Royal Mail: When is the next postal strike and why is the Communication Workers’ Union taking industrial action?

The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) has around 115,000 members, and they have voted to take action over disputes around pay and conditions.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “This action is down to the conduct of Royal Mail management, who have displayed a complete lack of integrity.

“Our members will not just sit back and watch as their working lives are destroyed by a company leadership hell-bent on ripping up historic arrangements that protect their rights and give them a voice through their union.”

When is the next postal strike?

The union is looking to stage a 24-hour strike from 12.30pm on Thursday, February 16.

“We cannot and will not sit back as they destroy our members’ jobs,” a tweet from the union added. CWU said on Twitter that the “vast majority” of members would be walking out.

Staff who work from 12.30pm will only strike on Thursday and those who work mornings will strike on Friday.

As of 2019, there were 319,000 postal workers in the UK, meaning the strike action is likely to severely deplete the force.

A Royal Mail statement added: “Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but we cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce. We’ll be doing what we can to keep services running, but we are sorry this planned strike action is likely to cause you some disruption.”

Why is CWU striking?

The union said that Royal Mail has been implementing changes to work practises in post offices across the country that had not been agreed.

The CWU said that changes “directly contravened the industrial relations framework” between themselves and Royal Mail by removing the right to negotiate.

Workers had previously rejected a nine per cent pay rise in exchange for changes to working hours. The union had completed 18 days of national strikes in 2022, which came to a head around Christmas.

The strikes last year cost Royal Mail an estimated £100 million.

What has Royal Mail said?

Royal Mail has said it is still open to hold talks with the union.

A statement read: “We entered facilitated talks through Acas in good faith, believing that the CWU were serious in their claim that they wanted a resolution. In announcing further damaging strike action, the CWU have shown they are not interested in resolving this dispute and continue to focus on damaging our business further.

“The CWU’s misguided belief that further industrial action will remove the need for change and force an improved offer is misleading its members, and risking their long-term job security.”