‘The phone call from Gordon Brown is not going to happen. That is why it is so important we step up the action and that other unions get on board,’ Mark Dolan, North London Branch Area Rep said on the Islington postal workers picket line yesterday.
Postal workers in London hit back yesterday at Prime Minister Brown’s attack on their strike and on their union.
Dolan added: ‘The strike is very solid. The resolve is strong and getting stronger.
‘It’s disgraceful, but not surprising that Brown is attacking us.
‘It’s clear we aren’t going to settle this dispute just industrially, it’s political as well.
‘We need a national public sector strike to take on the government.’
Fellow CWU member Anthony Walsh said: ‘We’ve got to win otherwise there won’t be any more jobs if we don’t. Those that do exist will not be worth doing under this new regime.
‘We struggle five or six days a week while the Royal Mail chief only works one day a week and gets £15,000 a week for that. He wants our jobs to be flexible with no one knowing what they are doing from day to day.
‘There has to be an all out strike. That is the only way we are going to win and other unions should definitely come out too. Brown doesn’t care. He hasn’t even been elected.
‘How can you have a Prime Minister who hasn’t been elected. Workers should form their own government and elect someone who can do the job properly.’
Communication Workers Union (CWU) member Tom Wade, from N6 delivery office, told News line: ‘Brown shows utter contempt for the people who put him in office.
‘He wants postmen and women to work for nothing. It is part of the modernisation. They want us to work plus-or-minus two hours.
‘Everyone, bus drivers, dustmen, railway workers are all under attack. These are the people who keep the country going.
‘We need a national day of strike action stopping everything. There is only so much you can take.’
At the N7 delivery office in Holloway, cwu member June Garde said: ‘I can’t see how anybody can come into work not knowing what duties they are doing, what office they are in – being pushed from pillar to post.
‘We’ve go to win this. We have to escalate the strike. Brown in not budging.
‘We need to take indefinite strike action to win. Other unions should come out with us.’
At Islington delivery office, CWU Rep Dave Edwards told News Line: ‘The strike is solid.
‘Everybody is still up for it. They all want their jobs and pensions and recognition of the trade unions for the working class in the work place.
‘Our understanding is Royal Mail management are out to smash the union, and we are not having it.
‘We are standing behind the national union. The public sector should have a national day of strike action to take on Brown and his right-wing policies.’
At Hampstead delivery office, North West London CWU Branch Area Rep, Tony Davis, said: ‘The CWU are fighting for their pensions and terms and conditions and the very right to have a union.
‘It seems to a lot of our members that we are the only trade union that is prepared to stand up and fight for the public service.
‘But our members are rock solid and will continue this struggle until we get a fair deal.’
At Chiswick Delivery Office, CWU Rep Peter Howard said: ‘The best thing that could happen is for all civil servants, all communication workers and RMT workers to come out – something like a general strike.’
CWU rep at Acton Delivery Office, Mitchell Morris, said: ‘Brown’s statement yesterday makes it clear that our struggle is not just with Royal Mail bosses but with this government.’
At the South London Mail Centre in Nine Elms Lane, Gordon Murford, CWU Early Distribution Union Rep, said: ‘This is one of the most solid strikes I’ve seen.
‘I hope (PCS leader) Serwotka gets his members out so we can see the support that he’s promising. The only weapon we have is to strike.’
Patrick Paryag, SW1 Unit Rep, said: ‘I can’t see Gordon Brown doing anything for us. He’s the one calling the shots.’
Referring to Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton, he said: ‘How can you have a company Chairman who only comes in one day a week?
‘We want our union to withdraw the levy to the Labour Party.’
At Greenford Mail Centre, CWU Distribution Rep Steve Jackson said: ‘Crozier is clearly stressed, using industrial language on live radio. He said it is cobblers what the union are coming out with.
‘But we know why we are here. They want to take our pensions from us. Not only do they want to screw us in the job, they want to screw us when we retire.’
At Harrow Delivery office, CWU Unit Rep Richard Kassir said: ‘Crozier’s attitude on the radio this morning was belligerent.
‘Clearly he has no understanding of the problems postmen face every day of their working lives.
‘Adam Crozier is very good at talking “cobblers”.’
There were more than 20 strikers on the picket line at the East London Mail Centre and E16 Delivery Office in Bromley-by-Bow yesterday morning.
Mark Saxon, the CWU E16 Unit Rep, said: ‘I think there could be trouble tomorrow.
‘We are on a 5.15am start tomorrow and yet they want to put us on a 6.00am start.
‘If we go back on that, it is against all the things we are out here for.’
Pickets at the E3 Delivery Office in Bow were also determined to win their strike.
Vince Micaleff, the E3 CWU Unit Rep, said: ‘The strike is going as we expected. If needs be, an all-out strike may be the only solution.’
Ken Howard, the Assistant CWU E3 Unit Rep, added: ‘We can’t keep saying we are going to do it. If we are going to get everyone out, then let’s do it.’
