Derry posties to strike on Friday

Local postal workers will lay down their satchels in a protest for a 'dignified, proper pay rise', the Communication Workers Union has confirmed.

Three further days of strike action will follow on Wednesday, August 31, Thursday, September 8 and Friday, September 9.

The CWU said it is seeking an 'adequate pay award that covers the current cost of living increases for our members'.

Last week the union revealed that Post Office management had tabled a renewed pay offer of five per cent, however, it said this did not go far enough to meet its members' demands.

"It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s still less than half the rate of inflation,” said CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey.

The trade union has said it is seeking a pay rise in line with inflation which is running at 12.3 per cent.

The decision to strike follows the union’s recent ballot for strike action, which saw members vote by 97.6 per cent on a 77 per cent turnout to take action.

CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said: “Nobody takes the decision to strike lightly, but postal workers are being pushed to the brink.

“There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve."

Royal Mail warned customers to expect disruption to services.

"We’re really sorry for the disruption that this strike action is likely to cause to you. We want to reassure you we will do everything we can to minimise disruption and get our services back to normal as quickly as possible.

"Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but they cannot fully replace the daily efforts of its frontline workforce. We will be doing what we can to keep services running, but customers should expect significant disruption," it said in a statement ahead of the expect strike.

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