Post Office staff in South Gloucestershire to discuss potential strike action over pension changes

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MASS meetings of South Gloucestershire and Bristol postal workers are being held today to discuss the looming threat of strikes over pensions.

The meetings at the Royal Mail Bristol Mail Centre in Filton come after Royal Mail wrote to all its employees to consult upon proposals to close the existing Defined Benefit pension scheme, moving employees to a Defined Contribution scheme.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has blasted the move, claiming that the new scheme is “inferior” and that it could leave some workers thousands of pounds worse off in retirement and others in pension poverty.

The CWU has warned the Royal Mail that any attempt to introduce these changes unilaterally will lead to a national ballot for industrial action of the 120,000 CWU members in Royal Mail.

Around 1,000 postal workers are employed at the Bristol Mail Centre, a substantial number are part of the 3,000-strong membership of the CWU Bristol and District Branch.

Today’s meetings will see the CWU branch secretary Rob Wotherspoon discuss the threat of strike action with members across the centre’s three shifts today.

Mr Wotherspoon said “The Royal Mail board are sitting on multi-million pound share options and yet they expect our members to pay more, work longer and receive far less.

“The scheme that they are proposing is a glorified savings scheme and all the studies suggest it will not provide an acceptable standard of living for retired postal workers.

“This is an unnecessary greed-driven attack on our income in retirement and we will fight this all the way.”