Strike threat in UK postal pay claim
Leaders of thousands of postal workers are drawing up plans for a “substantial” pay claim backed up by the threat of industrial action, it was revealed today.
The newly-elected deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union said he believed postmen and women were “very restless” over pay and wanted a decent increase this year.
Dave Ward pledged to campaign for a new basic salary of #300-a-week, compared to the present basic of #261.
A pay claim will be tabled in October which is expected to call for a “substantial” rise above the rate of inflation.
“The mood is that come October we will be looking for a substantial increase and we will be prepared to back that up with industrial action.
“We don’t believe that our employers think we are serious on pay but the membership is undoubtedly very restless.”
The last national postal strike was in 1996 but industrial relations have improved markedly in recent years.
A number of pay related issues remain unresolved, including the prospect that postal workers will be able to earn an extra #20-a-week by agreeing new delivery rounds.
The union has still not agreed to the new system, which will scrap the second post, because of concerns over the lengths of rounds and the possible effect on the health of workers.
Mr Ward said he believed further negotiations might be necessary before agreement was reached.
The union represents almost 150,000 Royal Mail staff.
A Royal Mail spokesman said he believed there was no appetite among workers for industrial action pointing out that the number of days lost through disputes last year was the lowest for a decade.
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