Royal Mail services across Southend-on-Sea have been severely disrupted today as Royal Mail workers staged a strike in an ongoing dispute over pay. The main Southend-on-Sea Delivery Office remained closed to the public, with knock-on effects expected for mail deliveries throughout the area.
The strike action is being led by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), who have strongly opposed what they describe as an unfairly imposed pay rise. According to the union, the industrial action was overwhelmingly supported, with an astonishing 97.6% of members voting in favour of striking.
Why are Southend postal workers striking?
At the heart of the dispute is the CWU’s demand for a “dignified, proper pay rise” for Royal Mail employees, many of whom were classed as key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite their frontline role throughout the crisis, the union argues that the company has failed to reward its staff fairly.
The CWU claims that Royal Mail management imposed a below-inflation 2% pay rise on its workforce while the company continues to make substantial profits. The union has announced further strike dates on 31 August, as well as 8 and 9 September 2022, which are likely to cause further significant disruption.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward did not hold back in his criticism of Royal Mail’s leadership, saying:
“There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve.
“We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.”
Ward also pointed to Royal Mail’s financial success, arguing that the company’s claims of financial difficulty don’t hold up when looking at the numbers:
“When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758 million in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400 million, our members won’t accept pleads of poverty from the company.”
He continued:
“Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain. They are sick of corporate failure getting rewarded again and again.”
Royal Mail’s response to the strikes
Royal Mail has acknowledged the strike action and the impact it will have on customers, apologising for the disruption. A company spokesperson said:
“We’re really sorry for the disruption that this strike action is likely to cause. We want to reassure you we will do everything we can to minimise disruption and get our services back to normal as quickly as possible.”
They added that while contingency plans are in place, it would be impossible to fully replace the efforts of their frontline workforce, and customers should be prepared for delays.
Public reaction: divided opinions on the strikes
As with many industrial disputes, public opinion on the strike has been sharply divided, with some strongly supporting the postal workers and others questioning the need for the action.
Local resident Charlie Minors was dismissive of the strike, stating: “Strike over pay? These people work 4 hours a day? Let’s give them 50 pounds an hour so they can get the money they deserve. Ridiculous.”
However, others were quick to defend the postal workers and call for fair treatment. Sonja Roovers voiced her support, saying: “Good luck to them! They deserve to be treated with the highest respect. Post men and women keep our country running, and I will eat my hat if anyone has ever met a postie that wasn’t friendly, helpful and a genuinely nice person.”
Lea Foxoak echoed these sentiments, urging Royal Mail to rethink its approach: “Totally support the posties and hope this is a wake-up call to RM – treat your workforce properly and pay them a decent wage!!! ✊🏻 Time to get your priorities right, it should be employees first, shareholders second!! 🤷🏻♀️”
What happens next?
With further strike action planned, the dispute between Royal Mail and its workers is far from over. Unless an agreement is reached, customers should prepare for ongoing postal delays in the coming weeks. The CWU remains firm in its stance, and with overwhelming support from its members, it is unlikely to back down without a significant shift from Royal Mail management.
For now, the message from Southend’s postal workers is clear: they are willing to fight for what they believe is fair pay, and they have no intention of backing down until they achieve it.