Police watch Royal Mail site over picket fears

Published on Friday 30 October 2009 08:59

POLICE are "keeping an eye" on a controversial Royal Mail site amid fears it could become a flashpoint for picketing postal workers during the strike.

The firm has taken over part of the old Motorola factory at Bathgate's Pyramids Business Park to house casual Christmas staff.

But the Communications Workers Union said Livingston residents reported mail deliveries from workers in civilian clothes yesterday morning.

The union says no postal workers were out delivering at that time as they were still sorting mail and have accused Royal Mail of using the temporary workers to clear the backlog from last week's strike.

The union threatened to picket the site if the company used agency workers to do the work of striking posties, and it is understood Royal Mail approached police with safety fears.

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail categorically denied casual workers were delivering from the Bathgate site.