Royal Mail urges union to rule out Christmas strike
Royal Mail has pledged to enter into discussions with union members without preconditions if postal service workers remove the threat of strike action over the Christmas period.
The company also said it will extend the life of the ballot result by the same amount of time as the pause on industrial action, meaning the union could opt to postpone the strike until the new year.
Read more: Royal Mail workers vote in favour of largest strike in decade
Members of the Communication Workers Union earlier this month voted overwhelmingly in favour of a mass walkout, accusing bosses of failing to live up to an agreement reached last year over issues including pay and conditions.
The motion was passed by more than 97 per cent of the votes following a ballot of roughly 110,000 union members, sparking fears that a strike could take place over the critical Christmas trading period.
Royal Mail national service delivery director Ricky McAulay said: “If the CWU agrees to rule out industrial action for the remainder of the calendar year – a critical time for our customers, we will commit to holding open discussions with no preconditions aimed at resolving the dispute.”
The CWU said that the vote to strike represented that largest “yes” vote for national industrial action since the passing of the Trade Union Act three years ago.
Read more: Royal Mail braces for Christmas strike chaos
Announcing the ballot result, the union had called for the Royal Mail to begin “serious negotiations” with workers.
Morning Wire has contacted the CWU for comment.
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