Royal Mail workers are due to go on strikes throughout August and September over disputes relating to pay.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has organised the industrial action which will involve around 115,000 employees. The decision to take strike action was announced after the union rejected the Royal Mail's pay rise offer "worth up to 5.5 per cent" following three months of talks, according to the postal service.
It is understood that there will be significant disruptions to postal services from the Royal Mail on the strike dates.
Read more: Aitch feels like ‘most hated person in Manchester’ after Ian Curtis mural drama
Dave Ward, CWU general secretary, said: “Nobody takes the decision to strike lightly, but postal workers are being pushed to the brink. There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve.”
He also stated that people “can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks”.
“The CWU’s message to Royal Mail’s leadership is simple – there will be serious disruption until you get real on pay,” he added.
Ricky McAulay, operations director at Royal Mail, accused the union of failing to engage in “any meaningful discussion”. He added: “The CWU rejected our offer worth up to 5.5 per cent for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years."
“In a business that is currently losing £1m a day, we can only fund this offer by agreeing the changes that will pay for it.”
When are the Royal Mail strikes?
The strikes will take place across four different dates:
- Friday, August 26
- Wednesday, August 31
- Thursday, September 8
- Friday, September 9
How will postal services be affected?
According to Royal Mail, letters will not be delivered on the strike dates. However, the company has informed customers that it plans to minimise the disruption caused by the industrial action.
A statement from the courier service reads: "Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but they cannot fully replace the daily efforts of its frontline workforce. We will be doing what we can to keep services running, but customers should expect significant disruption.”
Royal Mail also stated that it will try to deliver as many special deliveries and tracked 24 parcels as possible while prioritising the delivery of Covid test kits and medical prescriptions. It is also suspending its usual guaranteed delivery of all special delivery items by 9am or 1pm next day on the strike dates.
In order to ensure that your parcels or letters get delivered on the desired date during the strike, Royal Mail advises posting items as early as possible before the strike dates.
Read next:
