GG supports the posties

[faceless]

Galloway blames post strike on Royal Mail ‘driving wages down’
22 October 2009
By Gemma Collins
eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

GEORGE Galloway has come out this-afternoon in support of the national postal strike, blaming Royal Mail for trying to drive down wages and cut jobs. The Respect party leader, whose Parliamentary constituency in London's East End is one of Britain's poorest, accused bosses of given themselves bonuses while the workforce has a pay freeze.

"The last people wanting a postal strike are the workers who are losing pay," said the Bethnal Green & Bow MP. "Of course it will massively inconvenience the public as well-I have constituents who are not receiving benefit cheques or correspondence from the Home Office and other Government departments. But I tell them the people to blame are Royal Mail and politicians who want to make an example of the postal workers to drive down wages, slash jobs and lay the ground for yet more privatisation." He added: "It's not only bankers paying themselves unjustified bonuses-Royal Mail bosses have given themselves £10 million in handouts."

The two-day strike began this-morning after several days of failed talks at Acas arbitration service. Hundreds of postal workers across East London joined pickets outside the East London regional mail centre in Bromley-by-Bow in their 17th walk-out in five months. They included workers at two delivery centres at Bethnal Green and Bow. The Communication Workers' union East London rep, Angie Mulcahy, said: "I cannot see the strikes stopping unless we get an agreement. The workload is unachievable." Royal Mail insists it is doing everything to reach agreement.

Meanwhile, the union is threatening legal action over 30,000 temporary workers being broiight in to clear the mail backlog at depots up and down the country.

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More power to the posties - the Royal Mail made almost £350m profit last year, so for them to treat the workers so badly is disgusting.

[Brown Sauce]

they want to sell it off. No buyers yet, but that would undoubtedly change if the folk were paid the minimum wage, with minimum rights. That's what mandleson's after.

[faceless]

ah right, I wasn't exactly sure of the details, but that makes sense. We got our post this afternoon as usual though, so maybe my local guy isn't in the union... that's him not getting his Christmas bonus then!

[Brown Sauce]

It's a guess, but I think a good one ..