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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Mail warning after wildcat strike | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Royal Mail has warned customers in central Scotland not to post items unless they are urgent after wildcat strikes in Glasgow and Edinburgh. | |
| It said it could not guarantee delivery over the next 24 hours due to the unofficial action at sorting offices. | |
| Planned industrial action is also due to begin on Thursday morning. | |
| The unofficial strike began at the Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn on Tuesday before spreading throughout greater Glasgow. | |
| It then spread to Edinburgh, where about 100 postal workers called an unofficial strike at the city's main sorting office at Sighthill on Wednesday. | |
| They claimed four workers had been suspended for refusing to handle mail transferred from the strike-affected Glasgow sorting office. | They claimed four workers had been suspended for refusing to handle mail transferred from the strike-affected Glasgow sorting office. |
| We want our men that were sent home to be brought back and start getting paid again Willy MarshallCWU branch secretary | |
| Talks between the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Royal Mail management on Wednesday failed to find a solution. | |
| Royal Mail said it had only been able to make key deliveries in some areas. | |
| Willy Marshall, branch secretary of Central Scotland CWU, said anger had "boiled over" into the unofficial dispute. | |
| "Our workers were asked to sort scab mail, which is mail the managers should handle if our workers are on strike, and they refused so they were suspended," he said. | |
| "We want our men that were sent home to be brought back and start getting paid again and unless that happens the strike will continue." | |
| 'Unlawful action' | 'Unlawful action' |
| A spokeswoman for Royal Mail condemned the action and urged the striking workers to return to recognised negotiating procedures. | A spokeswoman for Royal Mail condemned the action and urged the striking workers to return to recognised negotiating procedures. |
| Julie Morrison, head of external relations at the Royal Mail Group, said: "Royal Mail's utmost concern is to continue to provide a service to our customers and this kind of unlawful action plays directly into the hands of our competitors. | Julie Morrison, head of external relations at the Royal Mail Group, said: "Royal Mail's utmost concern is to continue to provide a service to our customers and this kind of unlawful action plays directly into the hands of our competitors. |
| "We hope that the union will encourage staff back to work and allow this matter to be handled following proper agreed procedures. We remain open to dialogue in this matter." | "We hope that the union will encourage staff back to work and allow this matter to be handled following proper agreed procedures. We remain open to dialogue in this matter." |
| The wildcat strike has been called against the backdrop of a Scotland-wide dispute over pay, pensions and future industry changes that has seen the CWU call a series of official 24-hour strikes. | The wildcat strike has been called against the backdrop of a Scotland-wide dispute over pay, pensions and future industry changes that has seen the CWU call a series of official 24-hour strikes. |
| A further 24-hour official strike by delivery staff is expected across the UK on Thursday. | A further 24-hour official strike by delivery staff is expected across the UK on Thursday. |