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More than 100,000 postal workers will walk out on Friday in what is being described as the biggest strike of the summer so far.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said its members are taking industrial action for a ‘dignified, proper pay rise’ after voting by 97.6% in favour of a ballot.
Friday’s strike will be followed by further stoppages on Wednesday August 31, Thursday September 8 and Friday September 9.
The union said management gave employees a 2% pay rise, despite them being classed as key workers throughout the Covid pandemic.
‘In an economic climate where inflation looks set to soar to 18% by January 2023, the imposition will lead to a dramatic reduction in workers’ living standards,’ a union spokesman said.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: ‘On Friday, we will see a tremendous outpouring of workers’ unity in villages, towns and cities across the country.
‘There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve.
‘We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.
‘When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758 million in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400 million, our members won’t accept pleas of poverty from the company.
‘Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain.
‘They are sick of corporate failure getting rewarded again and again.
‘Royal Mail’s leadership have lost the dressing room – and unless they make efforts to get real on discussing a pay rise that postal workers deserve, serious disruption will continue.’
Royal Mail said it has ‘well-developed contingency plans’ to minimise disruption, focused on getting mail delivery back to normal as quickly as possible after the strike action.
The company said on days when strike action is taking place, it will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked24 parcels as possible, prioritising the delivery of Covid test kits and medical prescriptions.
Customers are advised to post items as early as possible in advance of the strike dates as collections will be less frequent.
The union is also in dispute with Royal Mail bosses over efficiencies.
‘We are losing £1 million a day, and we need to change what we are doing to fix the situation and protect jobs,’ a Royal Mail spokesperson said.
‘This change is also needed to support the pay package we have offered to CWU grade colleagues, worth up to 5.5%.
‘This is the biggest increase we have offered for many years and the CWU have rejected it. This would add around £230 million to Royal Mail’s annual people costs when the business is already loss-making.’
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