Royal Mail staff have introduced two 48-hour strikes to coincide with the busiest on-line purchasing days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Communication Workers Union (CWU) at Royal Mail are to strike on 24, 25 and 30 November and 1 December.
The strikes are supposed to coincide with Black Friday on 25 November and Cyber Monday on 28 November.
Improved pay and circumstances are being sought by staff who accuse Royal Mail of the “Uberisation” of the corporate and the “destruction” of their work circumstances.
Royal Mail rejects claims it’s concerned within the casualisation of labor.
“We have the best terms and condition in the industry. We pay 40%more than other parcels companies,” a Royal Mail spokesperson mentioned.
“We want to retain those terms and conditions. The best way to do that is to make the changes we require.”
Further motion by postal staff has been hinted at. The CWU mentioned its postal government will meet on Thursday to debate new motion within the build-up to Christmas.
The union is to carry a vote in an effort to reject a deal supplied by Royal Mail on Monday. A vote of confidence in Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson can be to happen.
The deal affords a 7% two-year pay provide, the CWU mentioned, which it described as “derisory” and “a dramatic real-terms pay cut”.
Also included within the pay deal are mail centre closures, adjustments to Sunday working and “widespread changes over introducing Uber-style owner-drivers”, the union added.
Strikes have been to happen this week and subsequent earlier than they have been withdrawn by the union on Sunday.
“But 115,000 of our members will not just accept this war on their livelihoods and their industry,” CWU basic secretary Dave Ward mentioned.
“Simon Thompson has to either accept that or walk away – until he does one or the other, serious disruption will continue.”
Last month the corporate will start a course of to make 5,000 to six,000 roles redundant by August subsequent 12 months.
The announcement was blamed on industrial motion taken by Royal Mail staff, delays in bettering productiveness and falling parcel volumes.
The Royal Mail spokesperson mentioned the corporate proposed a brand new “pay-for-change offer” to the CWU price 9% over two years, regardless of making a lack of £219 million within the first half of the 12 months.
“The CWU have been in talks with us at Acas and claim they are open to change, but they now need to show it.
“Instead, the CWU have introduced 4 days of strike motion which can injury our enterprise additional at our busiest time of 12 months.
“The CWU is playing a dangerous game with its members’ jobs and the future of Royal Mail. We urge CWU to withdraw these strikes, for the good of our customers and our people.
“We apologise to our clients for the inconvenience the CWU’s continued strike motion will trigger. We are doing all we will to minimise delays and maintain folks, companies and the nation related.”
Source: information.sky.com”