New Post Office Strikes to Hit Collections and Cash Deliveries This Month

COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
01/07/2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW POST OFFICE STRIKES TO HIT COLLECTIONS AND DELIVERIES THIS MONTH

New strikes will hit Post Office collections and cash deliveries this month, as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has urged senior management to “stop the spin and get serious on pay”.

The CWU – which represents Post Office workers – has announced that supply chain and admin workers will walk out on Thursday 14^th July.

The workers occupy vital roles at the Post Office. Some deliver cash, valuables and essential supplies to Britain’s 11,500 sub-post offices, while others process finances and work in vital administration.

The dispute is in opposition to Post Office management’s current pay offer of a 3% pay deal for the 2022-23 financial year, alongside a one-off lump sum payment of £500, and no pay increase for the 2021-22 financial year.

The proposals are far beneath the current RPI inflation rate of 11.7%.

Hopes were raised by Post Office management’s widely-reported statement on Monday that it was “hopeful” that a pay agreement can be reached “soon”.

However, after no movement from employers, CWU Assistant Secretary Andy Furey labelled this claim as “spin”, and served notice for strike action yesterday (Thursday 30^th June).

The CWU also announced this Monday (27^th June) that Crown Post Office workers will be striking on Monday 11^th July, several days before this strike.

CWU members delivered a 97.3% vote in favour of action.

CWU Assistant Secretary Andy Furey said: “The blame for this disruption lies entirely with the senior Post Office leadership, who have repeatedly failed – and wilfully refused – to set out a sensible and fair pay agreement.

“Everyone knows that the only solution is a fair pay rise that properly rewards members for their extraordinary efforts in serving the public and delivering a profitable Post Office, while also taking account of the extreme cost of living.

“There most certainly is money available, but management do not want to give workers their fair share.

“Our message to the employer today is: don’t waste our members’ time by misleading statements.

“Stop the spin and get serious about pay. Until you do this, the strikes will continue.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact CWU Press Officer Marcus Barnett on mbarnett@cwu.org or 07812590450.