POSTIES’ THREAT TO CHRISTMAS

They vote to strike – and may hit festive online deliveries

CHRISTMAS shopping could be thrown into chaos after union bosses threatened a postal strike.

Royal Mail workers voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute over pensions, pay and working conditions. Dates for the first national strike since the company was privatised in October 2013 have not been confirmed. But sources suggest the Communication Workers Union could walk out on November 24 and 25 to coincide with the ‘Black Friday’ sales when many families start their Christmas shopping. A strike on those dates could cause major disruption at sorting offices and delay the delivery of millions of items snapped up online at heavy discounts.

Union leaders are due to meet tomorrow to decide on action following the nationwide ballot of members.

Last night a source told the Mail: ‘While no decision has been made yet, it is certainly possible it could be on Black Friday because it is a key part of the lead-up to Christmas.’

Royal Mail insists strikes next month are impossible because the union has

agreed to a lengthy arbitration process that must take place first. But the source dismissed this as ‘rubbish’ and said controversial changes made to pensions meant that agreement was now void.

With the threat of further strikes over the festive period a possibility, CWU bosses were last night accused of threatening to ‘cancel Christmas’.

Some 14million shoppers spent an estimated £2billion on Black Friday last year.

David Jinks, of price comparison website ParcelHero, said: ‘If industrial action goes into the seasonal period it will have a huge impact.

‘And for some families, the timing of any strike or work to rule could mean that Christmas is cancelled by this action.’

Postal workers have accused Royal Mail of pursuing painful cost-cutting so it can make short-term profits and hand big payouts to shareholders.

They say it unilaterally closed its final salary pension scheme, with new employees going into a separate scheme that will pay less. The CWU has also criticised delivery office closures.

In the first major test of the Government’s controversial Trade Union Act, which requires strike ballots to have a 50 per cent turnout, 89 per cent of CWU members backed industrial action.

And at 74 per cent, the turnout easily passed the legal threshold.

Terry Pullinger, the union’s deputy general secretary, said: ‘This ballot result is hugely significant and demonstrates a strength of feeling that can only be translated

‘Damaging for our business’

as a massive vote of no confidence in the managerial leadership of the Royal Mail Group. They have failed and should resign or be sacked.’

Royal Mail said it was ‘disappointed’ by the strike vote and is committed to further talks. It added: ‘Industrial action is damaging for our business and it undermines the trust of our customers. It makes it harder to pay for the great terms and conditions we provide for our employees.’

The company threatened to withdraw a pensions offer it had made to union bosses if strikes go ahead, adding: ‘There are no grounds for industrial action. We want to reach agreement.

‘Royal Mail has brought to the CWU’s attention the contractual dispute resolution procedures... which we expect will take close to Christmas to be completed, and may be longer. We believe these dispute resolution procedures must be followed and the union cannot take industrial action until they have been completed.’

It said its new pension scheme would mean a 50-year-old employee on £25,000 per year would retire at on an annual pension of £12,300 and would also be handed a tax-free lump sum of £81,800.

It has also offered workers a pay increase of 5 per cent over two years if certain performance measures are met.