Further postal stoppages planned

Postal unions are planning another two weeks of strike action in a further escalation of their dispute with Royal Mail, the BBC has learned.

The current period of staggered stoppages was due to end on 7 August.

But the Communication Workers Union is expected to announce on Thursday it will extend the action until 20 August.

The union has called for “serious negotiations” but the Royal Mail has said its pay demands threaten efforts to make the business more efficient.

Disruption

Workers are in the middle of a two-week period of staggered stoppages designed to maximise disruption to the business.

They have already staged two 24-hour strikes in protest at what they say is an inadequate 2.5% pay offer and modernisation plans which threaten 40,000 jobs.

More than 98% of staff took part in Tuesday’s stoppages at mail centres across the country, the union said.

Further stoppages at delivery and collection centres are due later this week.

The CWU said a backlog of 80 million items of mail had now built up in the system.

“The union has once again extended its invitation to Royal Mail management to come and negotiate seriously,” said Dave Ward, the CWU’s deputy general secretary, ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

Royal Mail has said it has made contingency plans for further stoppages to ensure that services are not affected.

The company has called for a return to negotiations but has warned unions that fundamental changes are needed if it is going to survive in a fully competitive market.

Source: bbc.co.uk