Union officials and postal workers from the Communications Workers Union were at Holyrood last week to give crucial updates to Members of the Scottish Parliament on the ongoing postal dispute.

MSPs heard from the CWU about the Royal Mail’s plans to cut 10,000 jobs, dismantle pay and conditions and end the universal service obligation.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has stood with CWU Royal Mail workers many times in recent months and has pledged to continue to do so whenever possible. This week local CWU members will be on strike on 30^th November and 1^st December.

The local MSP said: “I was pleased to meet the CWU reps last week to discuss the future of our local postal services.

“It is vital that Royal Mail urgently make a fair offer to their loyal workforce to quickly bring an end to this dispute.

“This dispute goes way beyond pay. It’s about trying to save local postal services, especially in rural communities such as ours. We are seeing jobs being axed at local sorting offices and Royal Mail now want to end Saturday delivery of letters and deliver mail in the evening to places such as ours.

“Not a single worker I’ve spoken to wants to strike but they’ve been backed into a corner and that’s why I am proud to join them on the picket line.

“I have never known such anger, yet time and time again, bosses are offering workers a pay cut rather than fair pay. Until they wake up to the need for fair pay, workers at every level will feel under attack and the strike action will continue.

Craig Anderson Scottish Secretary of the CWU said: “We were very pleased with the response from MSPs who came along to meet us. They expressed their support for our posties and the services they provide to communities right across Scotland.

“We would encourage all MSPs to join our members on picket lines as we call for fair pay for our posties.”