Striking postal workers, in the CWU union, brought Royal Mail to a halt today in their second 24-hour strike.
Across the country there were lively pickets as the workers showed a defiant and united response to the attempt to cut workers’ wages, impose harsh new conditions and destroy the present postal service.
There is a toughening of resolve against Royal Mail management’s attempt to crush the union as a way of clearing all obstacles to pay cuts, mass job losses and further privatisation.
Royal Mail managers have announced in many areas that they are going to change the start times for tens of thousands of workers without agreement.
Large numbers of postal workers are calling for an escalation of the strikes to increase the pressure on Royal Mail bosses.
Some workers want strikes two days in a row, others want different combinations. They are entirely right to step up the strikes.
At every picket line there was enthusiastic backing for the idea of coordinated action against the attacks across the public sector, and delegations of civil servants, teachers and others at the picket lines deepened that feeling.
There also needs to be a massive push for strikes by other trade unionists.
Disputes over essentially the same issue as the post strike are growing in the NHS and local government. The most obvious contender to strike with the post is the PCS civil service workers’ union.
Today’s strike shows the huge potential action that can win not just in the post but across the public sector.
Protesters told Socialist Worker why they were marching
It wasn't negotiating skills that ended the war
When Thatcher went on the offensive
