Royal Mail workers in Cwmbran went on strike at 6am this morning (24 Nov) at the start of a 48-hour walkout.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are in an ongoing dispute with Royal Mail over pay, terms and conditions. Cwmbran Life met workers at 7.30am this morning near their town centre depot.
One said the headcount at the depot is 68 but around 41 staff are covering the work leading to increased sickness absence and stress as they struggle to “clear” the office of post every few days.
Dave Jefferies, the Communication Workers Union rep for the depot, has worked for Royal Mail for 33 years.
‘A drop in pay’
He said that terms and conditions that they have negotiated locally and nationally would be “torn up” and lead to “lower wages” for current staff and new starters.
Dave said the latest pay offer from Royal Mail along with the removal of allowances and changes to conditions would lead to a “drop in pay.”
He said the Royal Mail workers have “never turned away from modernisation” and explained how staff in Cwmbran had brought in a new system to the depot to manage the arrival and delivery of scanned parcels to save time.
Dave added: “None of us wants to be on strike. We want to be working and provide the service to the public, because the customers we love to meet and deliver to. You get to know them on your delivery. That’s part and parcel of why we do this job. But the way this business is pushing us from one corner to the other, we have no option.”
Statement from Royal Mail
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail’s chief executive, said: “Talks have lasted for seven months and we have made numerous improvements and two pay offers, which would now see up to a 9% pay increase over 18 months alongside a host of other enhancements. This is our best and final offer.
“The strikes have already added £100m to Royal Mail’s losses so far this year. In a materially loss-making company, with every additional day of strike action we are facing the difficult choice of whether we spend our money on pay and protecting jobs, or on the cost of strikes.”
Further strikes
The CWU have announced ten further days of strike action between 24 November and 24 December. Royal Mail has been notified four for them formally: 24, 25, 30 November and 1 December 2022.
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