Stevenage postal workers go on strike in support of union in dispute with Royal Mail

POSTAL workers in Stevenage went on strike today in support of their union's dispute with Royal Mail over pay, conditions and postal reforms.

Communications Workers Union (CWU) members at the Stevenage depot in London Road, went on strike from 4am after last ditch talks between the Royal Mail and the CWU to prevent the strike broke down.

CWU area representative Steve Butts claimed nobody had crossed the Stevenage picket line.

""We have 100 per cent support from our members. Nobody has crossed the picket line and gone into work today at Stevenage," said Mr Butts.

"The picket line will continue there throughout today and we will have similar closures in Hitchin and Letchworth tomorrow."

One worker at Stevenage said: "We have had a lot of support from the public - it's tremendous. We don't want to be out here. We get letters like everyone else."

Another said: "We have to do something - they are trying to put more and more work on us.

Striking workers were also handing out leaflets to the public that claimed Royal Mail was misleading the public and that modernisation would mean cuts in jobs, services and pay and conditions.

The CWU leaflet was also urging the public to contact their local MP urging them to support postal workers.