UK: Royal Mail workers begin their 1st day of strike over pay dispute

Royal Mail, the UK-based postal services company, has reportedly begun the first of nineteen strikes in a dispute over wages and conditions.

On Thursday, beginning at 4:00 BST, 115,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in the UK will go on a 24-hour strike.

According to General Secretary Dave Ward, workers are facing the largest-ever assault on employment, and terms and conditions in Royal Mail’s history.

Meanwhile, Royal Mail warned that additional strikes will weaken its financial situation.

Apart from Black Friday week and Cyber Monday, the 19 days of scheduled strike action also include October 13, 20, and 25, as well as November 28.

The Royal Mail has warned that some packages will be delayed, and letters won't be delivered.

It will mark the 6th postal workers’ strike following a summer of upheaval that saw train workers and criminal lawyers walk out amid issues with their employers.

The CWU accuses the Royal Mail of restructuring, which would effectively change individuals in stable, well-paying employment into a casualized, financially vulnerable workforce overnight.

It stated that proposals by the postal service include reducing employees' sick pay, delaying the delivery of mail by three hours, and offering less favorable terms to new hires.

According to Ward, the changes might destroy the distinctive bond that postal workers as well as the public have in every region in the UK.

Royal Mail stated that it would do everything within its power to maintain services, but that interruption from the strike was likely and added that while no posts will be delivered on the days of strike, they will deliver as many Tracked24 and special delivery packages as possible.

Additionally, Royal Mail stated that it will give medical prescription deliveries and Covid-19 test kits top priority.

Royal Mail is supposedly losing £1 million ($1.11 million) each day and needs to adapt more quickly to changing customer demands.

Customers who experienced delays received an apology from Royal Mail.

Source credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63235826