LONDON: Postal strike starts (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

LONDON: Postal strike starts

8:19am Friday 19th June 2009 in Redbridge News By Guardian-series

THOUSANDS of the capital's postal workers will strike today in a row over jobs and services.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said up to 8,000 members in London would walk out accusing Royal Mail of cuts which threatened modernisation and broke a national agreement.

Royal Mail said it had honoured existing modernisation agreements.

A spokesman urged the union to call off the 24-hour strikes, the first of which was started at 0530 BST.

Deputy general secretary of the CWU Dave Ward said: "We are now seeing cuts but not modernisation in the postal industry and there's only so long before this is going have a major impact on services.

"The CWU does not and has not blocked change. Once again we are seeing Royal Mail working against the union and failing to engage the workforce.

"The company is failing on the big picture. Machinery is not being brought in and deliveries have not been redesigned.

"We are offering Royal Mail and the Government a three month no-strike deal if they fulfil the agreement to engage the CWU over modernisation and move to get the company on a sound footing for the future."