Postal workers in Mansfield, Sutton and Kirkby have hailed the huge success of the first of three strikes over pay.
Royal Mail staff walked out last Friday and are set for more action tomorrow (Wednesday), followed by a two-day strike next week, on Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday’s strike, co-ordinated by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), was supported by workers at the delivery offices at the Old Mill Lane Industrial Estate in Mansfield Woodhouse, where 180 are employed, Langton Road in Sutton, where there are 65 staff, and Ashfield Precinct in Kirkby, where 40 are employed.
CWU officials heaped praise on “our magnificent, determined and disciplined strikers” on what it called “a monumental day for our union”.
'On strike for fair pay' is the message from the picket line outside the Royal Mail delivery office in Mansfield Woodhouse last Friday.
And their words were echoed by postman Dave Naylor, who is the union rep at Sutton and vice-chairman of the Nottinghamshire branch.
"There was an excellent turnout,” said Dave, who joined the picket line himself, even though he is still recovering from a knee-replacement operation.
"Nobody worked at the Sutton office. It was closed all day and the gates were locked.
"There were no deliveries, no collections, no postboxes emptied and no firms collected from.”
Union rep Dave Naylor (second from right) with fellow strikers on the picket line outside the Royal Mail delivery office in Sutton.
Royal Mail management ensured that as many special delivery or tracked letters and parcels as possible were delivered.
But a spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry for the disruption. We reassure you we will do everything we can to get our services back to normal as quickly as possible.”
The postal workers are demanding an increase in pay that reflects rampant inflation, which is currently hovering around ten per cent, and enables them to cope with the cost of living crisis.
The CWU picket line outside the Royal Mail delivery office at Kirkby last Friday.
Dave said: “The national average wage for a full-time postman is £24,500.
"Last year, Royal Mail delivered massive profits of £758 million, of which £400 million went to shareholders and huge bonuses went to CEOs.
"Yet they have enforced a rise of just two per cent on the workforce. That is an insult, especially as we worked every day through the pandemic, making sure Covid test kits were delivered and returned.
"They say they have offered 5.5 per cent, but 3.5 per cent of that is linked to working changes, which are unacceptable, and bonuses which are not achievable.
Strikers outside the Royal Mail delivery office in Mansfield Woodhouse last Friday.
"We don’t want to go on strike, but the figures don’t add up.”
