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Workers at a Royal Mail depot have gone on strike over the amount of junk mail they’ve been asked to deliver during the coronavirus crisis.

More than 80 posties and admin staff walked out of the Alloa sorting office at 6am on Monday.

Deliveries to Clackmannanshire and the surrounding areas have been severely hit by the wildcat action.

As well as the junk mail, they claim they are working in unsafe conditions in the sorting room and have not been given sufficient PPE - Personal Protective Equipment.

A postie spoke to The Record from the picket line where workers are maintaining social distancing restrictions while they protest.

He accused the Royal Mail of putting profit before health by continuing to deliver junk mail for companies that aren’t even open and operating at present.

He said: “This action is all about our safety and making sure we get home at night to our own families.

“Royal Mail has asked us to continue delivering non essential junk mail to every household which not only puts us at extra risk, but also vulnerable people in the community because the virus can be transmitted on letters and flyers. They are putting profit over everyone’s health.

"Some of these companies aren't even operating at the moment so why do they need flyers.

“It’s unacceptable for us and our customers.”

He claimed that the government’s strict two metre social distancing guidelines are not being adhered to in the sorting office.

He added: “We work on top of each other in the sorting office and it hasn’t got any better since the outbreak. The managers don’t seem to be bothered by it and just want us to continue working as normal which isn’t possible or fair.

“The only PPE we’ve been given are gloves and sanitiser that turned up on Monday. It’s not good enough.”

The insider said his colleagues are already preparing to deliver and collect testing kits that will play a key part in the strategy to defeat Covid-19.

He explained: “We’ll play a key part in this fight from delivering and collecting the testing kits when they come to distributing Boris Johnson’s letter to every house. All we’re asking is that our safety is as tight as it can be so we can get home at night.”

(Image: PA)

Locals in Clackmannanshire backed the posties’ fight on residents’ Facebook pages.

Edna Ritchie said : “Posties on strike today alloa sorting office over being made to deliver junk mail companies tried to cancel royal mail wouldn't allow it junk mails not essential posties don't need to be delivering extra at this time with all that's going on.”

While Mark Mitchell wrote: “Alloa postie's have gone on strike today, good luck to you all stand strong.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail is disappointed that un-balloted industrial action has taken place at the Alloa Delivery office.

"We sincerely apologise to customers in the area for any disruption to their mail services. Royal Mail takes the health and safety of its colleagues, its customers and the local communities in which we operate very seriously.

"We have introduced a range of social distancing measures designed to protect both our colleagues and our customers. We continue to follow public health authority preventative guidance.

"We are doing all we can to minimise this disruption and we encourage our staff to come back to work."

Craig Anderson, regional secretary for the Communication Workers’ Union, in Scotland, confirmed that 15 staff had also walked out of the Royal Mail depot,

in Lochgelly, Fife.

He said: “The priority here is the safety of our workforce and we are doing what we can to resolve all the issues with the company.

“We must to ensure that each depot is adhering to the government’s guidelines about social distancing and PPE.

“We agree with the First Minister and do not think our staff should be working in an unsafe environment.

“As a priority, Royal Mail should also looking at stopping the delivery of unnecessary mail for the time being.”