Oxford posties walk out

Well done to the Oxford postal workers.They have recognised managements aim to break their union.The must now expect the wrath of triumvirate reactionary elements ie thier management, the New Labour Party,and the media.The must now organise and agitate the rest of the postal service to obtain their support.However the going will be very tough but from small acorns large oak trees grow.Their is a growing tide of worker anger growing in the UK and this must be 'tapped' if the posties are to win.

so the union goes on strike, hence no mail. Government removes Royal Mail monopoly, mail services resume, Royal Mail lays off thousands of posties to try to compete. Makes sense, really.

Worker solidarity realy can work.Governments are supposed to be appointed by the people they are not their just for the advancment of the corporate classes.Just keep the status quo sceptic and society will never move on and improve.The tide is slowly begining to change.

I agree with Dave and the Oxford posties that the PO management must not be allowed to use the narrow NO vote to break the union. Oxford postal workers have won strikes in the recent past, and I'd like to ask for all readers to express their solidarity. It would be very interesting if someone could post to say clearly what the management is threatening. This was generally left out of the mainstream media crowing about the so-called "realism" of the NO vote. And please tell us what we can practically do to support your action. Stay strong! You are not alone!

Oxford postal workers walked out on unofficial strike at 5pm on Friday 18th. The reason for the walk out was the agressive tone taken by post office chief executive Allan Leighton who appears to going on the offensive after postal workers narrowly voted against taking strike action over pay earlier in the week. Leighton has argued that ‘the world has changed’ after the no vote and that ‘the world will change again’ if London postal workers follow through on their clear yes vote to strike over London Weighting. Leighton is sending a clear signal that he intends to use the marginal no vote to smash the Union.

Post workers in Oxford get a take home pay of £220 in a town where a semi-detached house costs £200,000 and despite the fact that the UK mail section of Royal Mail made £66 million in profit last year.

Oxford SA supporters were down on the picket lines on Friday night. Van after van was successfully turned away, with the mood determined. The Oxford postal workers intend to stay out until Monday when they will hold a meeting to discuss the way forward.
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NB The above is copied from the oxford SA website. SA is a political party, so some
parts of the above should (I think) be taken with a tiny pinch of salt. ;)

Taking a decision to go on strike is a scary and brave thing to do. You may lose your job, your family might not have enough money to get by, its cold and boring on the picket line. But sometimes you just have to stick up for yourself!

Luv and solidarity to all the workers.

If their conditions, pay and bosses are shit then striking is one option available to them, but how can they expect any support when they have not publicised why they are striking and what they want to get out of it - not everyone reads Indymedia.
I think if they are going to put people to the inconvenience of seriously delayed post (which is not funny when you are trying to send and receive job application forms!) they should explain why they are doing it properly. This strike appears to be badly organised and probably won't do them any good if public support is behind the boss. A wildcat strike requires alot more planning and thinking than they seem to have anticipated.

I for one am glad the posties are striking, if only because it means that I don't have to open and distribute the incoming mail every day at work!

Seriously though, do those who are posting comments critical of the strike really think that, had the workers not gone on strike, the government would say 'those postal workers are so nice, let's reward their good behaviour by keeping the mail in the public sector'? Of course not - the attempt to intimidate the union goes hand-in-hand with attempts to turn the Royal Mail into a for-profit business. If the union can win this one, they're better placed to win the future battles over privatisation, and they'll have struck a blow for all public-sector workers.

Mike