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Royal Mail managers are set to go on strike in a dispute over jobs and pay.
Trade union Unite said the industrial action will impact the postal service across the UK “immediately”.
The union claims that more than 2,400 managers will be protesting against plans to cut up to 700 jobs and reduce pay by up to £7,000 for some.
However Royal Mail says it “does not recognise” the pay cut figures and argues the job losses have been met through voluntary redundancy.
Here is what we know so far about the planned strikes:
When will they be taking place?
First, Royal Mail managers are set to “work to rule” between 15 and 19 July, meaning they will work strictly according to contracted hours and duties.
This is set to be followed by three days of strike action between 20 and 22 July.
How will the public be affected?
Unite claims the industrial action will “impact the postal and parcel service immediately across Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.
The unions has warned of disruption to post and parcels across the UK, though the Royal Mail says it has “contingency plans” in place.
Delays to key services such as next-day delivery and tracked items could potentially be impacted.
What else is expected during the industrial action?
Unite has warned key services could face delays during the days of industrial action
(Getty Images)
Unite said Royal Mail managers will take their contracted breaks, start and finish exactly on time and take their rest days, leaving no manager on site. During the strike days, they will refuse to work at all.
While the industrial action will be carried out by managers, the union warned postal staff might also refuse to work in unmanaged buildings.
What does Unite say?
Mike Eatwell, Unite national officer with responsibility for Royal Mail, said members have been “forced to the position of taking industrial action because those running Royal Mail refuse to see sense”.
He said: “We have taken another detailed look at Royal Mail’s proposals, and it is worse than we first thought.”
Mr Eatwell claims Royal Mail was looking to cut 700 jobs on top of 1,200 slashed last year, with managers who remain facing cuts to salaries of up to £7,000.
“Royal Mail knows what to do if it wants to avoid these strikes,” he said. “Step back from these cuts and make a serious offer to Unite’s members that will restore jobs and preserve pay.”
What does Royal Mail say?
They also said there was “no grounds for industrial action” and accused Unite of putting out misleading claims over additional job losses to members.
Royal Mail say that workers who were made redundant did so with up to two years salary.
A spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Unite/CMA has notified us of planned industrial action. There are no grounds for industrial action.
“The extended consultation on our recent restructure concluded earlier this year, and the restructuring is complete.
“We committed to protecting pay for all managers who stay with Royal Mail, and the vast majority have seen an increase in their earnings.
“We allowed managers to request voluntary redundancy with a package of up to two years’ salary, which was over-subscribed.
“We also made several concessions during the process, which Unite declined.
“We have contingency plans in place to minimise disruption for customers in the event of industrial action, and we will work to keep people, businesses and the country connected.”
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