Home / Royal Mail / Post Office strikes: How long will action last and what date is my post affected? | UK | News

Post Office strikes: How long will action last and what date is my post affected? | UK | News

Two major unions representing post office workers have voted to go on strike. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) will take action this week and will affect 114 Crown Post Offices, which are the larger branches usually located on high streets, as well as disrupting 11,500 sub Post Offices in rural areas. Unite Union workers, made up of Royal Mail staff, will join them on strike next week, claiming the company is putting profits over “its duties as a public service”. 

Why are they striking?

Post Office workers are the latest workers to go on strike, following what is being called the ‘Summer of Discontent’ which has seen strikes in multiple industries.

Barristers and rail workers have taken up industrial action recently over poor working conditions and pay cuts.

Crown Post Office workers will be going on strike due to poor pay offers. The CWU says workers have only been offered a three percent raise for next year alongside a lump-sum of £500, and have not been offered a pay raise for this year. 

With the RPI inflation rate of 11.7 percent, the union says the Crown Post Office has refused to set a “sensible and fair” pay agreement.

Royal Mail will go on strike due to a similar row over pay cuts. The Unite Union says the post office is paying up to £7,000 and plans to cut more than 700 jobs.

Mike Eatwell, a Unite National Officer, says post office workers are ready to take action.

He added: “People who gave their working lives to this business will lose their homes. It is no wonder then that our members are angry.”

Read More: MORE rail strikes loom as union votes for action across UK

How long will the strikes last?

This week, post office workers from Crown Offices will be striking from Monday, July 11 to Thursday, July 14.

Crown Offices will be on strike on Monday while supply chain and administrative workers will be on strike on Thursday, which will likely affect rural areas.

Royal Mail workers will be ‘working to rule’ which means they will only be strictly following their contracts with the aim to slow down production.

Workers will do this between Friday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 19 but will be taking part in strike action for three days on July 20, 21 and 22.

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Will the post be affected?

The CWU claims their strikes will cause “serious disruption” and that “the blame for this disruption lies entirely with senior Post Office management”.

Crown Post Offices have said that while some of their offices will be affected by the strikes “over a third have opened as usual”.

The Royal Mail has said they will try to minimise disruption by Post Office workers and that they “will work to keep people, businesses and the country connected.”




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