“After industrial action takes place, we’ll be increasing our network capacity and using additional resources to assist with getting services back to normal,” says Royal Mail. However, given the close proximity to the other strikes and a build-up of delayed mail, disruption is still very likely and people are advised to post items well in advance if possible. Royal Mail says it’s “doing what we can” to keep services running but customers are warned of “significant disruption”.
“The price of everything’s going up, people are having to do more and more overtime,” she said. Inflation, the rate at which prices rise, is at a 40-year high of 10.1% and expected to surpass 13% later this year. General Secretary Dave Ward said workers faced the “biggest ever assault” on jobs, terms and conditions “in the history of Royal Mail”. The plan was approved despite objections over increased flooding, sewage leak risks and traffic. International Distributions Services, which is the parent company of Royal Mail, saw its share price tumble by 6.75% to 195p on Friday following the announcement. The next strike date is scheduled for 20 October followed by a further walk-out on 25 October.
Twenty-one days will be affected by the strikes, which the union eos price, chart, market cap and info says will have a “dramatic impact” on peak periods such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the run-up to Christmas. Around 115,000 staff are walking out over pay and conditions in what the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) says is the biggest national strike of any sector this year. “But those in charge of Royal Mail need to wake up and realise we won’t allow them to destroy the livelihoods of postal workers,” it said. The long-running dispute revolves around pay, jobs and conditions at the privately-owned firm. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said “the livelihoods of postal workers” were at stake. The action is on top of four days already announced for late November, around the Black Friday shopping weekend.
The card company Moonpig has advised customers to order early where possible but said its gifts and flowers use different delivery services so would be unaffected by the strikes. On strike days it will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked 24 parcels as possible, it said. It will also prioritise the delivery of medical prescriptions where possible. The union representing the workers is demanding a pay rise that more closely reflects the current rate of inflation. Letters will not be delivered on strike days and some parcels will be delayed, Royal Mail warned. It is the first of four days of industrial action, with walk-outs also taking place on 31 August as well as 8 and 9 September.
Royal Mail strike: 115,000 postal workers begin strike
Royal Mail said it had offered workers a “deal worth up to 5.5% for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years, which the CWU rejected”. “Postal workers won’t accept their living standards being hammered by bosses who are typical of business leaders today – overpaid, underqualified, out of their depth.” Dave Ward, CWU general secretary said there will now be a “small window” for talks to avoid walkouts before strike dates are set. The union has demanded Royal Mail group enters into negotiations to secure a “straight, no-strings pay increase for workers”. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) backed the action on Tuesday after ballot papers were sent out three weeks ago.
The firm says it will try to keep services going to some extent but disruption and delays are likely to be significant. This is set to be followed by three days of strike action between 20 and 22 July. However Royal Mail says it “does not recognise” the pay cut figures and argues the job losses have been met through voluntary redundancy. “They should be focused on a resolution to this dispute for their members and the long-term health of the business, rather than damaging strike action,” it said. Royal Mail workers are to strike on six days in December, including Christmas Eve, usually one of the busiest days of the year for the company.
When Royal Mail strikes are happening and how it’ll affect your post
More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay. Chairman Keith Williams has said that the firm is losing £1m a day as parcel volumes fall and efforts to modernise the business stall. A seven week strike was linked to an employment dispute between Unite and the local council.
Royal Mail workers are striking on multiple days across the next few months, with people warned to expect delays to their parcels and letters. The unions has warned of disruption to post and parcels across the UK, though the Royal Mail says it has “contingency plans” in place. The union claims that more than 2,400 managers will be protesting against plans to cut up to 700 jobs and reduce pay by up to £7,000 for some. But while there have been calls for pay rises, there are concerns that higher wages to cope with the current cost of living could fuel further inflation.
Post Offices will stay open and offer their usual services but Royal Mail collections will be limited. Special Delivery mail will still be prioritised “as resources allow” but the usual next-day guarantees are being suspended and customers can’t claim compensation for delays. “We committed to protecting pay for all managers who stay with Royal Mail, and the vast majority have seen an increase in their earnings. Inflation, the rate at which prices rise, hit 9.1% in May and is forecast to go higher later this year.
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- “The CWU’s decision to choose damaging strike action over resolution regrettably increases the risk of further headcount reductions.”
- Royal Mail says it has “well-developed contingency plans” but “cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce”.
- Julie Macken, co-founder of natural skincare firm Neve’s Bees, told the BBC the prospects of more strike action “makes me really scared actually”.
- The CWU is the latest of several unions to ballot for strikes in recent weeks as the cost of living soars.
- Special Delivery mail will still be prioritised “as resources allow” but the usual next-day guarantees are being suspended and customers can’t claim compensation for delays.
Mr Eatwell claims Royal Mail was looking to cut 700 jobs on top of 1,200 slashed last year, with managers who remain facing cuts to salaries of up to £7,000. Mike Eatwell, Unite national officer with responsibility for Royal Mail, said members have been “forced to the position of taking industrial action because those running Royal Mail refuse to see sense”. First, Royal Mail managers are set to “work to rule” between 15 and 19 July, meaning they will work strictly according to contracted hours and duties. The union has been told a 3.5% is available subject to further talks and agreements, which would total a 5.5% rise. “Despite nearly three months of talks, the CWU have not engaged in any meaningful discussion on the changes we need to make to adapt,” a statement added. Workers on the railways and at airports are also in pay disputes with employers, with prices for goods in the UK rising at the fastest rate in 40 years.
The CWU has how to buy stock for beginners rejected the offer, saying it failed to match rising inflation, which is currently running at a 40-year high of nearly 10%. “It could have a huge impact on our business especially at this time of year. Much of what we sell is gifts and obviously Christmas is a key gifting period for everybody.” Apart from the redundancies, the firm will cut roles through natural attrition, for example by not replacing workers who leave. Royal Mail says it has “well-developed contingency plans” but “cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce”.
The union said postal workers “will not budge” until they receive a “dignified, proper pay rise”. It comes as Royal Mail said the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents the strikers, had rejected a pay rise offer “worth up to 5.5%” after three months of talks. It said plans by the postal service include cutting workers’ sick pay, delaying arrival of post by three hours and inferior terms for new employees. The planned 19 days of industrial action include Black Friday week and Cyber Monday, as well as 13, 20, and 25 October, and 28 November.
Postal worker Hannah Carrol, who is part a strike at Whitechapel in East London, said she wanted to see wages rise in line with the growing cost of living. The union has called for Royal Mail to increase wages to an amount that “covers the current cost of living”. General Secretary Mr Ward said the changes could lead to the “destruction of the special relationship that postal workers and the public have in every community in the UK”. Royal Mail also revealed that it will have to enter talks with the union because, it said its legacy voluntary redundancy scheme, which offers up to two years’ of pay, “is now unaffordable”. During the first half of its financial year, Royal Mail said strike action cost the business £70m, leading to an operating loss of £219m compared to a £235m profit last year.
Record wage rises still outpaced by soaring prices
The union is set to decide its next steps, which could include bin strikes. Members of a second union have accepted a pay offer of either £1,292 or 3.6% for council staff. Royal Mail also wants employees to start later and finish later to accommodate online shopping habits, where people tend to order goods in the evening or late at night and want next-day delivery. Julie Macken, co-founder of natural skincare firm Neve’s Bees, told the BBC the prospects of more strike action “makes me really scared actually”.
Royal Mail managers are set to go on strike in a dispute over jobs and pay. The CWU which represents more than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail, simple scalping trading strategies and advanced techniques said it still wanted a negotiated settlement with Royal Mail Group and would “continue to engage the company to that end”. The CWU is the latest of several unions to ballot for strikes in recent weeks as the cost of living soars. Royal Mail has been attempting to make the company a “parcels-led” business as the number of letters being sent through the post declines and more people shop online. The postal company said it will begin notifying workers of its plan, which includes up to 6,000 redundancies. Twenty-one dates are affected by Royal Mail strikes in September, October, November and December.