The Postal Strike.

I'm not blaming the posties, the job is difficult enough what with the weather and hidden dogs snapping behind letterboxes. Not to mention the chances of being bitten.

No, once again, I blame the unions. Won't they ever learn?  Many years ago, I was a Post Office Telephonist, back in the days of Dolls-Eye switchboards, and manual Directory Inquiries. In 1972, I think it was, a strike was called that lasted for six whole weeks. I did not join the strikers. I was one of the "Blackleg Scum" that had to endure the fury of the Picket Line every time I went into work or left the exchange to go home. I was frightened, and eventually we had a police escort to help us. My car headlamps were smashed, my tyres slashed, and the verbal abuse that I and my non-striking collegues had to endure was hard to bear. Eventually, after six weeks, the strike was called off, and our striking collegues returned to work with their tails between their legs. (They were unsuccessful in their attempts to get a substancial pay increase.)The atmosphere inside the exchange was far from pleasent. People who, a short time previously, had been friends, were now our sworn enemies. Our shifts were spent in absolute misery, and I was glad to sign out and go home. 

Why am I telling you this? And what does it have to do with the present postal strike? Sadly, not very much if I'm being honest. It's just to let you know that having experienced the damage that a strike can do, it's not something that I would ever want to live through again, and I feel sorry for the men and women who have had to resort to such drastic action against their Bosses.

They won't win! Striking does not do any good whatsoever. It never has, and it never will!