Striking Royal Mail workers ‘using foodbanks to feed families’

Royal Mail workers across Merseyside took to picket lines today, on their first day of strike action.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) who work for Royal Mail are striking over four days in total, including today, because of a dispute over pay. Workers will also strike on August 31, September 8 and September 9 unless the dispute is resolved.

Over 100,000 postal workers are believed to have walked out today after they balloted to strike over pay earlier this month. Royal Mail said they had offered workers a 5.5% pay rise, though the union denied the Royal Mail Group “offered anything.”

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This morning the ECHO visited picket lines throughout Merseyside to find out what had made individual workers take the decision to strike. Many said their workload had increased and become unbearable, while others said they were having to use foodbanks and were not allowed to “stand still” for over three minutes on their daily rounds.

One woman, a mum-of-one from Wirral, said that she had been forced to turn to foodbanks to help feed her child. The mum, who wanted to stay anonymous over fears she’d “get into trouble,” told the ECHO: “The strike isn’t just over pay, it’s over contracts too. We’ve got big bosses at the top who are making millions and millions of pounds.

“The scanners we use – if we stay still for more than three minutes it’s sent to the manager. I’ve been pulled in for it before and questioned why I was stood still for more than three minutes – I was just helping a customer.

“We post to a lot of old people and we’re the only person some of them see throughout the whole day and if they want a little chat we’re going to [talk to them] – they’re not allowing us to be pillars of the community.

“They’re also trying to make us walk faster on our rounds. They’re putting more mail, more parcels on us everyday, it’s hard, demanding and difficult job as it is. They say they offered us 5.5%, but they’ve only offered us 2%. But inflation’s around 10% so a 5.5% pay rise wouldn’t do anything anyway.

“We worked right the way through the pandemic, we kept the company going on the front lines and they can’t come to an agreement with us.

“It’s impacting everyone massively. Myself, I’m going through a debt release order at the moment because my debts have mounted up. It’s so stressful, my mental health suffers as it is anyway.

“I’ve had to go to a foodbank. There’s another guy in our office who has had to go to a foodbank too – we’re struggling trying to make ends meet.”

Another striker, who said he had been working as a postman for almost 35 years, told the ECHO: “The company made massive profits during Covid. People were working holidays during that time to cover for sick workers, you obviously couldn’t go on holiday but we all gave up leave to keep the company going”

Some local politicians also joined the picket lines, with Wirral Council leader Janette Williamson among them in Birkenhead. She told the ECHO: ““I was proud to join the postal workers today. They are the lifeblood of our communities.

“Through the pandemic they were the only people some residents saw each day, providing a vital lifeline while the country was locked down. It was great to see all the support they were getting from passers-by too – with lots of horns honking and people stopping to chat.

“My stepdad was a postal worker and growing up I saw what a big role they play. Around Wirral, and across the country, they are a friendly face, working rain or shine to connect people. They should be paid properly for the work they do.”

Wirral councillor for Birkenhead and Tranmere Pat Cleary joined another picket line in the town. He told the ECHO: “We are here obviously to show our solidarity with those strikes and support their campaign for a pay settlement. I think it is very important that councillors show what side they are on, especially when we have seen pay and conditions cut under Conservative governments”

Yesterday, ahead of the strikes, the Royal Mail said: “The change we need is the change the public demand of us. They want more and bigger parcels delivered the next day – including Sundays – and more environmentally friendly options. They want this at a competitive price, with great quality of service.

“We cannot cling to outdated working practices, ignoring technological advancements and pretending that Covid has not significantly changed what the public wants from Royal Mail.

“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. That is in the best interests of Royal Mail and all its employees.

“We apologise to our customers, and the public for the inconvenience the CWU’s strike action will cause. We have offered to meet the CWU numerous times in recent weeks, but they declined each invitation, preferring to spend their time on the political agenda of the UK trade union movement.

“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.