Royal Mail staff begin first of Christmas strikes

Royal Mail workers have begun the first day of strikes ahead of the busy Christmas period as a row over pay conditions rumbles on.

Some 115,000 employees will walk out across the country, said Royal Mail, which is owned by International Distributions Services PLC (LON:IDSI).

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will strike on December 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 after negotiations between the union and Royal Mail broke down.

According to Sky News, millions of pieces of mail have already been piling up ahead of the action, with customers advised last week to post Christmas mail earlier than usual to avoid any delays.

The CWU said its members wanted a pay rise that matched inflation, currently 11.1%.

However, it has accused Royal Mail of wanting to turn the postal service into a gig economy similar to Uber (NYSE:UBER), and that management wanted to push through thousands of compulsory redundancies.

“Royal Mail bosses are risking a Christmas meltdown because of their stubborn refusal to treat their employees with respect,” Dave Ward, CWU general secretary told Sky News.

“Postal workers want to get on with serving the communities they belong to, delivering Christmas gifts and tackling the backlog from recent weeks.

“But they know their value, and they will not meekly accept the casualisation of their jobs, the destruction of their conditions and the impoverishment of their families,” Ward added.