Devon Postal Strike round up

Socialist Party and Socialist Students members visited the picket line at the Mail Centre in Exeter twice at midday and at midnight on Friday. Only 6 workers in this large mail centre scabbed, with the vast majority of workers solid in supporting this strike. When we raised the issue of the need for a new workers' party, pickets expressed firm support for our ideas and are mystified why the leadership continues to fund New Labour, who are behind the privatisation, cuts and job losses in the postal service and public services in general.

In Barnstaple the strike remained solid and the determination of the strikers to continue the fight was evident. Local Socialist Partymembers in North Devon are currently working to try and unite the public sector unions behind the postal workers and againstprivatisation and cuts in the public sector as a whole.

In Teignmouth and Newton Abbot, the determination to see this one out reflected what we saw and heard in Exeter. Socialist Party strike leaflets and 10 copies of the socialist were snapped up as postal workers welcomed a clear explanation of their cause. In conversations there was a higher level of political discussion than in previous strikes with many recognising that New Labour never repealed Thatcher's oppressive anti-trade union laws. Many of picket expressed anger at the media and the bullying attitude of some local managers. Tempers rose with the arrival of 'scab' agency workers at one point management threaten to call the police to arrest the socialist reporter, unfortunately for them they did not know where the picket line ought to be. This is the same management who refuse to give postal workers an opportunity to earn £8 an hour - instead they preferred to use agency workers at £18 an hour of which these receive £6.50 an hour.

Strikers felt that they were in a powerful position with the run up to Christmas. However they recognise that they will face hardship with the lack of funds for their families. During discussions the idea of setting up a South Devon Support Group was brought up. The need to build links with other unions and other members of the public was seen as vital. This would then link up with other groups in Exeter and North Devon.