Post Office pay – more strikes likely

Post Office workers will take their fourth round of industrial action on Friday 26 August in their ongoing pay despite an increased offer last week.

Communications Workers Union (CWU) members in different Post Office functions will then hold further, separate 24-hour walkouts. 2,000 Crown Office staff will continue their action the next day, Saturday 27th. Then Supply Chain and Admin colleagues return to their picket lines after the Summer Bank Holiday, on Tuesday 30 August.

Profit

The Post Office reported a £39 million profit in 2021/22 up from £35 million the year before. But workers represented by CWU were given no pay rise at all for 2021/22 and received an initial 3 per cent pay offer for 2022/23, now upped to 5 per cent.

CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said, “We’re as determined as we have ever been to keep fighting and win a settlement that will protect our members’ standard of living through these exceptionally difficult economic times.”

Insulting

“At a time when inflation is almost 12 per cent, a pay deal worth just 3 per cent over two years is incredibly insulting – it’s actually a huge pay cut in real terms,” Furey said. He added, “Our members cannot and will not accept this massive lowering of their living standards – and their anger and determination have become stronger and stronger as this dispute has worn on.”

Furey described the increased offer as a step in the right direction. But it’s still less than half the rate of inflation, and will have to be increased further to end the dispute. More talks, facilitated by the government arbitration service ACAS, are expected this week.

Support

The number of directly operated Crown Post Offices has dropped steeply – there are now 118 compared with 373 a decade ago. But Post Office Ltd workers service and support the whole network of over 9,000 sub-post offices and branches in shops.

The Post Office strike will coincide with the first walkout of the CWU’s Royal Mail members on the same day. Around 115,000 postmen and women from all parts of the UK begin their action. Royal Mail’s annual profits quadrupled up to £726 million in the year to 28 March 2021.

CWU’s disputes with Royal Mail  and also BT Openreach are separate. But the issues at stake are similar. A profitable company, a workforce who performed exceptionally during the pandemic – as key workers, continuing to attend work throughout – and an arrogant and uncaring senior management set on attacking their workforce.