Harkin urges Royal Mail to give striking postal workers a cost of living pay rise

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin said: "Striking postal workers deserve and need a cost of living pay rise and job security.”

He was speaking after the Communication Workers Union said the Royal Mail Group had rejected an offer of negotiations to resolve an ongoing pay dispute.

The CWU said it had offered to suspend strikes set for Friday, December 23 and Saturday, December 24.

However, the union claimed an offer to make a joint statement incorporating Royal Mail’s latest promise of no compulsory redundancies ‘was rejected almost immediately’.

Royal Mail, meanwhile, said it had made ‘an enhanced pay deal of 9 per cent over 18 months and a number of other concessions to terms and agreements’.

"We’re urging CWU leadership to accept the change and pay offer, call off future damaging strike action, for the good of our customers and our people,” it said.