Royal Mail workers vote again for strikes

Royal Mail workers have voted massively in favour of strikes in a long running dispute over job security and the future direction of the company.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) yesterday backed industrial action by 94 per cent.

It was the third time union members had voted in favour of strikes. The union secured a huge mandate for action last year, but the Royal Mail staged a successful legal challenge to halt strikes. The dispute involves more than 100,000 Royal Mail workers.

The union held back from announcing strike dates and said it wanted to become an additional emergency service in view of the coronavirus crisis. A statement said: “This represents a huge mandate both in support of their union, but also in opposition to Royal Mail’s attacks on jobs and services and its plan to turn the Royal Mail into just another glorified parcels carrier.

“However, the CWU recognises that since we embarked on this ballot just two weeks ago, the growing health crisis is changing the language of priorities for our members and the country.

“In recognition of the fact that Royal Mail Group is the only service that connects every address in this country via its universal service, something our dispute is seeking to protect, we have made a proposal to the company based on putting the interests of the nation first.” The statement added: “Postal workers are embedded in every community in the UK.”