Penrith postal workers have joined today’s national Royal Mail staff strike calling for fair pay.
Barry Bowes, North Lancs and Cumbria branch secretary for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said nationally they have 116,000 members and from a 77 per cent turn out in the ballot there was a 98 per cent yes vote for industrial action.
“The predominant reason for us being out on this dispute is pay. The business have refused to negotiate with our lead negotiators. They have sat back, raked the money in – £250 million profit, £400 million to the shareholders – but can’t afford to give our members a pay rise,” said Mr Bowes.
He said that the “cost of living crisis” was impacting on everybody across the country, including postal workers.
In total there are set to be four days of strike action, with another planned for next Wednesday and then on 8th and 9th September.
A Royal Mail spokesman said today’s CWU strike thrusts Royal Mail into “the most uncertain time of its 500-year history”.
He said: “It is putting jobs at risk and making pay rises less affordable. We are losing £1 million a day. We must change to fix the situation and protect high quality jobs.
“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 We cannot cling to outdated working practices, ignoring technological advancements and pretending that Covid has not significantly changed what the public wants from Royal Mail.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 10 pm 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 £1 billion 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.
“We have contingency plans to minimise customer disruption and will work to keep people, businesses and the country connected.”
