Mail boss bids to end strikes

Up to 5,000 postal workers may have walked out

The chairman of the Royal Mail has attended a meeting of workers on unofficial strike to try to persuade them to go back to work.

Allan Leighton addressed hundreds of workers in Greenford, west London, who were meeting after walking out last week.

But the workers then confronted him with allegations about bullying and intimidation by managers and complained about pay rates.

Royal Mail says it is using management volunteers to minimise disruption after wildcat strikes spread to large parts of west and north west London.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which is not supporting the wildcat strikes, claimed up to 5,000 sorting and delivery staff have walked out in a number of disputes.

But the Royal Mail says 2,000 people are involved.

Workers suspended

The company says it is working to ensure special delivery items are honoured but cannot guarantee services will not be disrupted.

The union said the dispute seems to have started at Southall where members are unhappy about conditions placed on their working practices.

Walkouts spread as colleagues were suspended for action such as refusing to take on the work of people already in dispute.

On Thursday a dead rat started an unofficial walkout by postal workers in east London.

Up to 100 workers staged the strike at a delivery office in Leyton after the rodent was found in the men's lavatory.

They claim managers turned down their request to use the women's facilities and for the women to use a lavatory in the staff canteen.

On 20 October about 1,000 workers at Greenford walked out over mail handling arrangements.

Meanwhile, workers in West Ealing, Acton and Kensington, all in west London, took action after a union representative was suspended.

The stoppages follow two official 24-hour strikes in a separate claim over the London Weighting pay allowance.