Around 5,400 postal workers walked out in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool yesterday in the face of management provocations.
Glasgow Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) officials yesterday said they will be holding mass meetings this morning after 4,000 postal workers walked out on unofficial strike after being taken off pay for refusing to cross picket lines.
Glasgow and District CWU Amal branch secretary Jim Mckechnie said: ‘We met with management this morning.
‘We put proposals to them to seek a resolution and they’ve gone away to consider them.
‘We hope to meet again later today.
‘Meanwhile we have 4,000 members out in Glasgow, others are out in Edinburgh and also Liverpool.
‘It could escalate nationally.
‘We are hopeful there will be a resolution and are calling a mass meeting in central Glasgow tomorrow morning.’
National Officer Phil Browne added: ‘It seems to be spreading.
‘What has come to light is that members not crossing picket lines had their pay stopped.
‘Management are not doing it to everyone, it seems to be selective.
‘We’ve had instances locally when people have not crossed picket lines and no action at all has been taken against them.’
In Edinburgh, CWU Area Delivery Rep. Kenny Logan said: ‘Edinburgh Mail Centre walked out at 10.30am today regarding the suspension of four members’ pay who refused to handle scab mail.
‘At this time 200 have walked out in support of their colleagues.
‘We have a total of 900 members and we’re expecting them all out by tonight.
‘We’re waiting on management calling in union officials for negotiations.
‘At the moment there has been no approach by local management in Edinburgh.’
In Liverpool Mail Centre, CWU Merseyside Amal acting branch secretary Ray Lucas confirmed that approximately 500 members had walked out.
He said: ‘Management loaded a 40-foot articulated lorry from Warrington Regional Distribution Centre and expected it to be unloaded by Liverpool distribution platform staff.
‘The staff refused and were taken off pay.
‘They then asked the distribution drivers to handle the mail, and the same thing happened.
‘The processing staff walked off the floor and went into the canteen.’
Lucas said Liverpool Mail Centre workers will be reporting back to work this morning and are expecting to be asked to take mail to delivery offices in the area.
As the delivery office will be on strike he expects members will refuse to cross picket lines.
Meanwhile, the national CWU Postal Executive was meeting yesterday afternoon to decide on the next stage of the strike action.
But the CWU said it would not be issuing a press statement until this morning.
The CWU executive is due at Acas today for talks.
Meanwhile the rolling strike action continues with delivery offices out from 3am this morning until 3am Friday morning.
Airports (postal workers loading and unloading planes) stop work for 24 hours at 7pm tonight and bulk mail offices will be on another 24-hour strike starting Saturday at 3am.
The International Heathrow Distribution Centre at Langley, near Slough is due out for 24 hours from 7pm Monday, and bulk mail drivers for 24 hours from 12noon on Tuesday.
