Postal staff strike over changes

The dispute is over performance targets under new working practices

Postal services in a West Sussex town are being hit on Friday due to a strike at a collection and delivery office.

Only two out of 130 staff are at work at the Royal Mail's Bognor Regis office because of industrial action by the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The union and Royal Mail have failed to settle a dispute about new working practices despite weeks of talks.

It is expected that disruption will be minimised because 160 managers have been brought in to cover the workload.

The regional branch of the CWU said as many as 40 workers were at a picket line outside the office on Friday morning.

Another strike is planned for Monday.

The action is over ongoing renovations which are aiming to create quicker and more effective ways of sorting mail.

Changes have made it impossible for staff to meet revised performance targets, according to the union.

The new working practices have been brought in at around 1,400 Royal Mail offices across the UK and Bognor Regis is the last of 21 in the PO postcode area to have the changes implemented.

Public meeting

Royal Mail is offering a pay rise and other working incentives to go with the modernisations and has also agreed to take on an extra 13 permanent members of staff at Bognor Regis.

However, talks broke down on Wednesday because the CWU wants further investment to ensure staff can work properly under the new conditions.

Richard Tabbner, the union's area delivery representative, said using outside managers to keep the service running was "a token gesture".

But Royal Mail estimated just under 70,000 items would be delivered on Friday compared with around 90,000 on a regular day.

A spokesman admitted that some deliveries could be "slightly later than normal".

About 31,000 homes and 1,500 businesses could be affected in Bognor Regis, but the union plans to call a public meeting to give more information about the strikes.