Royal Mail to stage SIX strikes including on Christmas Eve in major threat to Xmas deliveries
ROYAL Mail workers have announced a fresh wave of strikes next months, including Christmas Eve.
Workers are hitting the picket lines in six new strikes in December over pay, jobs and conditions, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced.
The communications union said its members will walk out on December 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24.
It comes as workers plan to stage two 48-hour strikes around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Those walkouts will take place on 24, 25 and 30 November and 1 December.
Addressing tonight’s announcement, a CWU spokesman said: “The CWU want a negotiated settlement with Royal Mail Group and will continue to engage the company to that end.
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“But those in charge of Royal Mail need to wake up and realise we won’t allow them to destroy the livelihoods of postal workers.”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Our preference is for an agreement with the CWU but the change we need is not optional.
“They should be focused on a resolution to this dispute for their members and the long-term health of the business, rather than damaging strike action.”
The union has previously said the latest pay offer included “more unacceptable changes” and the two-year pay offer was “derisory”.
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However, Royal Mail said the offer was subject to agreeing to changes with Sunday working and start times.
The median pay at Royal Mail is £32,465 a year, with the average pay for a postal delivery worker lower than that at £25,777.
Royal Mail has blamed strike action for rising losses and job cuts, as well as lower volumes of parcels being posted.
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