Postal strike is to go ahead, say unions

Thursday, June 21, 2007

As we reported on 8 June in our story 'Postal workers agree to go on strike', this has now been confirmed by unions and the first of potentially many dates has been set for 29 June.

This date will involve the first 24-hour strike by as many as 130,000 postal workers. Our original story stated that around 20,000 workers who were not members of the Communication Workers Union would join the union members on the picket line. There could also be disruption outside WH Smith stores which have been suggested as a possible future provider of post office services.

In the original vote, the result of which was warmly welcomed, 77 per cent of postal workers voted in favour of taking their first national industrial action for 11 years.

The union and Royal Mail management held talks via Acas yesterday intended to prevent the strike but, with the Royal Mail unwilling to budge on its 2.5 per cent pay deal (and the union wanting 4.8 per cent and a five-year deal), there was little chance of any progress.

A spokesperson for the CWU said: "[The Royal Mail] spent the whole time repeating the offer which has been rejected by 95 per cent of the workforce. There was no new money and no real willingness to negotiate."

A spokesman for Royal Mail, which has just lost an £8m contract with Amazon, said: "We remain willing to talk and continue to explain our position and we hope that the union will continue to engage and will realise how damaging a strike would be."