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Postal strikes in Dumfries and Galloway are set to continue at the end of the month following the postponement of industrial action due to the death of the Queen.
Royal Mail workers, who are represented by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), are demanding better pay and conditions to combat the rising cost of living crisis after having a two per cent deal “imposed” on them.
Two days of industrial action were set to take place on September 8 and 9 but the second day was cancelled as a mark of respect after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Two more days of action are now scheduled for September 30 and October 1.
A CWU spokesperson said: “Our Royal Mail members have had an unagreed two per cent pay deal imposed on them. This is at a time when RPI inflation is currently running at 11.8 per cent and when Royal Mail has announced group profits of £758million, and when the company is paying out many millions to private shareholders.
“In a national strike ballot over pay, our Royal Mail members voted by a 97.6 per cent majority to take action.
“The pay dispute is not complicated. Our members are striking for a pay rise that fully addresses the current cost of living. Our members need it, our members deserve it – the company can afford it.”
The upcoming strike action comes after more than 115,000 UK postal workers participated in the largest walkout of the summer, which involved 14,500 people in Scotland, in order to demand a “dignified, proper pay rise”.
On previous strikes days, picket lines have been set up at Royal Mail offices across the region, including Dumfries and Lockerbie.
Royal Mail bosses have condemned the proposed continuation of the dispute.
A company spokesman said: “The CWU’s decision to announce further strike action is placing jobs at risk. Royal Mail is losing £1 million a day.
“Strike action has weakened our financial position and is threatening the long-term job security of our postmen and women.
“We want to protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term and retain our place as the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions. The CWU rejected our offer worth up to 5.5 per cent for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience the CWU’s continued strike action will cause. We are doing all we can to minimise any delays and keep people, businesses and the country connected. We remain ready to talk with the CWU, but any talks must be about both change and pay. Change is the route to higher pay.”
