Post Office workers will strike next month over pay dispute
Thousands of Post Office workers across Britain will stage a walkout over a salary dispute.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) warned today countrywide strike action will be taking place on July 11, urging company bosses to ‘get real on pay’.
Some 114 Post Offices will close for a 24-hour period, adding to fears of more widespread strikes similar to the 1970s.
Workers facing a pay freeze last year voted overwhelmingly to take strike action by 97.3%, making it the third by Post Office employees this year.
The same workers were set to receive a 2% rise for this financial year, which they argued amounts to ‘a massive real-terms pay cut’.
CWU’s announcement comes after a pay offer of just 3% – which would have taken effect from April 1 – and a £500 lump sum fee were rejected for being ‘woefully inadequate’.
The union’s assistant secretary, Andy Furey, stressed the dispute is about the ‘dignity and respect for hard-working employees’.
‘No worker wants to be in this situation, but Post Office bosses can’t be surprised that callous decisions are challenged by our members,’ he said.
‘This dispute is about dignity and respect for hard-working employees – essential public servants who, as key workers, provided unprecedented customer service during the pandemic.
‘Our members feel betrayed and will not tolerate their living standards being smashed by people in charge of a public service that due to our members’ efforts made tens of millions of pounds in annual profits.
‘There is more than enough money for a reasonable pay rise – implementing this pay cut is a management choice, not a necessity.
‘Our message to the public is that this action and any inconvenience caused is 100% the fault of the Post Office leadership.’
His message to Post Office bosses is ‘get real on pay, get round the bargaining table for meaningful negotiations and settle this dispute’.
Mr Furey did not rule out further action in the summer if workers’ demands are not met.
Post Office walkouts already took place in May and June after talks failed to resolve the row.
This summer has felt a lot like lockdown with rail and Tube workers striking, causing travel chaos across the country.
NHS staff, teachers and binmen are also set to vote in the upcoming weeks over nationwide action.
A spokesperson for the Post Office said the vast majority of its 11,500 branches will be unaffected by CWU’s decision.
‘There are 114 branches, typically in city centres, that are directly managed by Post Office and on previous strike days over a third have opened as usual,’ they added.
‘We’re disappointed that the CWU have made the decision to strike but remain hopeful that we can reach a pay agreement soon.’
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