Postal workers in Essex are striking again today
Royal Mail strikes return on November 30 and December 1
Thousands of postal workers are on strike today and tomorrow, after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) fell through.
‘Enough is Enough Essex’ is a campaign set up a few months ago to support postal workers during the cost-of-living crisis, and they are backing the strikes.
The group was founded by trade unions and community organisations, and half a million people signed up to join it in just three weeks.
Postal workers aim to fight against rising bills, low wages, food poverty, housing inequality and advocate to raise taxes for the rich.
Luke Elgar is a member of ‘Enough is Enough Essex’, a national executive council member for the CWU, and has been a postal worker in Southend-on-Sea for 12 years.
He tells us that postal workers’ wages have not kept up with inflation for 30 years, while shareholder pay-outs keep growing.
He said: “No matter what the crisis is, whether it's COVID, the cost of living, or the climate crisis, it seems like it's ordinary people that have to pay it, and then big corporations and shareholders triple their wealth, even though there's supposed to be a crisis.
“Ordinary working people cannot afford to bear the brunt of another crisis. They're pushed into debt, into serious hardship, and many people have to go over the brink in terms of their living standards.”
Royal Mail offered a pay increase of 9% over 18 months, rather than the next two years, but the terms were rejected by unions.
Luke said: “We want to stop compulsory redundancies and get a fair pay deal. Royal Mail supposedly offered us a 9% pay rise, but that simply is not true. This rise is linked to productivity schemes that we would never be able to achieve.
“If we accepted these terms, we would be agreeing to 10,000 compulsory redundancies and the end of the Royal Mail as we know it.”
Luke continued: “They want to replace postal workers with cheaper employment models. What that means is that workers do not get sick pay nor holiday pay, and if they dare to go sick, they have to pay a bill to cover their duty for the day.”
Luke says that postal workers do not want to stop working because they take pride in what they do, but they will strike until they get an agreement that protects them:
“The situation is pushing postal workers into a difficult position. But they understand that there's no choice. If the company pushes ahead with their proposals, they will essentially destroy the service and there won't be a company to work for.”
Luke also urges the public to stand with their postal workers.
He said: “If you want postal workers to continue coming to your driveway, like they’ve been doing in this country for 500 years, then really stand by your postal workers; stand by the protection of the Royal Mail as you recognize it.”
Luke concludes by telling Essex workers that ‘Enough is Enough’ is there to support them.
“Thank you for standing by your Union. I think you understand exactly why this is so serious, what the position where Royal Mail have put us in is.
“From that perspective, we'll do everything we can to get an agreement to end this dispute and get you a fair protection going forward,” Luke said.