UK News - U.K. postal union to begin national strike

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U.K. postal union to begin national strike

LONDON (UPI) -- Postal workers throughout Britain have called a nationwide strike after contract talks broke down, Sky News reported.

The Communication Workers Union planned to go on strike against the Royal Mail Thursday and Friday. The walkout stems from disagreements over pay, conditions and modernization such as automated letter-sorting equipment that the union says could diminish job security.

"We genuinely believe we have no alternative other than to stand up for the U.K. postal services" by going on strike, said Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary, The Guardian reported.

The 120,000-member union said 42,000 mail center staff and drivers would begin picketing at 4 a.m. Thursday and about 78,000 delivery and collection staff would walk out Friday.

The union claimed an agreement had been reached after 30 hours of negotiations but that Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, had worked with Royal Mail's top executives to undermine the talks. An aide to Lord Mandelson called that assertion "frankly ridiculous and over the top."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown labeled the strike "counterproductive."

"It's in nobody's interest that this strike goes ahead," he said.

Royal Mail said it is bringing on 30,000 temporary workers, which prompted a threat of legal action from the union.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 10/22/2009

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