By Post Offices to close in strike action over pay disputes
Industrial action affecting the UK’s 114 Crown Post Offices was confirmed yesterday after union members said bosses have failed to make a “substantial improvement” in their pay offer to “hard-working staff”.
The Communication Workers Union said its members had rejected a pay offer worth 3% with effect from April and a £500 lump sum, claiming it was well below inflation.
This will be the third national strike by Post Office workers this year.
CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey told CWU News: “After the first two actions in May and June, we agreed to talks with Post Office leaders last week and, as a gesture of good faith we decided to pause further strikes in the genuine hope that a resolution could be found through negotiation.
“But, as reported last week their pay position only increased by a half of a per cent and this frankly insulting proposal was clearly not a serious attempt on the part of the management to find an agreed settlement. Not only did they fail to make an acceptable offer for 2022/23, they still failed to offer any backpay for the whole of the 2021/22 financial year – during which no pay offer was made by them at all.
“So we were left with no alternative today but to resume our campaign of industrial action and we have formally notified the Post Office this afternoon that the next strike will take place on Monday 11th July. This will involve our Crown Office members, while our Supply Chain and Admin members are standing by and awaiting the announcement of strike action involving them.”
On July 11 members from over 100 post offices will walk out for a full day, just two weeks after members from the RMT Union walked out over pay disputes, bringing rail travel to a halt across the country.
