More than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail are set to strike in August and September, with their union urging the company to ‘get real on pay’.
The Communication Workers’ Union’s recent ballot for strike action saw members vote 97.6% in favour of a strike on a 77% turnout, which the union claimed was the “biggest mandate for strike action reached since the implementation of the 2016 Trade Union Act”.
If the strike on Friday 26 August, Wednesday 31 August, Thursday 8 September and Friday 9 September goes ahead, it would represent the biggest strike of the summer so far, the CWU claimed.
Union members want to see a “dignified, proper pay rise”, in excess of the 2% that has been offered by the company.
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Th union claimed that with retail prices index inflation reaching 11.8% in June, a 2% pay rise would result in a “dramatic” reduction in living standards.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Royal Mail postal operative is £25,514, while mail sorters can expect £24,464.
CWU deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said: “The pay offer is an insult to our members and they are willing to fight for a no strings, real-terms pay rise that they are fully entitled to.
“Those managing Royal Mail Group are treating our members with contempt by imposing such a minimal amount. Royal Mail Group have failed to recognise the strength of feeling and have clearly lost the dressing room on pay.
“Our members deserve a pay rise that rewards their fantastic achievements in keeping the country connected during the pandemic, but also helps them keep up during this current economic crisis. We won’t be backing down until we get just that.”
Royal Mail said that its UK business would make a loss in 2022-23 if the strikes were to go ahead, and called the CWU’s decision to strike “an abdication of responsibility for the long-term job security of its members”.
In a statement, the company said it remained ready to talk to the CWU to try to avert industrial action, but any talks “must be about both change and pay”.
It added that a further 3.5% pay increase had been offered, on top of the 2%, subject to the union accepting a series of changes including a new bonus.
By modernising we can offer more of what our customers want at a price they are willing to pay, all whilst protecting jobs on the best terms and conditions in our industry” – Ricky McAulay, Royal Mail
“The CWU rejected this offer, worth up to 5.5%, which would add around £230 million to Royal Mail annual people costs at a time when the business is already loss making – in the Q1 trading update published on 20 July, Royal Mail announced it was losing a million pounds a day and the proposed pay deal adds more than half a million pounds a day to that figure. This can only be paid for with meaningful business change,” it said.
Royal Mail operations director Ricky McAulay said: “After more than three months of talks, the CWU have failed to engage in any meaningful discussion on the changes we need to modernise, or to come up with alternative ideas.
“Royal Mail can have a bright future, but we can’t achieve that by living in the past. By modernising we can offer more of what our customers want at a price they are willing to pay, all whilst protecting jobs on the best terms and conditions in our industry.”
Felixstowe dock workers to strike
Elsewhere, talks between Unite and the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company ended without a deal, meaning that a strike between 21 and 29 August involving 1,900 workers is set to go ahead at the port.
The union announced the result of its strike ballot last week, after talks with Acas failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion following the company’s failure to improve on its offer of a 7% pay increase.
However, according to the Guardian, further negotiations aimed at averting the strike have concluded without compromise. The company reportedly offered a £500 bonus for workers in addition to the pay rise.
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A port spokesperson said: “There will be no winners from a strike which will only result in their members losing money they would otherwise have earned. Our focus has been to find a solution that works for our employees and protects the future success of the port.”
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