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From Friday 115,000 Royal Mail workers are going on strike in what has been called the “biggest strike of summer so far”. Workers gathered at the Penarth Road sorting office in Cardiff to make their case.
On the picket line, Communication Workers Union branch chair and postal executive member Katrina Quirke explained the reasons for the strike. She said: “Today we are out on strike for pay. People think we strike all the time. We have not been out on strike since 2009 in Royal Mail. It’s taken us a long time to get to this situation but our members feel enough is enough.”
READ MORE: Royal Mail strike: What to expect as widespread disruption to services predicted
She explained the details of the dispute: “The Royal Mail executive have given their shareholders over £400,000,000, and imposed a 2% pay rise on their workers. That is totally inadequate when inflation is over 10%.
“We sent a letter in February asking for a no-strings pay deal. They didn’t respond to us until around April 20 and said they couldn’t give us a pay deal without strings – they want to bring people in on a 40-hour week, three hours more than we work, and on 13% less pay than we get now.”
Royal Mail CEO Mr Thompson denied the accusation that money from the company has been handed to shareholders, saying the Covid-19 “bubble has burst”. He added: “Our reality today is we are losing a million pounds a day.”
The CWU voted to strike with an overwhelming 97.6% majority. The industrial action will cause significant delays to letters and parcels across the four strike days – August 26, August 31, September 8 and September 9.
Katrina was quick to point out: “Striking is the last resort. We’ve been trying to talk to the executive and we’ve written letters. What we want Royal Mail to do is to come and negotiate with us. We’re asking them to negotiate and actually talk.”
Postal workers were some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic, and Katrina said: “There is certainly a lack of recognition for the work in the pandemic. The Royal Mail service kept the country connected throughout the pandemic, delivered all those test kits and got people’s parcels and letters through.
“This is our workers’ thanks for everything they’ve done for Royal Mail, for this country, and for this public service which has been around for over 500 years. There’s nothing better than this that keeps the country connected, yet this executive actually want to destroy this great service. We need to fight now. If we don’t, we will be forever on our knees.”
The CWU clarified the position over pay, saying: “Royal Mail Group have not offered anything. They have imposed a 2% rise on workers without the agreement of the union. Separately, they have offered 1.5% but that is strictly conditional on postal workers agreeing changes which would rip up their terms and conditions.
“Finally, they have suggested a £500 lump sum could be paid in 2023 but have no clear view on the criteria for that. The CWU is calling for a summit meeting with the leadership of Royal Mail Group, which Royal Mail Group has refused. “
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. Royal Mail’s leadership have lost the dressing room – and unless they make efforts to get real on discussing a pay rise that postal workers deserve, serious disruption will continue.”
(Image: BEN SUMMER)
Royal Mail has been contacted for comment. In a previous statement, the company said: “Tomorrow’s CWU strike thrusts Royal Mail into the most uncertain time of its 500-year history. It is putting jobs at risk and making pay rises less affordable.
“We are losing £1million a day. We must change to fix the situation and protect high quality jobs. While our competitors work seven days a week, delivering until 10pm to meet customer demand, the CWU want to work fewer hours, six days a week, starting and finishing earlier. Their plans to transform Royal Mail come with a £1billion price tag, are predicated on a wholly unrealistic revival in letter writing, and prevent Royal Mail from growing, and remaining competitive, in a fast-moving industry.
“The CWU’s vision for Royal Mail would create a vicious spiral of falling volumes, higher prices, bigger losses, and fewer jobs. Our future is as a parcels business. We must adapt old ways of working designed for letters to a world increasingly dominated by parcels, and we must act fast.
“We want to protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term and retain our place as the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions. We apologise to our customers, and the public for the inconvenience the CWU’s strike action will cause.”
Katrina said: “If people want to help, they can put posters in their windows and they can seal notices on their letterbox saying: ‘No mail to be posted today.’
“They can hoot their horns and wave as they pass us. That’s all we want: ‘Thank you, we support you.’ We know the public supports us. We support the public and we look after the public; we are the fourth emergency service and we showed that through the pandemic.”
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