Postal workers set to go on strike across Northern Ireland next month

The ballot results from the Communication Workers Union (CWU), announced yesterday afternoon, mean a strike is now likely in the middle of next month unless a pay deal can be reached beforehand.

The trade union ballot was held across the UK, and returned a 97.6% vote in favour of strike action from a 77% turnout of members.

Erin Massey, CWU regional secretary for Northern Ireland, said that unless a breakthrough happens in talks in the next few weeks notice will be given early next month to Royal Mail of the intention to follow through with the strike.

Speaking to the News Letter, she said: “The reason we’re calling our members out to strike is because Royal Mail made profits of £750 million. Now, they’ve chosen to give the shareholders £400 million in dividends. They have chosen to impose a miserable 2% pay rise on our members, and they’ve chosen to give themselves bonuses.”

She continued: “Simon Thompson, the CEO of Royal Mail, got a £140,000 bonus for reaching only 17% of his target.

“We’re left with no choice. The vote is in. It’s a vote of no confidence in Royal Mail who could have made better choices and didn’t.

“Terry Pullinger [senior CWU official] once stated it’s not about cost, it’s about value. So the £750 million question is how much does Royal Mail value its workers? Royal Mail didn’t make these profits sitting in the boardroom. They didn’t make them on the proverbial golf course. They made it, plain and simple, off the backs of our members – off the backs of our men and women on the ground, the true key workers, those who work the front line.

“These workers put Royal Mail over the line of major profit, when pre-pandemic figures showed Royal Mail set to make a predicted loss of £600-650 million. The profits that they’ve made now were only made possible through the sheer hard work, commitment and service from our members to the public – all through the pandemic. And they are still, to this day, continuing to do the same.”

She added: “We refuse to allow our members to be undervalued. The vote is in and Royal Mail need to recognise the true value of our members. We are open to talks, but they will be getting their two-week notice if they don’t come back and talk to us. They will be getting their two-week notice and that should be served around early August.”