To help support the Cambridge posties picket lines down by the sorting office, anarchists and other supporters went down with a bike-powered sound-system on the 22nd and the 30th (October) which had been used at the Camp for Climate Action in London. Not to mention food, drinks and moral support! There was a festive atmosphere around the fire as we listened to some great dance tunes and heckled the scabs as they went by. We even had a rocket-stove to boil water for tea and cook some food.

We have also been involved in raising money for the CWU strike fund, in Romsey and other parts of Cambridge and alongside the posties and supporters from the Cambridge and District Trades Union Council at the Abbey Stadium when Cambridge United beat Kidderminster 2-0! We have to say that the attitude of many working-class people to the posties strike is either hostility or, much more commonly, simply indifference. In our street collecting it was particularly noticeable that pensioners seemed the most supportive of the posties, not just because many rely on the postal service but also because they have the class consciousness many younger people lack. In fact the almost total apathy on the part of young people was very obvious and worrying.

There was one funny incident with a waddling, angry member of the petty bourgeoisie who shrilly accused us of “not being licensed” to collect money and tried to take our pictures to hand over to the police, accusing us of being criminals. But on the whole, loads of good folk took the time to stop, talk to us and give what money they could to support the strikers.

There will be a meeting of the Cambridge & Stevenage postal workers support group at 7.30pm on Tuesday the 3rd of November at the Maypole pub in Park Street, Cambridge. Come along!

To find out more:

Royal Mail Chat -- www.royalmailchat.co.uk
A Letter from a Postman --  http://libcom.org/library/letter-postman