Letter from Harry Hutchison, Mid-Ulster Trade Union Council
Four days of planned strikes, commencing this Friday, by Royal Mail (RM) workers is essentially against corporation greed. RM shareholders have demanded cost savings to maintain profit margins.
RM made operating profits of £758m to March 2022, up 8%. The Corporation is now crying poverty as expected profits for this year is earmarked at £303m.
RM has identified £350m in cost savings for 2022/23. RM management have already announced 700 management jobs to be axed to save £40m. A further £350m cost savings have being identified, much depending on a pay settlement with RM workers.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) have rejected the 5.5% pay offer, which is significantly below the RPI 12.3% rate of inflation. Of the 77% of CWU members who voted for industrial action, almost 98% voted for strike action.
RM workers demand a cost of living pay increase. This means a pay increase of at least the RPI rate of inflation. An increase RM can well afford. The strike also is to oppose the further erosion of RM services, which includes the possible separation of the more profitable sections of the Corporation.
RM must be renationalised and brought back into public ownership and run by democratically elected managers. Despite disruption to delivery services during these 4 days of strikes, the public should support RM workers, to save this essential service from Corporate speculators.
Source of image: CWU
