The public is being held to ransom here. Its about time the Government was stepping in and giving them an ultimatim.
BACK TO WORK OR YOU ARE FIRED !! There are plenty of immigrants who would do the job willingly and just as well - and cheaper. We are sick and tired of strikes such as these.

N.Johnstone, Kirkwall, UK

it must be the only job in the world which allows you to go home after three or four hours if you have finished your delivery and pays overtime if you do other work in the remaining hours of your shift.

S. Griffin, Walton, UK

Bring on privatisation! The Royal Mail service has been deteriorating for several years - deliveries are getting later and later, customer service is pathetically low whenever unfortunate occasion causes you to have to visit the collection office, and all the while the cost of postage is increasing with absurd actions such as the introduction of the "large stamp" (does it take two people to handle an A4 envelope?)

If Royal Mail staff want a greater pay increase or more security in their pension, they should give better value for money to the company by improving service and raising standards - the world does not owe you a living!

The greatest outcome in my opinion would be that private firms such as FedEx UK and Parceline take over distribution - they have the drive and determination to offer an efficient, hassle free service. So say goodbye to this bunch of lazy people, and bring in some professionals who are worth the money!

Christopher, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire

The UK have too many "Fat Cats" that asset strip and award themselves big pay increases to the detriment of loyal staff.
Royal Mail offer a fair service that is cheaper than ALL its rivals which is why most companies use their service. This is a competitive world after all so a moderate increase to maintain present cost commitments would still undercut rivals.
Happy Staff mean Loyal Staff.
Unhappy Staff mean Discontent.
If management can't see this then what is now happening is the result!

Ivor Tyler, Ramsgate, UK

Its happening every where not just the postal service, managment upwards getting double figure pay rises as well as big bonuses, and then telling the rest of the workforce 'sorry we cant afford to give the rest of you anything so YOU need to tighten your belts', we are getting ripped of with pathetic pay increases, pension increases, longer hours, management dont care about the workers , they want us to leave so they can replace us with cheap labour from the massive influx of migrant workers, the country is on the slippery slope and it wont be long before its in the gutter

warren bray, cheltenham, glos

Unfortunately the Postal workers have not been fairly represented in the media of today ( now thers a surprise!!). ANYONE who has negative coments toward our postman who tramp the street everyday FOR US ALL are to me empty headed idiots!!!
Do you think any postman is actually enjoying not getting paid for almosta week, when they have famillies to feed and bills to pay.
People are treating them like they are from another planet.
It would be interesting to know if any of the opinionated peope actually know the postie's side, I think not otherwise they would not stae flippant comments such as"if they dont like it get another job" Oh if was that easy.
Their rise is not in linewith inflation, new schemes introduce more work for less pay, the management treat them like shit ( and I know that for a fact!!!!!) Who in their right minds would do this perhaps the mindless people who have made negative comments about them. Well all I can say is get a job as a Postie ...of you go .... J He

julie hewitson, Hartlepool,

Well, Two things come across in this dispute. 1) Royal Mail as a business needs to stay competitive and in order to do this will need to become leaner.

2) Instead of giving all the fancy salaries they give there directors - give it to there workers. This business is mostly labour intensive and therefore need to have there workers on there side. If there pay doesn't even stay at the level of inflation it will mean they can't even pay for there goods - which isn't useful to anybody.

They should really re-organise themselves now and quickly.

James, Nottingham,

Its a sad fact that today business leaders of government own industry feel they have the right to hold the country to ransom. Royal mail for the last 7 years have not been paying their employees weekly pension contributions into the appropriate savings and pocketing this, leaving a massive pension deficit. Yet they are now saying the onus is on the work force to rectify this by working another 5 years over there agreed pension age, incidently managment are excluded from this. The words Maxwell are ringing in my ears, surely this sort of practice should be illegal, I cant help feeling this is not about a 2% payrise, which would be justified in its self.

Carl, coventry,

Maybe if the £10 million spent on the "Consignia" rebranding fiasco was better spent, but typical of British boardroom mentality, most Company Directors are fools, they just look good in suits and cripple companies by their inept management and greed.

I think the Postman should be more militant, to break this American attitude that prevail's at the Royal Mail or the Goverment
use its veto to sack the entire board.

Dai Dudley, Cardiff, Wales

i think that they should just give them what they want - they could afford it if they tried.
steve you could read a book or something

daisy, redditch,

Do the people at the CWU not understand the market place they now operate in. By holding these strikes they are just pushing business to their competitors. They constantly shoot themselves in the foot. They work for a company that is struggling financially so they demand more money or don't go to work, talk about guarunteed redundancy!!!!

Adam Taylor, buckhaven, fife

OK lets say it's the end of the road for the Royal Mail ,after these strikes , Who are you going to use now ? will TNT , DHL, etc deliver your mail to your front door for 34 pence ? I think not . You can use alternative companies, however who do you think actually delivers the mail?
Until the down stream access agreement imposed by Post Comm is reviewed , Royal Mail will continue to suffer losses.Competition worked in the Utilities industries because the infrastructure was already there e.g pipes, cables ,Gas meters Electric Meters etc , The infrastructure for Royal Mail is its hardworking loyal workforce without them you can forget about having any postal service at all.

A Postal Worker , Middlesex, UK

How frustrating!!!!! I have to wait another week for a game i ordered on the internet!!

My life is in ruins......what am i going to do for a week??

Steve, Brisol,

In this dispute, one can't help wondering if the CWU are actually more worried about job cuts in their own organisation if substantial job cuts are made by Royal Mail. Some single-industry unions affected by privatisation had to merge with others following the decline in membership which followed eg the former Engineers & Managers Union, now part of Prospect. The number of top jobs is usually (eventually) halved as a result.

Richard, Hove, UK

We are in total agreement with A Brooke of Ipswich. No thought has given been to small businesses at all. This strike will do no good for anyone. Businesses, Royal Mail and postal workers will all suffer. Will the members of the union bloody well grow up and face facts, if the Royal Mail needs to make cut backs for it to survive it will. Just go back to work and stop griping, there are people out there who would be grateful just to have a job at all let alone once as relatively cushy and well paid as yours.
We too have had post stolen - we're sick of it.

E. Meredith-Jones, Newtown, Powys

The damage being done by the strike can not be justified; it is a sign of the times that people from ALL industires are suffering a degradation of terms and conditions - so what right have the postal workers to hold the rest of the nation to ransom?

It will just generate bad feelings towards them, and make people hope the full opening up of the Royal Mail monopoly comes sooner rather than later.

When they are looking for new jobs, maybe they will regret their current actions.

James, Camberley, Surrey

The strike has not yet started and already people are on thier soapbox claiming that the postal service should be scrapped because they will be inconvineinced. The postal service was not always poor, and as mentioned the working conditions seem to be the issue, since this is basically a change in contract they are justified. it is just a shame that so few are able to see beyond how it affects them right now. As to the poster complaining that he has had post lost or stolen. complain to the management and police they are public services and should investigate. I had this issue before and the postman who was found to be responsible was sacked.
so maybe the postal workers are not the most deserving in your eyes, maybe if this gets though others may also get thier support when they try the same. Maybe when they have finished we can get the nurses better conditions.

Ben, folkestone, uk

This is a great example of why we should do away with Unions.

The deputy general secretary of the CWU said: "Rather than running the business, Royal Mail’s actions demonstrate they are intent on destroying it.”

If they really believe that Royal Mails management are dead set on destroying the business, this demonstrates well how completely out of touch they are. Shame Thatcher didn't finish off the CWU when she had the chance.

Steve Marsh, Bristol, England

If the workers are so disapointed with the pay review, why don't they get another job?

Presumably the pay review on offer reflects the market rate of the workers and given the relatively low skill level required it would not be difficult to recruit new workers.

mark, Nottingham,

I'll admit, I'm angry at Royal Mail for constantly screwing up; losing my mail, delaying mail for weeks on end etc. Too many times have they acted unprofessional in my view. This action doesn't adhere me to them any further either.

At least I can the slightest bit of pleasure that, when they do decide to go back to work, they'll have a heck of a lot of parcels to get through. And mine had better be amongst them, cos I'm sick of filling out their customer claim forms.

Richard Lean, Guernsey, UK

Unskilled workers? Try preparing and delivering a round that has 600 plus delivery points, obscure adresses, sometimes no adress, operating and maintaing sophisticated sorting machineary or collecting mail from the most rural of post boxes without proper training. As far as I am concerned there is no such thing as an unskilled worker. Every job, even that of a cleaner requires a level of skill and competence.

Derek Williams, Oxford,

Lance - if you're body clock gets upset by working 30 minutes longer then I think you should see a doctor! Plenty of people in my office have to put in hours extra at short notice but they seem to cope. My journey to and from work can easily have a variance of at least 30 minutes each day.

The irony of the situation is that this industrial action, designed in part to save jobs, is only serving to speed the demise of Royal Mail - then all the workers will be looking for jobs.

Joe Peterfield, London, UK

The Government ought to take more action and inject money to keep the unions happy. They must reach some sort of agreement whereby the unions will not go to strike for some time. As a nation we are heavily dependant on reliable postal service- in fact a reliable postal service is a hallmark of a developed and civilised society.
However what our government has been doing is injecting millions in national defence, making weapons and bombs for "defence" (read:ATTACK).
Our postal service is in disaster, our kids are on drugs and gun crime has escalated. Religious schools and scholars are preaching extremism and the fabric of our society is in ruins.

Someone grow up and take some responsibility!

Khan, London,

A deal was nearly struck on Sept. 4th 2007.But Royal Mail in all its wisdom moved the goalposts at the literally at the last moment -the Pension issue and flexible working suddenly became part of the deal.These 2 issues were never part of the original deal put to the workforce back in June.
Don't blame the workforce,blame Crozier and Leighton for this fiasco.They should be the ones the public should direct their anger at.
They should be made accountable in front of a Commons committee -the big question-why hasn't this dispute been resolved?

john, shrewsbury, uk

Thank goodness for Fax machines, Email, Telephones and Couriers.

I've had two pay rises in the past 6.5 years which equals 6% in total. 1& a bit% per year. Some of the Royal Mail staff ought to seek employment outside their current jobs, and see what it's like on the other side of the fence.

Royal Mail should not be allowed to hold the country to ransome.

Paul Foster, Barnsley,

I know many post office workers who work brilliant hours, early in the morning and finished by 11am. My post goes astray all the time. I have paid for redirection, only to discover that much of my post is being returned as no longer living there or sent from the people living there now personally. Terrible! I have sent registererd letters as my post magically vanishes after I put it in the post box and am now struggling to get reimbursed after my registered letter went missing. I too only get 2.5% annually and I work longer hours. I do not get the queens birthday off and I dont have the power, nor would I want to, to hold my place of work to ransome every chance I get. If you are not happy with your job, do what I or others would have to do and find another! Stop making the public suffer for a job that in my eyes is NOT well done.

Sarah, Surrey,

There seem to be many different opinions about who is RESPONSIBLE for the strike - but there is only one CONSEQUENCE which is ...

Customers (like me) suffer an enormous hit to our livelihoods and are obliged to seek an alternative way of handling our mail. Doesn't matter whether you are man or manager, you're refusing our business and sending us elsewhere.

Sean Shalor, Coventry, UK

As the manager of a direct marketing firm whose entire autumn business plan has been thrown into the bin because of this strike, I'll say one thing.
I cannot wait until there is a viable alternative to the Royal Mail. Their large volume customers will disappear so fast it will make their heads spin.

Wouldn't imagine there is much to be made from grannies 7 2nd class birthday cards that are sent each year. Good luck!

Catherine, Buckingham,

People in the public sector and places like Royal Mail really need to realise that their cosy pensions are:

- unsustainable
- unfair
- unmatched in the "real" world

Yes they deserve a decent retirement but their ridiculous final salary schemes are now being paid for by the next generation of workers, who don't enjoy such luxuries.

I don't see the unions striking for the younger dispossessed. It's all "I'm all right Jack, thanks".

Dinosaurs who haven't a clue of their true market value or the cost of their "entitlements".

Ben, London,

This is going to have a devastating effect on my business - the strikes so far this year have cost me financially as well as in terms of reputation already - and this is said to be the worst yet? I might as well chuck it all now. Thanks Royal Mail... thanks a lot.

Andy, Spalding, Lincolnshire

Rivals do not "have to use" the RM network, they choose to as it is a bigger profit margin for them to piggy back the final mile rather than set up a network themselves.

Mark, Plymouth,

The Post Office is a commerical business - just like any other Company.

If the PO employees want to commit commercial suicide by striking - let them. No problem. That is how competitive new businesses progress, and old self-satisfied ones die.

If employees don't like their working conditions, there is nothing to stop them working for anybody else - or forming their own Company, for example. Do they have the initiative to take such constructive actions?

There are plenty of other commercial companies waiting to take over the business of the PO. They exist now, and are more than capable of doing so; also probably more efficiently and maybe at lower cost.

Such is the real world.

Dr Robert Brown, Shrewsbury, UK

Good Luck to the striking postmen! Maybe soon greedy bosses will realise they can't steal our pensions which we have paid for. Leighton stands for everything that is wrong in business today.

James Havard, st albans, U.K

Royal Mails view of Modernisation. Modernisation = A cut in service. They are bringing in their "modernisation" plans now through excutive action. Don't believe me - have a look at a post box.. No more sunday collections as of 28/10/07. You will soon find you wont have a collection or delivery - go and pick up your own post!

Dozier, I will soon be RICH! oh I am , Bonus land!

This is what the country has become a self centred society. If it causes me inconvience I won't back them. A country of whingers. The same people who whine about mortgage rates, gas and electric prices. What great benefit has privatisation brought to the working joe? Simple answer: None. Fat cat bosses are paid for failure, the pension meltdown that was caused by Gordon Brown skimming off pension funds, and who is brought to task no-one. The posties have every right to protect their industry and their working conditions.

Chaz, Manchester,

how would any of you like to be told that in the summer when the mail is low that at a drop of a hat (sorry 2 hours notice)that you wil not be needed for the next 3 days, that the 16 hours will be banked and will be used when royal mail see fit to use them (proberly at christmas) which means you'll finish your shift, and told to come back at 5pm ( if you work on the early shift). you'll proberly find that leighton, and crozier want these money saving schemes in as their big £1,000,000. depend on it

richard, london,

Before you all whine on about how greedy us postmen are you should consider these facts:
1. Leighton and Crozier (who have awarded themselves over 250 years of a postmans basic wage in bonuses - each) are the ones who are causing the strike.

2. We are not striking solely over pay - most of us are happy with the offer - we are striking because the changes Leighton and Crozier want to make would decimate the service to customers, making mail delivery so late that most companies would not have their mail in time to do their banking and almost no-one would have a regular postman anymore.

3. Leighton moans on about how much work RM are losing and yet it is him, not the watchdog, who agreed to deliver mail for our competitors for 13p a letter while pushing up charges for our loyal customers.

4. Leighton and Crozier clearly want to devalue RM so much that when it is privatised they will be able to buy it cheap and asset strip it (Anyone remember Leighton's trick with Leeds UTD??)

Allan, Bromley,

If all of the Royal Mail bosses are so blameless where are the annual financial reports detailing the executive bonuses (an alleged £40,000,000), and why aren't the government, who tell us honestly (no, really!!!!), that they have not stepped in forcing them to publish them as they would with any other company.

Also could all the dimwits who keep harping on about posties costing taxpayers money wake up and read a paper, or have it read to them if they are not bright enough. Royal Mail does not and hasn't for many years been funded by the government.

Allan, Bromley,

everyone will loose out on these strikes, sorry the managers will win. get on with your work or change it.

levi, london,

Did not all postal workers (from the boss dowwards) get a performance bonus not long ago? So what's wrong with 2.5% now?
I find it really worrying that, as these contributions show, I am far from being alone in suffering losses in the mail, both things that I post myself, and things I do not receive which I know have been sent to me. So now I never send a document without photocopying it first (an extra expense), and when I send anything of value, I pay extra for registered post. Why does so much mail go astray? That is the question that both sides in this dispute should be made to answer!

JF, Canterbury, UK

My hubbys working thru this ridiculous strike,we have a mortgage and children to raise and there is no strike wage-plus change is inevitable,their 1st strikes proved pointless so the union have dug in further with these latest charades,it can only serve to damage the postal institute and the posties may not then have a solid job to return to.

Oh and a big hello to all you posties that called in sick weds -you know who you are and yes you will get a wage "whilst supporting your colleagues" ahem.

trisha, shropshire, uk

Pensions are a thing of the past under Nu Labour. It looks like only Fat-Cats and politicians get worthwhile pensions now. Being self employed I have to rely on a private pension, and that went south after the ‘Great Leader’ started tinkering with the taxation on pensions.
When this lot came in I knew they would do damage, but I didn’t imagine how much. Maybe those postal workers who habitually vote Labour should have a good think next time.

Dave Hill, Lytham, Lancs

This country is being run for the benefit of big business, Directors' obscene bonuses and Shareholders' Dividends. Ordinary people count for nothing. Despite the fact that my small business relies on the Post Office, I fully support this industrial action. If nothing else it may reduce the obscene bonus being paid to the Chief Executive who has decimated Post Offices in this country.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

I hope some of the contributors complaining about the problems the strike will cause have the good sense to try out our much vaunted competition - they will then realise just how much they will have to pay when we are no longer around to provide a cheap universal service. I have gone into strike time today to make sure all my customers got their packets instead of sending them back because I, like most of my colleagues, care about our customers. Don't for a moment think we have taken the decision to strike lightly , because if we don't have a future - it's unlikely that any public service worker will - we do not want a return to the underclass days - we have aspirations for our children and their education and the right to live where we work the same as anyone - you moaning minnie's should be prepared to share a little hardship for the good of our society - I am happy to give up days of my pay to save years of my pension and to secure the future of a great public service - postie, Sale

Kevin Lavelle, Sale , Cheshire

It would appear that the Postal Union are the only ones fighting to save one of the last Public Services left in the Country. I am sure we have all benefited from the privatisation of other companies my bills for gas, electricity, rail travel etc have all fallen dramatically ha ha.

Privatisation only fills the pockets of big business and is a complete con on us the consumer. We should remember that without Trade Unions we would not have the Holiday entitlements, bank holiday entitlements, maternity pay/leave, paternity leave, minimum wage etc.

Perhaps we have become a nation with no fight in us and we just accept what employers want to dish out to us.

Good luck to the posties in their dispute

shelley johnson, gillingham, kent

Yet again, the Dinosaurs (commonly known as Trades Unions) and the Post Office workers try to hold the country to ransom. Well, I hope their greed leads them in the same direction as the Miners and Steel workers: out of a job, and out of a job for good.
Postmen are paid a reasonable wage/salary for what they do: which doesn't require a great deal of intelligence. If they don't want to work, there are others that do!

Trevor, Barnstaple, Devon

Im a postie for last 20years. I used to really enjoy my job. But the truth is the managers are hell bent on severe cuts to your service. When anyone leaves they replace them with part timers, so the full timers have extra work to do on top of their existing job in the same timescale. You get taken off sorting your round and told to sort one of these others too, making you late on your own, then your late out for delivery. Its a knock on effect and this is all without the proposed changes! We are offered £8.50 week rise but lose £30 allowances, then we have to accept forced overtime/annualised hrs and increased pension contributions(of which RM had a 13year holiday) & increased pension age, varing start/finish times with 24hr notice. I think Crozier & Leighton are deliberately not compromising their stance because if the service is run down enough the government will 'step in' and sell it off, pocketing a huge amount as they did with the Water Board, Coalboard, British Rail etc etc.

mat, Hampshire,

As the 'Royal Mail' (how dare they call themselves this now that they are privatised still and having cost the taxpayer millions in renaming) has deliberately set about demolishing the once great service; it is now time to take a long hard look at management.

It it will always be the customer who pays and the strikers who lose in the long term.

To all the pompous Union convenors who are fighting for 2.5% rises, remember how many sevicemen & ex- service men get far lower pay rises per annum then the postal workers.
Have some mallum and sort it out!
R. Jones Plymoyth, Devpn

R. Jones, Plymouth, Devon

Gareth,
"...hypocritical, selfish and ignorant. I can't send a packet because of the strike. My catalogue wont go out on time. Well Boo Hoo!"

Selfish? How cheeky can you get! Next Wednesday, you lot will be back at work, and expect to simply pick up where you left off. Yep - the fact that the customers are still there in the queue is completely taken for granted! What arrogance!

"We're talking about over 130'000 peoples lives here. Yet you are only concerned about yourselves."

About ourselves, and the people that work for us of course, and our customers (you wouldn't understand that bit) and naturally our customers in turn have people that they need to keep happy.

"Or should they put the kids up for adoption so you can send your catalogue out on time."

I don't send catalogues, and no they shouldn't, but neither I.

Don't plead your case here! Instead, if your case is so good, how about you and management go to arbitration and agree beforehand that it's binding!

Mike Hart, London, UK

I think the trouble is that these days there are two big strikers - London Underground and Royal Mail. And while it's pretty unilaterally agreed that the latest LU strikes were absurd (with all conditions met beforehand etc), I think RM are getting tarred unfairly with the same brush. The big difference is that many people don't have any alternative to dealing with LU (it's impossible to get on a bus on strike days where I live), while e-mail, couriers, faxes and phone calls offer alternatives to RM.
Also, when LU come off strike, there aren't all of the previous day's customers still stood at the station! RM staff aren't getting a holiday, they'll just have to work harder when they return.
I totally support the strike - people here are grumbling that they can't strike but I bet if conditions were bad enough they'd somehow find a way. RM workers are being treated unfairly (from what I've read), it's their right and duty to stand up for themselves. That is democracy.

Chris, London, UK

If you pay RM workers minimum wage don't be surprised half your mail goes missing ... seems obvious to me . Also I don't think having business mail undelivered effects peoples lives anywhere near as much as having their pensions cut and working hours altered . You business types should be slightly more empathetic towards the everyday people that your business relies upon .
They have my full support ! The world does not revolve around your businesses !

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

Glad I've got email to keep my business working. Perhaps, the postal workers should try recruiting the Internet Service Providers into their union blackmailing next time.

By the way, I have to reinvest my company earnings to provide jobs and growth for other people. I haven't been able to save for any pension. Can I get some sympathy please? Anyone?

Gary Smith, London,

Also , if your mail is that urgent how about using an alternative to RM ? Or are you all still expecting everything for next to nothing ?

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

Derek from Sheffield says:
"all we want to do is to protect our jobs, our future and Royal Mail's future."

This strike is guaranteed to do exactly the opposite Derek.
Try it and see.

Grant Wyness, Cardiff, Wales

Workers have the right to strike if they feel their job, salary or working conditions as being threatened in some way, shape, or form, it's been like that since the industrial revolution.

If people have a problem with it, maybe they lobby towards making strikes illegal, I'm sure corporations would love it and customers would get cheaper, uninterrupted services.

Otherwise, grin and bear it because you can't have have it both ways. Unhappy with Royal Mail?, switch to the competition and make a point, don't sit back and whine, and expect others to do the same.

Maxwell, London,

Right or wrong, I don't know - but I do know that I am a customer paying for a terrible service and a workforce that seems bent on destroying it altogether. So ...

I've switched to commercial services run by Interparcel. They're no more expensive, they work direct online 24/7, they have full tracking and compensation services and they're QUICK.

I used to like dealing with RM but they just don't seem to want me anymore. Sad.

Ian McCulloch, Edinburgh, Scotland

Great news.They can strike forever.

I use email and all I ever get is bills anyway.

Dave, Cardiff,

Maz should stop being so selfish and find out the ftrue acts before commenting in such a pathetic manner. Royal mail are trying to impose Victorian working conditions on an already stretched workforce. It is not about pay the unions are quite happy to accept Royal Mails offer. The main complaint is that they want to impose unacceptable conditions such as 2 hours notice of a shift change, to have the working week reduced to 32 hours to reduce the wages bill and raping the pension plan. Maz with people like you we will soon all be working in the dark ages.

sally, Gloucester, Engl

As a postman do you not think we enjoy striking losing money hand over fist were striking to keep our jobs earn a 1/2 decent pay and protect the service we provide its only got worse since adam crozier and allan leighton took over they both seem as they want to destroy the service.ive worked 18 yrs for royal mail and have never known it this bad and to the reply of its not a skilled job no its not its a bloody heavy job with unsociable hours,walking round with 6-7 bags of mail aday in all weathers and all we want to do is to protect our jobs ,our future and royal mails future.

derek, sheffield, south yorks

The postal workers should be aware that majority of the
public do not support their strike actions. RM needs to
progress on to the 21st century. To fight for the sake of
some job losses, could lead to many more losses in the
future and maybe the demise of RM itself when businesses
start to use alternative services. Most of the other sectors
get about the same pay rise, and the nurses got less, so what is so special about the postal workers? You should be
happy that you have got a job.

GS, London, UK

Unfortunately postal workers are finding themselves in the same position as many other workers. My husband works for a university (staff,not faculty); his pension contributions were just increased so that he can receive the same (not a larger) pension -- a change in the terms for existing workers. He didn't have the option of going on strike.

While I am trying, it is hard to be sympathetic with postal workers because of repeated thefts of items from our post. Also, we often receive birthday cards that have been slit open by people looking for money. I'm afraid our post isn't very well safeguarded. We use alternate carriers wherever possible. It may be a good idea for postal workers to consider retraining for other work.

CB, Derbyshire,

Could this be an example that the inflation figure used to set salaries bares no relation to real world inflation. Look at the increases in petrol, bread, council tax. Oh, I forget council tax is not part of the inflation figure, but we all have to pay it.

Michael Woods, Chorley,

If these "workers" were self employed they would think twice about the luxury of going on "strike". Maybe they should think of the impact to their"customers" - pensioners, small businesses etc.
Time for a recruiting drive in Eastern Europe I think.

Craig Campbell, Glasgow, Scotland

I am not a postal worker. I work in an office. However, I totally symapthise with them.

Why should I be told today that tomorrow by-the-way your not needed until 4:30 am instead of the usual 4:00am. Oh, and by the way we want you to finish an hour early. Now just try to imagine the upset that's going to cause your body clock.

Now throw in the fact that the pension you AND the PO agreed to when you started it.... well were going to make you work another five years to get it AND we're going to make it smaller.

So what if your post is delayed 7 days? Compare that to a pension being delyayed FIVE YEARS!!! Now who thinks the strike is out-of-order?

Lance, Crawley, UK

Ahhh, at last. Royal Mail will soon disappear and be replaced by a privately run company with a flexible and willing workforce. I do hope the same happens with London Underground soon. Unions simply cannot understand that ANY organisation needs to put the customer first, not the workers. This is what will eventually render them obsolete.

Patrick, London, UK

Apart from Fat-Cats and politicians, pensions are a thing of the past under Nu Labour!
I have a private pension, and that started going south when the ‘Great Leader’ started messing with pensions shortly after this lot came in. I knew when they came in they would do damage, but I never guessed it would be this much.
To all those Post Men who voted Labour, ‘have a good think’

Dave Hill, Lytham, Lancs

Royal Mail's appointed executives - have absolutely no concern with keeping a public service.

What do people want? a public or private service? that's what it amounts to.

As for the people who say RM workers are unskilled workers.That is a rather sweeping statement to put on postal staff who handle millions of pounds worth of letters/packets each day entrusted with the safety of such items.

That attitude is Victorian and is asking that lowly paid workers do as they are told and be grateful for what they get is very much an out dated dinosaur attitude and has no place in the modern work place. Stop attacking the unions, they no longer hold the country to ransom over silly things, if people want to know exactly what is the crux of this dispute its back door privatization under the banner of liberalization.

Ask your MP why your service is slowly being eroded its certainly not the unions doing this.

sam, Croydon, Croydon

I find it pathetic these people are protesting. I only received a 2.5% pay rise this year and work for a charity. You don't see me protesting. Grow up and get with the real world! Now thanks to you I am going to pay more for an insurance policy I can't cancel and people who desperately need information who are at the end of their tether will not receive it. This could have implications on people's lives. I bet you didn't think about that when you all fancied a long weekend! I am aware you won't be paid during your strike action but it is your choice. We don't get the luxury of a choice. Take notice Post Office workers you do not have the sympathy of the public anymore.

Maz, Norwich,

Post office workers do their jobs and they do them very well.Their courtesy and helpfulness s often given to some members of the public who frankly do not deserve it and they often have to cope on their daily rounds with dangerous dogs etc and etc and etc.I can speak from personal experience as I was one and am now retired.I fully support the postmen in their action and feel that Royal Mail management have not and are not behaving honorably towards them.The love of money is the root of all evil and the evidence here is plain that the workers as usual as ever are being given a bad deal and they are right to strike.People should not complain if they see democracy in action.That is one reason among many that we fought two World Wars.See you at the barricades at Windscale and Greenham Common and Torness and Faslane.The price of freedom is eternal vigilance..

David , Inverness, Scotland

I think the postal strike is pathetic, get on with your jobs and stop complaining, surely everyone who is a postie went into their job knowing what their salary would be, so what's the problem? Get on with it and stop infrurating people. Other people's jobs depend on postal services so i think you should all stop being so selfish.

Claire, luton, UK

I am simply a customer, not related to RM in anyway.

1. It is fundamentally immoral for any employer to change unilaterally the terms and conditions of something like a pension scheme for existing members: some of them have been labouring for many years under one expectation, thinking their retirement future is secure, and then an employer says n years down the road 'oh no it isn't!' It is about time someone blew the whistle on this practice. The employer/pension fund should have been making provision for it's commitments to it's workforce for all the years that the employee has been making contributions. It's not rocket science. But changing the rules mid way through a career is unfair, unethical and immoral.

2. Changing the rules though for new employees is perfectly reasonable and sensible. If the employer wishes to make employment with them less attractive to new employees, let them - it's their prerogative.

Sounds like some proper negotiations need to happen here.

Neil, Derby, UK

My work currently has a huge problem with post being stolen by postmen. Valuable items (amazon etc.) can basically no longer be sent to work, as the risk that they go missing is too high, and the Royal Mail appear unable (or unwilling) to do anything to solve this.

I'm unable to trust the Royal Mail, and now have to avoid sending anything of any value by post. I don't have any sympathy for the striking workers due to the amount of my mail I've had stolen over the last few years.

Hugh, London,

As a small business we rely on the postal service very heavily. However, I am disgusted that the Royal Mail is not taking responsibility for paying a decent wage to its employees. As a citizen of England I need the post office and the staff - they are invaluable and offer true value for money - Royal Mail should sort this out and be fair with their staff.

Liz, High Wycombe,

A lot of these posts are extremely hypocritical, selfish and ignorant.
I can't send a packet because of the strike. My catalogue wont go out on time. Well Boo Hoo!
We're talking about over 130'000 peoples lives here. Yet you are only concerned about yourselves.
The pay rise is NOT the issue. As usual people make gross uninformed assumptions then mouth of those assumptions as fact.
We are striking because they aim to reduce our pension, while making us work 5 more years to get this reduced pension.
They want to impose complete flexibility onto us. What that means is we wont know what times we start or finish work on any given day. How are people will children supposed to cope with that. Or should they put the kids up for adoption so you can send your catalogue out on time.
They want us to work extra hours when they say so without any warning. And all for no extra pay.
Someone said try working in a mill. I have done and you always finished at your finishing time, not 2 hours later

gareth evans, colchester, essex

I understand the pain the RM folks have with RM changing the work conditions and pension provision - welcome to the private sector. But think about this - Businesses need to be confident that RM meet expectations and deliver what we pay for. Your Union has let you down here - NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS! By striking YOU are forcing us, the customer, to find a new and more efficient way to move our mail around. This makes us change processes we have used for years and, guess what, why would we change back to RM afterwards.

As usual the unions are just playing with peoples lives with no real thought to the after effect, these actions could lead to more cuts - just see what happens when the profits start to dwindle. Competitors will be loving this....

John, Glasgow,

my uncle lost his 40 year pension working at the Sheerness Steel Works thanks to Gordon Brown and now spends most of his weekends protesting to prove the point. However, he has been in the same job over 40 years with no complaints until this point - my opinion is that we all have issues and problems within our industries - if you dont like it, leave and get another job!!! the postal service is a disgrace anyway, my business gets 3 lots of deliveries a day at various different times and I spend 45 mins q'ing to stamp a special delivery that is already franked! old people do not get the priority service they deserve either. My grandfather was a postie back in the 1950's and they didnt complain, just got their heads down like the rest of us. You dont begrudge nurses, doctors, firefighters etc striking for a good cause, but somebody please tell me what is soooo awful about sorting/delivering mail? are you exposed to high levels of chemicals like the Byrant and May matchgirls????

Fiona, Bethnal Green, London

I'm glad they are getting a 2.5% increase in their salary. Perhaps they would like to work for the NHS we are only getting 2.5% overall, and probably less next year,and we have peoples lives at stake. If hospital staff acted the same way as postal workers, how many thousands would have died already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? NHS pensions are also in dispute. Pack up your pathetic behaviour, and get on with your job. Perhaps if you treated your customers better, ie lost less post, delivered on time, stop putting prices up and were more polite, people would have more compassion for yor cause.

Fudge, Margate, UK

It about time this service was opened up to full competition and let it stand on it own 2 feet - our company rarely uses the postal - service with most mail / drawings / contracts - now being sent electronically - parcel services are far cheaper with independant carriers. Payments to suppliers are generally paid by Bacs. Brochures can normally be downloaded on the internet.

Who needs the post office? it is not indispensible, in this modern world

The government should stand well back and let the post office and unions destroy themselves if that is the way the union wants it.

Post office workers are unskilled labourers and as such should have the appropriate wage for the job - minimum wage

MIke, Bournemouth, England

Every one is missing the point, this strike is about MY pension and evry one elses who works in RM, including lower managers. In essence, Allan Leighton, who is not in the Royal Mail Pension Scheme (final Salary). wishes to close it and replace it with a lesser scheme linked to RPI with a 5%cap on benefits. This will amount to a cut of £60,000 for the average pension. RM will steal upwards of £1.8Billion from our pension scheme if this goes through. That is why we are fighting. Imposed working conditions like later starts may not seem a big issue, but postal staff have been early risers for over 300 years and enabled you to have your daily mail at a reasonable time for your business to deal with. This will not happen anymore. some firms will not receive any mail till at least 10.30 or even 1400!. In addition to this RM will claw back £100,000 in allowences some of which is pensionable. All this from a company making £1000000 a day profit (Sky TV interview with Allan leighton)

Tony , Stockport, UK

We don't have a problem with our pay and conditions as they stand, and if Royal Mail left well alone with no pay rise most would accept that and not strike.
The offer: Withdrawal of D2D payments but not the deliveries of them - a loss of £30 per week. With a 6.7% pay rise over 2 years I will loose £18 per week.
They want to bring in total flexibility. Such as
When I go into work I will not be sure of what time I will finish
Also the managers can delay or bring forward my start time by 1/2 hr with only 24 hrs notice
I have to cover other rounds when people go sick (fair enough but I wont get paid for it as they want annualised hours) so I could work 60 hours in 1 week with no extra pay for it and only get paid for 40hours and no thought as to my life outside work.
Did you know that they want us to start work later - this means your post will be later than it already is. Would you accept worse pay and condtions with longer hours without some form of protest.

Teebs, West Yorkshire, UK

Michael in Plymouth check your facts first before opening your mouth.
Reasonable pay and conditions are all we want not what we have now.

Stuart Johnson, Welwyn Garden City, uk

Dinosaurs! They have been molly coddled for too long, reasonable pay and good conditions - try a factory job. Get on with what you are paid for. I run a small busines and don't even claim for lost post which happens very frequently. Poor service even before the strikes.

michael, plymouth, uk

The Royal Mail strike is potentially devestating to our business The Cotton Patch based in Birmingham. We supply individual customers with patchwork supplies and a large part of our business is dependent on Royal Mail. On Thursday we were due to send out our 2007/8 catalogue which will now not go out for a week, possibly longer, and the effects will continue for much longer than that due to the periodic striking in the weeks following that throughout October.

The problems of Royal Mail resulted from the Government's hiving off profitable parts of the postal delivery system to competition whilst forcing Royal Mail to retain some of the least profitable parts. This strike is a result of a business that is struggling to survive and employees that are reacting to the necessary cuts that management are having to impose in order to maintain a universal postal delivery system.

It is having an impact on the wider economy and most people don't know even know about it!

Liz, Birmingham, England

competition is killing r/mail and the public are not shown it we still have to deliver the mail we have lost to bulk collections at a reduced cost what other business would do this postcom need to get thier act together as well they are regulating r/mail out of business We need to move on and do away with are dinosuars that we run mail through moderniation is the only way forward most postpersons are payed well for the work they do

kev, bristol, england

Keep it up people we can win this one,R M has lost control,i feel sorry for all small business,but we are all Royal mail's customers.
I have seen the service deteriorate over my 33 years service,they care nothing for the public and even less for the workers.
Nice to see managers finally getting a lash of the stick.
yes the government should intervene soon,they may get some of the votes back in next election if they sort this out.
i am voting for the blues next time,for the 1st time in my life this lot are a disgrace calling themselves Labour

fazman, york, northyorks

I run a small business and depend on the post. I never get the post before noon as it is . This strike will lose me customers, and I am frankly bloody angry and disgusted. I am expecting a parcel this week for one customer and if it doesn't arrive tomorrow I am in a mess I was also hoping to post a parcel tomorrow that a customer is waiting for. I am so not impressed- this is really bad for my company- I really am livid.

A Brooke, Ipswich,

i think its about time this was sorted we pay for a service we arnt getting so how would they like it if we ask for compensation for letters or parcels we are sending first class and not getting to places for upto 5 days later.. what should we pay for a service like this maybe its time for the goverment to step in and sort it...

glen, halifax, west yorkshire