption being caused by the postal strike.

Local solicitors Molesworths Bright Clegg (MBC) are a major postal user and have had only 6 items of post delivered today (Friday 30 October) - even though Rochdale is not on strike today.

Matters are likely to get worse as Rochdale is on a strike tomorrow.

John Kay, a consultant as MBC and a director of Rochdale Online, said: "I think the strike shows that the union has no understanding of running a business and the sooner the Conservatives win a General Election and can privatise the whole of Royal Mail the better."

Ted Stead Branch Secretary Oldham & Rochdale CWU said: “A form of words were given to Royal Mail reflecting the progress that had been made, i.e. areas that had been agreed for negotiation in future talks, with enough emphasis on the issues to call of the strikes this week. Royal Mail had all yesterday to respond and did not.

"Because the CWU are respecting the confidentiality of the talks we don’t know what the stumbling block/blocks are.

"The whole future of our members work life including, agreed modernisation, agreed fair work loads, agreed independent bodies to measure traffic volumes of mail/packets, the pension deficit, all form part of the negotiations.

"We want a complete reversal of the Royal Mail Management’s priorities, which are savings by cuts in full time working and the reduction year on year of hourage in offices, closures of mail centres, to be replaced by the criteria of a safe secure working environment, with a fair workload which produces a first class quality of service to the customer, then and only then with the advent of new machinery or working methods look at savings.”