Posted by Vegetable Man
on October 31, 2009, 1:21 pm
Data workers join postal battle
Friday 30 October 2009
by John Milllington
The Communication Workers Union intensified pressure on Royal Mail with strikes at three manual data entry centres (MDECs) around the country.
Around 400 workers at Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke formed picket lines as part of rolling strike action by CWU members in the escalating postal service dispute.
Specialised data entry staff, who deal with all the mail that can not be read by automated scanner devices, downed tools to keep the backlog of mail in place as postal workers returned to work.
CWU south Wales and South West divisional rep Chris Webb said that millions of parcels would not be sorted due to the walkout.
Reporting from the Plymouth picket line, Mr Webb said that managers attempting to intimidate striking staff had "slithered away" when faced with a huge picket.
"There were 35 of our members on the picket line. Morale is really high," he said.
Mr Webb also highlighted several cases of bullying and harassment in addition to the "de-unionising tactics of local managers."
But he also said that trying to keep MDECs separate from main Royal Mail depots had proved "self-defeating.
"Royal Mail has put MDECs away from main sorting centres in a bid to bring in part-time, casualised staff.
"But this has led to a situation where only people in that building know what goes on in the job.
"This means managers outside do not know how MDECs work and will therefore not be able to break the strike."
CWU Midlands No 7 branch secretary Andy Plant said that MDECs in Stoke had been similarly separated from mail depots.
"But with these highly skilled members out on strike, it will hit the business hard," he said.
CWU north-west central branch secretary Dave Kennedy said that striking MDEC workers had received messages of solidarity from local NASUWT and NUT unions as well Stockport TUC.
Mr Kennedy criticised managers who had tried to intimidate workers on the picket line.
"Because our MDEC facility is a floor in a building that is not owned by Royal Mail, the managers were able to stand the other side of the gates to our picket."
But Mr Kennedy said that striking staff remained "jovial and noisy" throughout, with passers-by offering support.
"We are a main road so our members can be seen easily by the passing public," he added.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/Data-workers-join-postal-battle
Responses: