News Desk

In what is becoming a "summer of discontent" the Communications Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed that ten thousand postal workers will take strike action on Friday 19th June as "Royal Mail refuses to negotiate change and pushes ahead with arbitrary cuts which will damage services."

"Following the 2007 postal dispute, an agreement was struck that ensured both the company and the union worked together to improve efficiency. This agreement has ensured that the company has built steady profits. The last part of that agreement is to agree modernisation of the business. Royal Mail are now ignoring that element of the agreement and implementing arbitrary cuts in costs without modernising."

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "Royal Mail is blocking modernisation by refusing to negotiate change with the CWU.

"We have offered a moratorium on all strike action if Royal Mail will suspend executive action and enter into meaningful negotiations. We want to bring forward the successful transformation of the business by working together. They need to honour the 2007 national agreement and work with us to achieve that."

"There is growing unrest across the country as Royal Mail tries to impose damaging cuts and changes without the input of union reps. The future of the business must be safeguarded through careful planning, not shooting from the hip.

"Postal workers deliver a first class service but the current cuts and attitude of management threatens that and worsens services.

"Royal Mail can avert this strike action by pulling back from arbitrary cuts and negotiating modernisation with the CWU."

More than ten thousand postal workers in all areas of deliveries, collections and processing across London will take industrial action for 24 hours starting from the early shift on Friday 19th June. Further strike action will be announced if no progress is made.

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