Royal Mail workers walk out for second day of strike action

Royal Mail workers were taking part in a second day of industrial action over pay and proposed changes to terms and conditions.

Staff from the Stourbridge sorting office and depots across the country walked out last Friday (August 26) and again today (Wednesday August 31) after talks between the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Royal Mail broke down.

Royal Mail workers on strike in Stourbridge, with union rep Wayne Haywood, front left, and postie Stuart Foster pictured front centre with daughter Charlotte, who is nearly three. Pic - Bev Holder/Newsquest

Union members at the Royal Mail said they’d decided to walk out after being offered a pay rise of just two per cent as the country faces a cost of living crisis.

Workers have also been incensed over large bonuses handed to senior managers and a £400million payout handed to shareholders as profits soared as the parcel delivery side of the business was boosted by online spending during the coronavirus pandemic.

Union representative Wayne Haywood said the “vast majority” of postal workers had backed the strike action which left the Stourbridge sorting office closed last Friday and today and he added: “We’ve obviously got support. Nationally there’s been a good turn out everywhere and we’ve had constant tooting all the time we’ve been here from 6am.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said of the strike: “The CWU’s self-centred actions with the wider trade union movement is putting jobs at risk, and making pay rises less affordable.

“We are losing £1 million a day and the CWU’s strike action is making our situation worse. We want to protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term and retain our place as the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions. Each strike day makes that more difficult, making Royal Mail’s future more uncertain than at any time in its long history.”

Royal Mail bosses said they had worked to minimise disruption to customers – prioritising NHS letters and critical government mailings – and they stressed the business’s future is as a parcel delivery business.

The spokesperson added: “We must adapt old ways of working designed for letters to a world increasingly dominated by parcels and act fast. We cannot cling to outdated working practices, ignoring technological advancements and pretending that Covid has not significantly changed what the public wants from Royal Mail.

“We remain ready to talk with the CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action and prevent significant inconvenience for customers. But any talks must be about both change and pay.”

Further industrial action is planned for next Thursday (September 8) and Friday (September 9).