Postal Strike Supported in Huge Numbers

No Royal Mail services operated today as mail came to a standstill with close to total support for the CWU strike across the UK. Postal workers in every area supported the strike in overwhelming numbers. This support was at a level of 99% in big cities and all the largest Royal Mail workplaces and over 90% in all other areas of the country.

The strike was the second 24 hour stoppage in 2 weeks as Royal Mail continues to refuse to negotiate with the Union. The dispute between Royal Mail and CWU has developed over a 2.5% pay offer and the company’s intention to cut 40 000 jobs, cut postal services and implement a business plan that will reduce pay by 25% over the next few years. Additionally, the 2.5% pay offer was linked to a number of strings that meant that most workers would receive a pay cut. The Union has consistently offered to negotiate a settlement to the dispute but Royal Mail have refused. The Union offered to call off today’s strike if Royal Mail simply agreed to meaningful negotiations. They refused.

The company continues to offer to “explain its plans” to the Union. This was most recently repeated on Wednesday evening, July 11th when the Royal Mail Chairman, Allan Leighton and Chief Executive, Adam Crozier offered to meet with Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary and Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary. This meeting took place and Royal Mail again refused point blank to negotiate. Allan Leighton did not even turn up for the meeting and simply joined via telephone link.

CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes commented:

“We are consistently trying to negotiate with Royal Mail but to be blunt they have no interest. They refuse to take the dispute seriously – to the extent that Allan Leighton can only spare 45 minutes from his other commitments for a virtual meeting by conference call. The public will see through his half-hearted approach to stop disruption to the mails services”.

The Union has continued to call on Royal Mail to take part in meaningful negotiations. Today, as part of that ongoing offer Billy Hayes and Dave Ward personally delivered a letter to Royal Mail HQ at 148 Old Street, London, again inviting Allan Leighton and Adam Crozier to take part in fresh and meaningful negotiations.

100 postal workers travelled on an open-top London bus through London to Royal Mail HQ to make their feelings known loud and clear to their boss and to demand a return to proper negotiations.

In total 500 postal workers attended the demonstration outside Royal Mail HQ. These striking workers supported the Unions delivery of the letter to their employers calling for negotiations.

General Secretary Billy Hayes told the demonstrating strikers:

“This is the only letter being delivered in the UK today and it is a very crucial one in that the future of the company and the postal services rests on it being read, understood and acted upon”.

The Unions executive will meet again on Tuesday 17th July. If there are no fresh negotiations, they are likely to call for more strikes.