Postal workers remain committed during second day of strikes

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) from the Sun Street Depot in Wolverhampton mounted picket lines outside the depot on Wednesday, joining other Royal Mail offices in striking in protest at a two per cent pay rise.

The union said more than 100,000 workers were involved, making it the biggest strike of the summer, and follows a walkout last Friday, with further stoppages to take place on Thursday, September 8 and Friday, September 9.

At Sun Street, there was a united feeling among the workers striking outside, with CWU members being joined by representatives of other unions, such as Unite and Unison.

CWU flags were waved, loud music was being played and whistles blown by those striking outside, while people driving past were encouraged to blow their car horns in support.

Apart from one man who argued that the workers shouldn’t be striking as he walked past, CWU sub rep of deliveries Phil Reade said the general public had been very supportive on the first day and on Wednesday.

He said: “I thought the first day went really well and it was good to see that the general public were supporting us, blowing their car horns, and I think everybody out there knows exactly why we’re doing this.

“The next day, I was back out on my round and people were saying well done because we were making a stand and standing up for what we believe in.”

Mr Reade said the aim of the second, third and fourth days of strike action was to get management around the table to talk with the union, but said nothing had happened so far.

He said: “At the moment, I’ve been told that no talks have taken place at all, but we’re hoping that this will change after the two days of national action next week, as none of us want to be out on strike and we want management to be talking to us.

“That’s why we’re striking and why train drivers and barristers are striking and why the public are supporting us as people are getting fed up of not being given what they are entitled to.

“There’s an old adage of ‘The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer’ and we hope this strike action can help to diversify this and, as Mick Lynch from the RMT said, the general public have had enough.”

The strike action nationally has seen the CWU and Royal Mail clash over the strike action and the distribution of money.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “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.

“Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “The CWU’s self-centred actions with the wider trade union movement is putting jobs at risk, and making pay rises less affordable.

“Each strike day makes that more difficult, making Royal Mail’s future more uncertain than at any time in its long history.

“The CWU has failed to respond to our latest invitation to meet to discuss change and pay, instead creating red herrings on the Universal Service, renationalisation and shareholder activity.

“The CWU is deflecting to avoid talking about the changes we need to make as a business.

“We remain ready to talk with the CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action and prevent significant inconvenience for customers. But any talks must be about both change and pay.”