Royal Mail managers vote to strike over jobs dispute
Royal Mail managers belonging to the union Unite have voted to strike in a dispute over jobs.
Members in Great Britain backed walkouts by 86% and by 89% in Northern Ireland, with the union saying Royal Mail plans to cut 542 frontline delivery managers’ jobs alongside a redeployment programme to introduce worse terms and conditions.
The dispute involves about 2,400 managers across more than 1,000 delivery offices.
Unite said it would announce strike dates in the coming days and called for management to return to the negotiating table to reach a settlement to avoid disruption.
The dispute is separate from the ballot of about 115,000 postal workers belonging to the Communication Workers Union (CWU), who started voting on Tuesday on whether to stage a campaign of industrial action. The result of that vote is expected on 19 July.
The CWU said it could be “the biggest strike” in what is shaping up to be a summer of discontent, as thousands of workers from different industries walk out to demand pay awards that keep up with soaring inflation.
Workers on the train network belonging to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union staged three-day strikes last week. On Wednesday, more rail workers voted to strike over pay, jobs and conditions, threatening further disruption over the summer.
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association said its members at Avanti West Coast voted overwhelmingly for strikes and action short of a strike. The union is also balloting members at Network Rail and several train companies across England.
The Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “It is no surprise at all that these workers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. Make no mistake, Royal Mail is awash with cash – there is no need whatsoever
Read more on theguardian.com
