Chichester's Royal Mail staff join together in protest against low pay

Staff have formed a picket line outside of Basin Road sorting office

Chichester's Royal Mail staff have formed a picket line in protest of their employer not providing them a pay rise in the face of increasing living costs. 

Staff have formed a picket line outside of Basin Road sorting office in dispute with a lack of action from their employer following a plea to raise pay in April this year. Royal Mail offered a 2% pay rise to workers, which the Communications Union notes is less than the "total payments of over £450 million made to shareholders".

The UK-wide protest marks the second ever national strike against pay, with the first having taken place in 1971. The strike is planned to be "a long dispute" if "management attitudes" do not change. 

Speaking to V2 Radio, Lisa Lancaster, the Deputy Branch Secretary at Portsmouth & District Postal Branch said that workers are "upset and frustrated" after "working so hard through the pandemic, putting ours and our loved ones at risk, making a huge £758 million profit for Royal Mail" and then being told "there is no more money left for the workers" when "the company gave away £400 million to shareholders". 

She continued, "We appreciate everyone is affected by the current cost of living crisis.

"We are only asking for a small share of the profit we made for the business, so we can pay our bills and feed our families without having to use food banks, as some of us currently are having to do.

"Royal Mail have imposed a 2% pay increase, which simply isn't enough! 

"We need the public understand the truth about why we are having to take this industrial action and we hope we can rely on support for all postal workers."

In response to the strikes, a Royal Mail says the "CWU are simply not interested in discussing the change needed to modernise this business". 

A spokesperson said:  “This week, after many invitations, the CWU finally agreed to Royal Mail's request to meet at the most senior level to decide on a way forward on the industrial dispute.

"Rather than engage on the need for change, the CWU restated their demands to retain the current outdated working practices, which includes working fewer hours for more pay.

"We are greatly concerned that the CWU are simply not interested in discussing the change needed to modernise this business and protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term. 

“The CWU declined our request to call off their strike action this Thursday and Friday. The CWU’s approach is setting us on a perilous path.

"Royal Mail is losing £1m a day, and strike action has weakened our financial position. Further strikes will make it weaker still.

"Without meaningful engagement on the change that is needed from the CWU, the position of the company will worsen and put jobs are at risk. 

 “We remain ready to talk with the CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action and prevent further inconvenience for customers. But any talks must be about both change and pay. Change is the route to higher pay.” 

They also apologised for the impact on customers, saying they "are doing all we can to minimise any delays and keep people, businesses and the country connected". 

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