Thousands of UK postal workers stage mass walkout over pay row

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) – Postal workers in the UK on Friday launched a major strike amid ongoing disputes over pay hikes and working conditions.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) staged a mass walkout after rejecting Royal Mail’s offer of a 2% pay hike.

“The pay dispute is not complicated. Our members are striking for a pay rise that fully addresses the current cost of living. Our members need it, our members deserve it – the company can afford it,” said a CWU statement.

An overwhelming majority of postal workers part of the CWU voted to launch industrial action.

Their strike is being described as the largest this year, with 115,000 members taking part, and will continue on Aug. 31 and Sept. 8-9.

“It’s the biggest strike in the UK since 2009. It’s also probably the biggest mandate that any union has ever had for strike action. Our members are really angry and they’ve lost all confidence in the leadership of the company,” Dave Ward, general secretary of the CWU, said in an interview with Sky News.

He accused Royal Mail of being detached and out of touch with reality.

“The company made £750 million ($887 million) profit, record profits for Royal Mail last year. They chose to give away over £400 million to shareholders. They rewarded themselves with huge record bonuses, apparently for achieving all their financial targets. And then they impose a 2% pay increase on the workforce, and against skyrocketing inflation, energy bills rocketing, people are just not going to accept that.”

Postal workers across the UK set up picket lines at various locations, with pictures and videos circulating on social media with the hashtag “#StandByYourPost.”

Citizens have also come out in support of the strike by rejecting any ongoing postal deliveries from Royal Mail and associate companies.

“I think that what’s really a shame here is that this is a group of workers in the UK that we would argue are one of the last remaining pillars of our society. They are part of the social fabric of the UK. They have a fantastic relationship with customers, which is the company’s greatest asset. And it is unbelievable that the company has chosen to treat our members in this way,” Ward said.

The postal strike is the latest in a growing number of protests by workers across different sectors in the UK, including media, transport and health care, for better pay amid a burgeoning cost of living crisis.​​​​​​​