Staff at Royal Mail will be taking part in nationwide strike action for four days in the coming weeks.
Following a dispute over pay, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has organised the industrial action and it's expected that around 115,000 employees will be involved.
The first day of the strikes is Friday, August 26, with three more planned for the weeks ahead.
Members of the union have also "overwhelmingly" voted to take more action against Royal Mail, with 98.7 per cent voting in favour on a turnout of 72.2 per cent.
This will give the union the authority to organise more strikes if the workers' needs aren't met.
Here is all the key information about the strikes and how they will affect customers.
When are the Royal Mail strikes?
The dates for the planned industrial action are as follows:
- Friday, August 26
- Wednesday, August 31
- Thursday, September 8
- Friday, September 9
The dates for the next round of strikes have not yet been confirmed, but members of the Union have voted that they'll take action and go on strike again if Royal Mail do not improve their conditions.
How will the strikes affect my deliveries?
No letters will be delivered on the strike days, Royal Mail have said, with the exception of special delivery letters.
In a statement on the website, Royal Mail said they were "sorry for the disruption" that the strike action is likely to cause, and that they will do everything they can to minimise the disruption.
Royal Mail also warned that customers should expect to face "significant disruption" as their well-developed contingency plans "cannot replace the daily effects of its frontline workforce".
It has been confirmed that Royal Mail:
-
will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked24 parcels as possible on strike days
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will prioritise the delivery of COVID test kits and medical prescriptions wherever possible
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will not be delivering letters (with the exception of Special Delivery)
It's likely that your deliveries will be delayed if they're posted around the time of the strikes.
Why are the Royal Mail strikes happening?
Royal Mail staff have voted for industrial action because of a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The union rejected a pay rise of 5.5%, which Royal Mail described as their biggest increase in years. However, the increase is still way below the rate of inflation, which hit a 40-year high last month.
To help minimise the disruption of the strikes, Royal Mail recommends that you do the following:
- Post your items as early as possible in advance of the strike dates
- Continue to post your items at Postboxes or Post Offices, however collections will be less frequent on days when strike action is taking place
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