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SCORES of Royal Mail postal workers across Wiltshire are on picket lines this morning to support demands for a pay rise of more than two per cent.
They are among 115,000 postal workers across the country who have walked out on strike for a second day in a dispute over pay.
The strike will affect 1,500 locations across the UK and is the latest in a slew of industrial disputes unfolding as the country battles a historic cost-of-living crisis.
The walkout follows one on August 26 and others are set to take place on September 8 and September 9 after 97.6 per cent of the Communication Workers Union members voted for industrial action.
They will affect sorting and delivery offices across Wiltshire, including Amesbury, Bradford on Avon, Calne, Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett, Salisbury, Swindon, Tidworth, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury.
A postal worker at Chippenham, who did not wish to be named, said: “Everybody seems in good spirits and passers by are very supportive.”
Paul Wotton, the Branch Secretary for CWU Western Counties, said the strike action has been overwhelmingly supported by the 140 CWU members in Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury.
“This has been replicated right across my Branch and the rest of the country,” he added.
Royal Mail says it has offered CWU members a 5.5 per cent pay rise, and has cited the company’s precarious financial situation as a key reason why pay cannot keep pace with inflation.
The group says Royal Mail is already losing £1 million a day and CWU’s demands would cost over £1 billion a year to implement.
A spokesperson said: “Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but they cannot fully replace the daily efforts of its frontline workforce. We’ll be working to keep services running, but you should expect significant disruption on strike days.
“Please post items as early as possible in advance of the strike dates. Items posted the day before, during, or in the days after any strike will be subject to delay.
“On strike days, we’ll deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked 24 parcels as possible and prioritise COVID test kits and medical prescription items.
“We will not be delivering letters, except for Special Delivery letter items. Delivery Offices and Customer Service Points will be closed, please do not try to collect from or drop off items on strike day dates.”
