Royal Mail workers are striking again this month as part of a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. The Communication Worker's Union (CWU) has formally notified its members will strike on three further dates in November plus seven more in December.
Strikes held so far are already said to have cost the company £100m - and that is before the next swathe of action. A fresh 48-hour walk-out is set to take place on Thursday and Friday of this week.
The Royal Mail says it has its “best and final offer” amid at resolving a long-running dispute. It said its revised offer includes “extensive improvements” that have been made during the negotiations with the CWU, including an enhanced pay deal of up to 9% over 18 months, offering to develop a new profit share scheme for employees, and making voluntary redundancy terms more generous.
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail’s chief executive said: “Talks have lasted for seven months and we have made numerous improvements and two pay offers, which would now see up to a 9% pay increase over 18 months alongside a host of other enhancements. This is our best and final offer.
“Negotiations involve give and take, but it appears that the CWU’s approach is to just take. We want to reach a deal, but time is running out for the CWU to change their position and avoid further damaging strike action tomorrow.
“The strikes have already added £100 million to Royal Mail’s losses so far this year. In a materially loss making company, with every additional day of strike action we are facing the difficult choice of about whether we spend our money on pay and protecting jobs, or on the cost of strikes.”
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “We are disappointed that instead of reaching a compromise to avoid major disruption, Royal Mail have chosen to pursue such an aggressive strategy. We will not accept that 115,000 Royal Mail workers – the people who kept us connected during the pandemic, and made millions in profit for bosses and shareholders – take such a devastating blow to their livelihoods.
“These proposals spell the end of Royal Mail as we know it, and its degradation from a national institution into an unreliable, Uber-style gig economy company. Make no mistake about it: British postal workers are facing an Armageddon moment. We urge every member of the public to stand with their postie, and back them like never before.”
So far there are 10 further strike dates. This is what they have announced so far:
November
Thursday, November 24
Friday, November 25
Wednesday, November 30
December
Thursday, December 1
Friday, December 9
Sunday, December 11
Wednesday, December 14
Thursday, December 15
Friday, December 23
Saturday, December 24
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