London postal strike

“We’ve had the battle – now this is war!”

Postal workers in North and East London held a one-day strike on 29 September against the imposition of different start and finish times. Royal Mail wanted to begin a “trial” of the new hours there before they try to force them on postal workers nationally later in October.

Naomi Byron

The strike at the Burdett Road delivery office in East London was as solid as ever. The workers there are determined to see the strike action through – as one said: “If Royal Mail get their way it’ll destroy the postal service. My job won’t exist any more.”

Stickers have already gone up on post boxes in the area announcing that Sunday and bank holiday collections will soon stop.

Mick Rowell, the CWU rep, said: “East London has been targeted first. This strike is about everything that the national strike is about. Royal Mail want us to start later and finish later. But they can’t just change everyone’s hours of attendance without consulting people. People have arrangements like childcare that they can’t just change. We will be out again on the national strike next week. We’ve had the battle, now this is war.”