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Posties in Hull are on strike again today fighting for their jobs amidst the “Uberisation” of the Royal Mail.
Staff at Hull’s depot joined the 115,000 postal workers across the country in a mass two-day walkout for today and tomorrow. The strike will be followed by 19 further days of strike action in the run-up to Christmas.
The company has been accused by unions of trying to become an ‘Uber-style employer’ in its modernisation programmes to compete with parcel delivery rivals. Union officials said workers were “sick to the back teeth” of worsening conditions.
A picket was held outside Royal Mail’s delivery office on Malmo Road in Hull’s industrial district this morning, with some having been there since 4am. One worker at the picket line told Hull Live staff at all three sites in the city were downing tools for the action.
Read more: Yorkshire ambulance workers could strike as many ‘worry about how they’ll feed families’
(Image: Hull Live)
Plenty of support could be heard in the form of honking horns from passing drivers. It follows a summer of strikes nationwide across industries in reaction to soaring inflation, from train staff to barristers.
Royal Mail staff in Hull were joined by representative union the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), who have stated the ongoing dispute is related to working conditions at the company, not just pay. The CWU claims the company has tossed out elements of a nine-year deal on workers’ rights as it attempts to push through a modernisation programme.
(Image: Hull Live)
“Postal workers in this country will not meekly accept having their lives being made worse for the benefit of a wealthy few,” CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said. “We are seeing a national outpouring of anger from workers who are sick to the back teeth of an incompetent business elite who want to destroy a great institution, worsen working conditions and damage the communities our members serve.
“Workers will never accept the Uberisation of Royal Mail – nor will the public, who have backed us in unprecedented numbers in the past few months. Postal workers are not going to swerve in our determination, which is something that Royal Mail have got to realise.
(Image: Hull Live)
“Royal Mail bosses have lost the dressing room, and unless they make efforts to get real on negotiating with workers representatives, serious disruption will continue. In the meantime, we urge every member of the public to stand by their postie.”
Further days of action are currently planned for the following days:
- Thursday 13 October 2022
- Thursday 20 October 2022
- Tuesday 25 October 2022
- Monday 28 November 2022
Royal Mail has said the public may experience “significant disruption” to postal services throughout the dispute period over the autumn, and has said it will be prioritising Covid special delivery tests and medical prescriptions. People posting letters and parcels have been told to get them in earlier ahead of strike dates.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Royal Mail is losing £1m a day and must change faster in response to changing customer demands. We operate in a competitive market, and our customers have choices.
“Further strikes and resistance to transformation by CWU will only make our financial position worse, and threatens the long-term job security of our postmen and women.”
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