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Royal Mail strike dates: When are they striking and how will it impact Christmas post?
28 September 2022, 11:57
Royal Mail postal strikes: Everything you need to know about the Christmas strike action.
Royal Mail staff are set to strike for 19 strikes over the next two months which is set to affect Christmas post.
The Communication Workers Union, which represents 115,000 postal workers, announced that the action will be a mixture of single days and rolling action.
But when are the strikes and how will they impact your Christmas post? Here’s everything we know…
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When are the Royal Mail strike dates?
The 19 days of strike action will take place across dates throughout October and November, beginning on October 13, and into the run-up to Christmas.
Some of the days include October 13, October 20, October 25 and November 28 (Cyber Monday).
Different teams are set to strike on the rest of the days which will have a knock-on effect on post and could impact the days leading up to Christmas.
Why are Royal Mail workers striking?
Royal Mail workers are striking over the terms and conditions of their contract.
The union is seeking the same rights as other Royal Mail Group employees on pensions, leave entitlement, holiday pay, and parental leave.
The CWU has also said that employees who received a Real Living Wage (RLW) adjustment in April wouldn’t receive an annual pay rise, affecting the majority of cleaners.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "This is a significant announcement, but it is one which matches the level of anger our members feel at the way Royal Mail Group has treated them.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “On September 22, Royal Mail invited CWU to enter into talks through Acas to find a resolution to our dispute on change and pay.
“This evening, rather than responding to our offer of Acas talks, the CWU announced further damaging industrial action, once again taking the path of prolonging disruption over resolution.
“Royal Mail is losing £1 million a day and must change faster in response to changing customer demands. We operate in a competitive market, and our customers have choices.
“Further strikes and resistance to transformation by CWU will only make our financial position worse, and threatens the long-term job security of our postmen and women.
“The CWU has a responsibility to recognise the reality of the situation Royal Mail faces as a business and engage urgently on the changes required.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience the CWU’s continued strike action will cause. We are doing all we can to minimise any delays and keep people, businesses, and the country connected.”
