Over 115,000 Royal Mail postal workers, including those at the Ryde and Newport delivery offices, are striking today (Friday) in a series of stoppages in pursuit of a better, no strings pay deal.
Protests are being staged outside the delivery offices on Riverway in Newport and Nicholson Road in Ryde with workers armed with banners and holding pickets. Motorists are urged to ‘honk’ if they support the strike.
Back in February, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) contacted the Royal Mail Group seeking an adjustment in wages amidst the cost of living crisis. It was at this time also that the company announced a £758million profit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The original date for the implementation of the pay rise was due to be April, however, the company failed to arrange a meeting until well into the month. The reward from those in charge during those meetings, was to table an offer for no pay rise unless the union agreed with some extremely specific demands.
Members of the union originally asked for a pay rise of 9% to offset the rising cost of living and inflation – a demand that Royal Mail refused.
Since this time they have imposed a 2% pay award – which the union hasn’t accepted – and a further 3.5% on top of the original 2%. but the extra 3.5% is dependent on certain conditions – something workers don’t feel happy with.
Ross Fenner, union representative at Ryde delivery office, has told Island Echo:
“I don’t feel valued at all, they keep giving all the top cuts and all the pay rises and the bonuses to the top bosses, but are saying that they don’t have any money to give to us a pay rise. It’s not good enough.”
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Further protests are to be held on 31st August, with workers to strike again on 2 consecutive days, 8th and 9th September.
Letters will not be delivered on strike days and some parcels will be delayed, Royal Mail warns.
But how exactly, do we know Royal Mail is on strike? Post service is so bad now that a letter a few days late, if delivered at all, is just the norm now anyway.
Sorry, but we get post everyday virtually. Always have.
Then you are very lucky!
Or wears a see through neglige
I know for a fact that Royal Mail regularly hold on to people’s mail, that they have been paid to deliver, as our own postie told me so when I asked why mail that I had been expecting hadn’t arrived. They said that they only concentrate on delivering parcels and only deliver mail when it backs up. Absolutely disgusting.
STOP TALKING BOLLOX !
IF what you are saying IS true regarding YOUR postie HE/SHE needs sacking.
BUT in extreme situations, 10 f of snow OR Official industrial action, what do you expect ?
( I think that YOU maybe getting confused with JUNK mail, in which, on heavy days, you might be allowed 2-3 days to deliver it ALL.
Only because the management refuse to pay overtime ).
Absolute rubbish, maybe they holding your mail back purposefully because you are obviously an idiot
Oh dear, a postman are you?
Well done you win a medal for intelligence
Totally agree, i had a parcel couriered from Australia arrive faster than a letter from Waterlooville, paid for and sent parcel tracked 48hrs and it took 4 days to arrive in Southampton and apart from a “dispatched ” note no tracking was done and no notice of delivery given.
Yes totally agree get my mail in Bembridge so late
I am not a raving “commie” but I do believe the time has come to Renationalise all the “Basic” industries and let the everyday people have a fair deal rather than shareholders creaming off all the profits at our expense.
Issue with ALL nationalised companies is that right to almost the very top, no-one cares about profit or working hard.
As it is seen as ‘Govermunt’ money, then all take the mick, and do as little as possible, swindle as much as possible with foreman, mangers all not ‘bovered’ as the whole chain of command has the same attitude.
Bit like working for a company, or being self employed. If the former, getting sent the wrong item matters not to you, but it does if the latter.
Shareholders have ONLY replaced tax payers money and so as you would IF you were part owner of a company, you would expect a return on that GIVEN cash.
Good luck Posties, good to see a good turn out on the gates.
Makes for a nice change on the island.
May i suggest ? Why don’t you also implement “A work to rule, ban overtime, and an end to all good will (favours) to all local managers.
Make sure you take your meal breaks and don’t start work 30/40 minutes early, just to cope with the increased work load. UP THE WORKERS !
From an ex postal worker.
Profit is just in paid wages. Hold strong posties
Should be grateful for having a job get back to work
I see our wonderful postman who delivers to Ashey Road is in the pic. He, along with all the other posties deserve a better deal. Honk, honk, honk!! X
Get it while you can boys and girls because the future won’t be as rosy. Once the Royal Mail break up its unprofitable and profitable businesses, there will be massive infrastructure and workforce changes.
YES, IT IS CALLED CHERRY PICKING.
Send one letter to your next door neighbour,
and send another letter to the highlands in Scotland,
and post at the same time, same stamp ect.
AND BOTH LETTERS WILL ARRIVE THE NEXT DAY.
Not to bad of service IMO.
THIS IS ANOTHER REASON RM WORKERS ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE from all of the industrialest quick buck merchants out there.
SHORT TERM GAIN, LONG TIME PAIN…….$$$$$$$$ !
I have been waiting for my post and parcel since Tuesday 23rd and still waiting the very big postal lorries have been coming past every day but still no post
Royal Mail like all workers deserve a pay rise.
The Tory Government keep finding money for Ukraine, it’s about time
They looked after the people of the country who pay their wages.
Very true all we hear about is black rights and aid for Ukrainian people. Both of which may be valid but we are in danger of impoverishment to the hands that feeds these needy groups. Then we all suffer
What exactly is “black rights”? Never heard of that.
Sack them and give their jobs to people who actually want to work.
Ridiculous comment, troll alert
Yes you aright Mr Troller!
So once again those who cannot influence the management are made to suffer, urgent mail and parcels delayed affecting their lives and businesses.
I saw them today, thought you people are being lead by a communist dinosaur, he will not care when you are jobless. Good luck with the future, you not be missed.
Socialist not communist, massive difference. A bit like being informed and thick, with you of the latter description.
Neither would your selfish attitude be missed.Post staff do a fantastic job in all westhers. They deserve a pay rise. Our postman is brilliant. All weathers. He is always professional and a credit to the Postal Service! Good luck. I hope you get a worthy increase. I would gladly pay a bit more for postage if it went to the foot soldiers not the day cats
lmao. TORY SCUM…….Get back to picking your bosses tomatos, sounds to me like you need to form a Union, THANK GOD (British people) for Brexit.
British workers now have a little more say and now a little more respect.
Without being constantly undercut and undermined by our eastern European friends.
Fcuk the rich, fcuk the system.
Millions for the bosses, pennies for the workers????
Reality check welcome to the world of working for somebody else.
People need a reality check for sure.
I listened to radio 4 and the posties union guy was saying in answer to RM losing one million a day, that they pay the shareholders millions.
Do thick people really think that when the Government sells of once state owned companies, that the shareholders will just ‘give’ their money to them, risking never ever getting all or any of it back for NO profit.
Whilst the total sum paid sounds a lot, it is between millions of shares and shareholders, so we only get a pittance.
Think some need to move to a commy country
If your not happy with your pay or conditions then leave and get another job.
This job for life attitude should have stopped when The Royal Mail was sold off.
My local Postman in Ryde is a great guy and does a great job.
They are well paid by my research and it seems pretty well agreed that we are back to the far left brigade whose sole aim is once again to bring down the Government. No positive manifesto just the desire for power and notoriety,
Ah well you researched you must be well informed , wonder if you researched all issues or just the ones the tabloid’s are spinning
You got to admit though, there is nothing ‘Royal’ about the mail service today!
I guess the problem for these Royal Mail workers is that very few people will actually notice if they are on strike. I’m NOT having a go at anyone, just stating what seems obvious. None of us, I think, expect to receive a letter on a particular day and will think nothing of it if nothing drops through our letter box that day or the next day or even the day after that.
Yes, something you buy online and which is being delivered by RM could be a day or two late but is that really a problem to most people?
This is the problem posties face, very few will notice they are on strike.
Can somw help with my crossword. It was no.7 across began with F. And the clue was fully laden postmans sack
Why is it the public sectors aways go on strike but hardly never the none public sectors go on strike