Related Articles
Postal workers started their 48-hour strike action today (December 14).
This is also the third day out of a total of six that postal workers in the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are staging walk-outs in the run-up to Christmas. As a result, Royal Mail has brought forward the final posting dates for Christmas cards to December 16 for first class mail, and December 21 for special delivery guaranteed.
The reasons for the strike are a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions. Royal Mail has warned the CWU that their belief further action will result in a better pay offer is “misguided”, as the business is losing more than £1 million a day, and workers are “risking their long-term job security”.
READ MORE: Hundreds express their anger after council tells family to tear down extension
Do you support the postal workers’ strike? Do you think they are right to walk out now? Let us know in the comments.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “Royal Mail bosses are risking a Christmas meltdown because of their stubborn refusal to treat their employees with respect. Postal workers want to get on with serving the communities they belong to, delivering Christmas gifts and tackling the backlog from recent weeks.
“But they know their value, and they will not meekly accept the casualisation of their jobs, the destruction of their conditions and the impoverishment of their families. This can be resolved if Royal Mail begin treating their workers with respect, and meet with the union to resolve this dispute.”
But Royal Mail said the workers were “deliberately holding Christmas to ransom” for their customers. They added: “We are doing everything we can to deliver Christmas for our customers, and would like to thank the increasing number of posties returning to work each strike day, temporary workers and managers from across the business who are helping to keep the mail moving.
“However, this task becomes more challenging as Christmas nears. Three weeks ago, we made a best and final pay offer worth up to 9% over 18 months.
“Instead of working with us to agree on changes required to fund that offer and get pay into our posties’ pockets, the CWU has announced plans to ballot in the New Year for further strike action.”
The CWU said it had offered “simple solutions” to end the dispute, including a back-dated pay deal of 9% over 18 months, a long-term job security commitment from Royal Mail’s chief executive and a period of calm for negotiations on the future direction of the company.
What do you think? Do you support the postal workers? Let us know in the comments.
