22 September 2009 - Mark White - © Hellmail Postal News

Speaking to Sky News, Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier condemned postal workers in London for refusing to accept that they should be working all the hours they are paid for and the CWU of trying to scupper attempts to modernise the business.

"In a nutshell what we have is a company that needs to modernise to survive and a union that, whilst on the face of it is saying it's up for modernisation, is actually doing pretty much everything it can to frustrate those changes on the ground."

"What we really need is people to get on with that modernisation. We're now in the final throes of that and we're doing that in London, and in London the union and some of our people don't want to make those changes.

"All we're asking for is our people to work in London all the hours they are paid to work and I do not think for any company that that is an unreasonable request."

His comments come as workers at Royal Mail centres in London walk out again this week and with a CWU ballot for national strike action under way.

Union leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward wrote to members yesterday, urging them to support national strikes as talks between both sides showed little sign of breaking the present deadlock. However, there is mixed opinion amongst postal workers across the country as to whether a national strike will actually protect jobs or see a reversal of the present modernisation plans, with deep concerns by some that the ballot makes no mention of alternative forms of industrial action other than a national strike.

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