Royal Mail workers continue strike for fair pay: how is Liverpool affected?

Royal Mail staff are on strike for a second day today, fighting for fair pay amidst the cost of living crisis.

This Summer has seen Arriva North West and Network Rail staff take strike action and Royal Mail workers are too taking a stand against pay increases drastically under the growing rate of inflation.

Members of the Communication Workers Unions (CWU) at Royal Mail are striking for a second day, after rejecting a 2% pay rise.

Royal Mail has claimed that the union rejected a pay rise offer “worth up to 5.5%” after three months of negotiations.

Why are Royal Mail striking?

An estimated 115,000 workers are striking for fair pay for a second day, following strike action on August 26.

The CWU have described this move from Royal Mail as ‘woefully inadequate’ as it is well-below the level of inflation, which currently stands at a 40-year high of 11.8 percent.

It is believed that The Post Office has made around £35 million profit in the 2021-2022 financial year alone, so unions feel like this should also mean a hike in employee wage.

How is Liverpool affected?

Royal Mail have said: “We will be doing what we can to keep services running, but customers should expect significant disruption. “

Local post offices will remain open, however, guaranteed next day services such as Special Delivery will not be guaranteed when strike action is taking place on August 31, September 8 and September 9.

What has the CWU said?

BT and Openreach have joined strike action and CWU took to Twitter this morning to discuss the three groups of workers on the picket lines today.

CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said: “On the 31^st, we are entering our second day of the fight.

“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.

“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.

“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 leadership have lost the dressing room – and unless they make efforts to get real on discussing a pay rise that postal workers deserve, serious disruption will continue.”