Royal Mail and BT workers can escalate after strike together

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Striking workers at Royal Mail and BT Group have the power to win if they join together and escalate their strikes

Workers in Royal Mail and BT Group were set to strike together on Thursday of this week—their second united walkout over pay. Both sets of workers—all ­members of the CWU union—are fighting near-identical assaults on their wages. 

The day of action should be an opportunity to bring them together in action. It would be a boost for both of their campaigns—and could be a focus for everybody who’s fighting against their bosses’ drive to force down wages. CWU South Wales branch ­secretary Eugene Caparros told Socialist Worker he hoped Royal Mail workers would join a BT ­strikers’ rally in Cardiff city centre.

“We’re hoping it’s going to be a bit of a joint rally,” he said. “We’re going to have some speakers from the postal side and from the TUC.” Eugene said that the plan was to get BT strikers from across South Wales to march on the company’s office in the city centre. “We’re going to get everyone down to Cardiff and have a rally in central square near the station then march on BT Stadium House.” He added that the march could help to “rejuvenate the campaign.”

Mass events can help to stop strikers feeling isolated, especially as many are Openreach Engineers who work alone in their vans. “When you have three or four of you on a picket line in the middle of nowhere it’s a bit depressing. 

“But when there’s 30 of you on a main road, getting honks of ­support from passers-by it feels much better,” said Eugene. In September, when CWU leaders announced four more strike days—with the last on 24 October—their general secretary Dave Ward said they’d plan a “mass gathering.” 

But they’d called nothing as Socialist Worker went to press. Matt Crapper, a CWU rep in South Yorkshire, said regional rallies could “get people motivated until December when we might have to reballot.”He added that he and other union activists were organising to get BT and Royal Mail strikers together on Thursday. 

Meet Royal Mail jobs blackmail with escalating strikes

“I’ve contacted Royal Mail reps, and we’re going to get our heads together and find out what we can do and meet up on picket lines,” he told Socialist Worker. “We’re going to get local journalists down to the picket line for a photo op to make it a show of solidarity between Royal Mail and BT strikers.”

There are signs of strikers coming together in other parts of the country too. CWU activists plan a joint rally in Oxford on Thursday. All the pay fights are stronger when united and coordinated.  Steve, a Royal Mail worker on strike in south London last week, told Socialist Worker, “I think there should be a national day of action. I know on 1 October we were out with the rail workers and the Liverpool dockers. 

“And with the strength of anger in the country you may see more unions banding together and having more days of industrial action. “I think that may make the ­government stand up and listen.”