Postal union ‘holding Christmas to ransom’

FAMILIES will have one less week to post Christmas presents to loved ones this year as industrial action brings the postal service to its knees.

Royal Mail has brought forward the last date for guaranteed festive deliveries by a week. It now recommends sending first-class post by Dec 16 and second-class post by Dec 12 to ensure it arrives in time for Christmas, compared with Dec 19 and Dec 21 previously.

The company has brought forward its recommended posting dates to help cope with planned strikes by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) on Dec 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24.

Nick Landon, chief commercial officer of Royal Mail, accused the union, which represents 110,000 postal workers, of “holding Christmas to ransom”.

He added: “We apologise to our customers for any disruption and delay that the CWU strike action is causing. We ask our customers to post early for Christmas to help us deliver Christmas.”

Royal Mail is at odds with the CWU over pay and working conditions. Bosses are trying to overhaul the 500-year-old business into a parcelsled company in an effort to compete with rivals such as Amazon.

Strikes by postal staff are part of a wave of industrial action amid the cost of living crisis, with nurses, teachers and rail workers among the sectors planning disruption. Yesterday the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association served notice for industrial action at a further six train operating companies and Network Rail hours after meetings with Huw Merriman, the rail minister.

Nine companies will now be affected by strikes on Dec 17.

The Royal College of Nursing also announced it would not exclude cancer wards, emergency departments or maternity care from its strikes on Dec 15 and 20. While chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, paediatric intensive care and neonatal services will be protected from the walkout, all other departments will experience industrial action.