Royal Mail warns Christmas season could be affected by CWU strike

The UK's Communications Workers Union has announced that it will hold a ballot for a full national postal strike if ongoing talks with the universal postal service are not concluded by the 20th September. The union is currently working to get a better deal than the "below-inflation" Royal Mail pay offer as well as protesting the proposed changes to the employee pension schemes and the effect of privatisation on postal workers' terms&conditions and job security.

If a solution is not reached in time, then 125,000 Royal Mail workers will be eligible to vote in a ballot on industrial action, the result of which should be released around 3rd October. If approved, the Union is required to give at least 7 days notice before going on strike, meaning the earliest possible strike date is around 10th October.

Along with the threat of a national strike, Royal Mail is also contending with multiple localised disputes, most recently in Plymouth. Royal Mail are reported to be "very disappointed" that a timeline has been issued for a national ballot and have warned that the proposed industrial action could threaten operations in the run up to the festive season. A statement issued by the organisation declared: “Any industrial action, or the possibility of disruption, is damaging to our customers, and our business, especially in the run up to our busiest time, Christmas.”

In the meantime, door-to-door couriers are also gearing up to the Christmas period.

Source: Post & Parcel