Royal Mail staff has returned to work after holding a strike yesterday.
Postal workers at the Royal Mail sorting office in Chapel Street in Diss resorted to industrial action in a dispute over health and safety issues.
One employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Diss Express that, due to heavy rain on Sunday, the basement area of the site had been flooded – and included a sewage leak.
“Staff refused to work in these conditions as they didn’t feel it was safe,” they said.
“We were given an ultimatum by the manager yesterday morning to either work or be sent home without pay.”
After the flooding, cleaners were sent in, but staff claimed the work was not good enough.
Around 40 workers in Royal Mail uniforms were standing at the gates of the Chapel Street sorting office, which covers towns and villages all over south Norfolk.
“We were prevented from working,” said the employee. “We wanted to but couldn’t.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are disappointed that unballoted industrial action has taken place at the delivery office in Diss.
“Following flooding over the weekend, the delivery office has been fully cleansed and sanitised and independently verified as a safe place to work.
“We remain committed to resolving our colleagues’ concerns in cooperation with the Communication Workers’ Union.
“We have asked everybody to return to work. We sincerely apologise to customers in these areas for any disruption to their mail services,” he added.
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The company has now confirmed that everyone is back to work.
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