‘DISGUSTED’, that’s how the head of the SA postcode Gary Williams has described the way Royal Mail distributes profits after postal workers went on strike for a second day, today, August 31.
Mr Williams said the change workers had to go through was unprecedented as they turned a £600million loss into a £700million pound profit through the pandemic.
But postal workers were offered a two per cent pay rise for their efforts.
“The CEO of Royal Mail is on £750,000 a year and he has just given himself a £140,000 bonus,” said Mr Williams, branch secretary for the southwest Wales amalgamated branch.
“Of the £700million, £400million went to shareholders and £200million went to managers.”
Mr Williams said Royal Mail employers felt discarded after being considered key workers during the pandemic and now, extraordinarily being told they are ‘underworked and overpaid’.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said its members were taking industrial action for a “dignified, proper pay rise”.
Mr Williams described it as a 'fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work', looking for a pay rise that comes somewhere in line with inflation.
Disruption will be felt on strike days which include Thursday and Friday September 8 and 9.
Royal Mail said it has “well-developed contingency plans” to minimise disruption, focused on getting mail delivery back to normal as quickly as possible.
Despite profits, the company says they are losing £1 million a day, and need to change what they are doing to fix the situation and protect jobs.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “The strikes thrust Royal Mail into the most uncertain time of its 500-year history.
“The change we need is the change the public demand of us. They want more and bigger parcels delivered the next day – including Sundays – and more environmentally friendly options."
When asked about the disruption to services during the strikes, Mr Williams said he believed strikers had the backing of the public, and that missing mail happens every day with the way the company is currently being run.
“I believe we have the public support,” said Mr Williams, “and the way the business is currently being run, it happens everyday people not getting their mail.”
Right to strike or get on with the job? Have you been affected by the postal service disruption? Let us know in the comments below or on the South Wales Guardian Facebook page.
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