Royal Mail employees in Kingston will strike on November 4 unless a prior agreement on pay and working conditions is reached.
Workers at the Royal Mail delivery office on Villiers Road, Kingston, will participate in nationwide strikes, being organised by the Communication Workers Union.
Sian Jones, a spokesperson for the CWU, said: “The main impact on customers will be that no post is delivered and no post is collected on November 4.”
The union vote showed that 78 per cent were in favour of industrial action sparked by grievances from recent privatisation.
The central concerns include job security, pensions and the company’s business strategy.
Ms Jones added that postal workers, who have not had a pay rise since April 2012, were looking for an increase in pay above the rate of inflation to counter the cost of living.
The government had hoped that offering Royal Mail employees free shares in the company would appease their demands.
However, Dave Ward, CWU General Secretary added: “Postal workers have spoken very clearly that they care about their jobs, terms and conditions far more than they care about shares.
“Postal workers will not be the people who pay for the profits of private operators and faceless shareholders. “
Since its flotation on the stock market, Royal Mail’s share price has risen from 330p to 499p at the time of writing.
This has led to vast criticism of the government, who are accused of undervaluing the company.
Unless a ‘groundbreaking, long term, legally binding agreement’ is found before November 4, Royal Mail and Parcelforce workers will walk out. The Post Office will not be affected.
Image courtesy of Rex Features.
