Royal mail strike closed every postal office in Northern Ireland, says Communication Workers Union

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has announced 19 further days of strike action in the Christmas build-up, with severe delays and disruption possible.

The action is happening right across the UK, but in Northern Ireland there are almost 3000 members out on strike.

This is affecting every delivery and sorting office across Northern Ireland, said Erin Massey, CWU NI Regional Secretary.

"Every one one of our offices is closed, as our membership is in the high ninety percent of all staff," she said.

"It is a UK-wide dispute which is mainly about pay and conditions. They are trying to go back on previously arranged pay and conditions to have staff starting three hours later and finishing three hours later.

"But for many members that would be hugely disruptive to their responsibilities to their families, children and work life balance."

The strike today, Thursday 13 October, is the sixth day of action of a scheduled 25.

The CWU said its 115,000 members across the UK joined the latest stoppage.

General secretary Dave Ward said: “Postal workers face the biggest ever assault on their jobs, terms and conditions in the history of Royal Mail.

“The public and businesses also face the end of daily deliveries and destruction of the special relationship that postal workers and the public have in every community in the UK."

He rejected Royal Mail claims that the plans were "modernisation" and instead described it as "nothing more than an asset-stripping business plan".

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Three weeks ago, Royal Mail invited the CWU to enter talks through Acas to find a resolution to our change and pay dispute. We have not reached an agreement with the CWU on this request.

“Royal Mail is losing £1 million a day and must change faster in response to changing customer demands.

“The CWU leadership’s choice of damaging strike action over resolution is weakening the financial position of the company and threatening the job security of our postmen and women."

“We call on the CWU leaders to cancel their planned strike action and accept our invitation to enter talks through Acas without further delay."