19:
54:
Royal Mail claimed that flexibility is vital to the business, and that it was entirely reasonable for employees normally employed in one capacity to cover other roles as required to cope with variations in the work levels in each area. The company was also adamant that increased automation (and fewer
245:
On 10 October CWU members in London and
Liverpool started an unofficial strike in response to changes in flexible working that meant they would have to start at 6am and finish not before 2.15pm. It was reported that all of South West London is out, East London, Peterborough, Walsall and Manchester
259:
Royal Mail drafted in managers from non-operational roles to attempt to keep some mail moving through the system, and offered opportunities for those CWU members who wish to work to do so at other offices to avoid conflict with striking colleagues, but the strike still had a major impact on the
41:
The dispute centred on 'modernisation plans' which Royal Mail said were required to remain competitive, however the CWU believed that these might have led to around 40,000 job losses. Additionally there were disputes surrounding flexible working hours, pay rises and
216:
banning the scheduled strikes starting on 15 and 16 October. The union responded by issuing a suspension of the strikes. In addition, the planned actions in
Airports and Separate Collection Hubs were withdrawn because of the small numbers
238:) following the suspension of postal worker, Dave Condliffe, in relation to allegations of aggressive behaviour towards two managers. Wildcat strikes took place earlier in the year with support from the local branch of the
249:
On 12 October, staff in
Edinburgh and Grangemouth walked out in unofficial action in reaction to Royal Mail's decision to deduct pay for both the previous weeks walkout and that weeks walkout from a single pay packet
134:
On 7 June 2007 the union's postal members voted by 77.5% in favour of industrial action after a 2.5% pay rise coupled with £350million every year for five years (totaling £1.5 billion) of cuts was offered.
67:
The CWU accused Royal Mail of treating its employees as slaves, and regarded a level of flexibility which would have seen employees doing different jobs on a daily basis as unacceptable.
352:
95:
Public opinion was divided, with some strongly in support of the Postal
Workers, and others supporting Royal Mail and condemning the disruption caused by the strikes.
326:
220:
On the evening of 12 October, Royal Mail and the CWU reached an agreement which was discussed by the union executive on 15–16 October and endorsed by 9 votes to 5.
161:
In between these dates was a Sunday so no deliveries took place between the Friday and
Tuesday, but resumed on Wednesday with a large backlog of undelivered mail.
528:
189:
On 12 October, Royal Mail challenged the legality of the next phase of the planned action, claiming that the notice of the strike had been improperly issued.
476:
708:
274:
269:
703:
383:
360:
650:
612:
590:
498:
450:
420:
303:
723:
713:
279:
239:
175:
183:
79:
maintained its stance that this was a matter for Royal Mail and the union to sort out. However, in early
October
330:
140:
The action then progressed to a series of rolling strikes designed to cause as much disruption as possible.
672:
55:
employees) were necessary to bring costs under control. The unions were accused of retaining numerous
718:
116:
10–11 October 2007 - All CWU union members return to work, however wildcat strikes continue in
83:
called on the CWU to reach an agreement on the terms offered, a move that was condemned by the
213:
179:
167:
158:
These took place on Friday 5 and
Saturday 6 October, and then Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 October.
84:
472:
75:
The CWU called on the government to "intervene in a positive way". Until early
October, the
137:
They took their first one-day strike on Friday 29 June 2007, and the second on 12/13 July.
18:
212:
In late afternoon 12 October, Royal Mail succeeded in obtaining an injunction at London's
8:
387:
56:
642:
620:
582:
556:
506:
442:
412:
299:
166:
On 6 October 2007 a march of over 100 postal workers supported by local groups of
235:
146:
76:
186:
deputy branch secretary, Mick Pender, and
Socialist Party member Andy Bentley.
697:
80:
171:
152:
These negotiations failed and industrial action began again on 5 October.
23:
117:
416:
207:
Thursday 18 October from 2pm at
Heathrow world distribution centre.
231:
178:
took place in Stoke on Trent, stretching 2 miles from Burslem to
43:
195:
Monday 15 October from 6pm at Mail sorting offices and airports
121:
204:
Thursday 18 October from midday for Manual data entry centres
198:
Tuesday 16 October from 3am at Deliveries and collection hubs
145:
On 9 August strikes were called off when Royal Mail chairman
182:. A rally at the end featured many speakers including local
149:
and CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes began secret talks.
201:
Wednesday 17 October from midday for Royal Mail drivers
155:
This time two national strikes of 48 hours were called.
613:"Injunction outlawing new wave of scheduled strikes"
473:"Vote 'yes' and strike against Royal Mail attacks!"
695:
407:
405:
402:
327:"The 'Spanish practices' at heart of dispute"
673:"Striking Postal Workers Need Your Support"
113:8–9 October 2007 - Business-wide CWU strike
110:4–5 October 2007 - Business-wide CWU strike
551:
549:
329:. London: Daily Telegraph. Archived from
275:1988 United Kingdom postal workers strike
270:1971 United Kingdom postal workers strike
246:also were involved in unofficial action.
107:12–13 July 2007 - Second set of strikes
17:
546:
696:
254:
70:
49:
709:Labour disputes in the United Kingdom
174:closures and the local branch of the
653:from the original on 14 October 2007
593:from the original on 11 October 2007
423:from the original on 13 October 2007
325:Hope, Christopher (9 October 2007).
324:
306:from the original on 11 October 2007
170:members, a pensioners group against
22:Notice about the postal strike on a
443:"Postal workers back strike action"
413:"Wildcat strikes plague Royal Mail"
300:"Post union unveils strike details"
280:2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes
31:2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes
13:
557:"Postal strike row heads to court"
529:"Postal Workers March & Rally"
192:24 hour strikes were planned for;
14:
735:
643:"Royal Mail and union reach deal"
583:"War of words amid postal strike"
453:from the original on 28 June 2007
479:from the original on 6 July 2007
230:Industrial action took place in
59:which prevent flexible working.
704:2007 labor disputes and strikes
665:
635:
605:
575:
381:
302:. BBC News. 28 September 2007.
224:
98:
62:
521:
491:
465:
435:
375:
345:
318:
292:
90:
1:
285:
128:
36:
7:
724:Royal Mail labour relations
263:
104:29 June 2007 - First strike
10:
740:
714:2007 in the United Kingdom
499:"Postal Strikes Suspended"
384:"Postal Strike Goes Ahead"
353:"Have your say responses"
26:
533:Stoke Socialist Party
21:
649:. 13 October 2007.
509:on 17 November 2007
419:. 10 October 2007.
255:Royal Mail response
71:Government position
50:Royal Mail position
623:on 13 October 2007
589:. 9 October 2007.
333:on 12 October 2007
27:
563:. 13 October 2007
475:. Workers Power.
57:Spanish practices
731:
688:
687:
685:
683:
669:
663:
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619:. Archived from
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573:
572:
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568:
553:
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543:
541:
539:
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519:
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505:. Archived from
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489:
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469:
463:
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439:
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432:
430:
428:
409:
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386:. Archived from
379:
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368:
359:. Archived from
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316:
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313:
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296:
739:
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734:
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449:. 7 June 2007.
441:
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403:
393:
391:
390:on 15 July 2007
380:
376:
366:
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363:on 17 July 2011
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350:
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336:
334:
323:
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309:
307:
298:
297:
293:
288:
266:
257:
240:Socialist Party
227:
176:Socialist Party
131:
101:
93:
73:
65:
52:
39:
12:
11:
5:
737:
727:
726:
721:
719:Postal strikes
716:
711:
706:
690:
689:
664:
634:
604:
574:
545:
520:
490:
464:
434:
401:
374:
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317:
290:
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284:
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236:Stoke on Trent
226:
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164:
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147:Allan Leighton
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51:
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38:
35:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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389:
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305:
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58:
47:
45:
34:
32:
25:
20:
16:
680:. Retrieved
676:
667:
655:. Retrieved
646:
637:
625:. Retrieved
621:the original
616:
607:
595:. Retrieved
586:
577:
565:. Retrieved
560:
536:. Retrieved
532:
523:
511:. Retrieved
507:the original
502:
493:
481:. Retrieved
467:
455:. Retrieved
446:
437:
425:. Retrieved
392:. Retrieved
388:the original
377:
365:. Retrieved
361:the original
356:
347:
335:. Retrieved
331:the original
320:
308:. Retrieved
294:
258:
225:Local issues
99:Strike dates
94:
81:Gordon Brown
74:
66:
63:CWU position
53:
40:
30:
28:
15:
260:operation.
172:Post Office
91:Public view
698:Categories
682:11 October
657:15 October
627:14 October
597:10 October
567:12 October
538:10 October
513:15 October
427:10 October
367:15 October
310:10 October
286:References
214:High Court
129:Key events
77:government
37:Background
24:pillar box
677:Indymedia
617:CWU press
217:involved.
118:Liverpool
651:Archived
647:BBC News
591:Archived
561:BBC News
503:CWU News
477:Archived
451:Archived
421:Archived
417:BBC News
357:BBC News
337:22 April
304:Archived
264:See also
44:pensions
483:11 June
457:11 June
232:Burslem
394:23 May
180:Hanley
122:London
382:CWU.
684:2007
659:2007
629:2007
599:2007
569:2007
540:2007
515:2007
485:2007
459:2007
429:2007
396:2008
369:2007
339:2010
312:2007
120:and
29:The
587:BBC
447:BBC
184:CWU
168:TUC
85:TUC
700::
675:.
645:.
615:.
585:.
559:.
548:^
531:.
501:.
445:.
415:.
404:^
355:.
87:.
46:.
33:.
686:.
661:.
631:.
601:.
571:.
542:.
517:.
487:.
461:.
431:.
398:.
371:.
341:.
314:.
242:.
234:(
124:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
