Posties say public support has been ‘huge’ ahead of further strikes 

Members of the CWU: Photo: CWU.

Postal strikes planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) and next week are set to go ahead as the row over workers’ pay and conditions continues.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Royal Mail workers, held their first day of industrial action on Friday, and said the public support had been “huge”.

The union’s Grampian and Shetland branch secretary George Ross said: “I can only assume by the letters of support, the horn honks and the thumbs up the CWU members are getting, we aren’t being looked upon as radical but as a group of workers who deserve a decent pay rise and not the 25p that’s been imposed upon us.

“We are not only protecting ourselves in this fight but the great postal service and universal service obligation, something that’s important in communities such as Shetland.

“We will stay strong and we will keep going until Royal Mail Group sees sense and sits down and negotiates a decent pay deal.”

Mr Ross said the CWU had sought a “summit type” meeting with the Royal Mail’s chief executive and chairman – but the response was “obscure to say the least”.

As a result, the industrial action planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) will go ahead.

Further strikes are planned for Thursday and Friday next week.

Mr Ross said previously the decision to strike had not been taken lightly but members felt “disillusioned, angry and upset” after management imposed a two per cent pay rise, which he said equated to less than £10 a week for most workers.

The Royal Mail has apologised to customers for the likely disruption. Most items posted the day before, during or on the days after strike action will be subject to delay.

“We will be working to get our services back to normal as quickly as possible,” it said.