Royal Mail workers strike over pay rise

ROYAL Mail workers are holding another 48-hour strike beginning today in a dispute over pay, threatening more disruption to deliveries.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 115,000 of its members were walking out in protest against an “imposed” 2pc pay rise.

Picket lines will be mounted outside delivery and sorting offices, following on from strikes last week. Further industrial action could follow if the deadlock is not broken. The union said its members face a “dramatic” reduction in living standards because of the soaring rate of inflation.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.

“Royal Mail’s leadership have lost the dressing room – and unless they make efforts to get real on discussing a pay rise that postal workers deserve, serious disruption will continue.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said the company was doing all it could to minimise disruption during the walkout.

The spokesman added: “This week, after many invitations, the CWU finally agreed to Royal Mail’s request to meet at the most senior level to decide on a way forward on the industrial dispute.

“Rather than engage on the need for change, the CWU restated their demands to retain the current outdated working practices, which includes working fewer hours for more pay.

“We are greatly concerned that the CWU are simply not interested in discussing the change needed to modernise this business and protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term.”

Royal Mail wants more mail to be sorted by machine, rather than by hand, and is pushing for parcel deliveries on more days of the week to match rivals as the online shopping boom fuels demand for “next day” packages.