HEXHAM posties have joined 115,000 other postal workers in what has been described as the 'biggest strike in the UK since 2009.'

Dozens of postal workers were on the picket line in Hexham on August 26 and 31 protesting over pay.

Another two stoppages are planned for September 8 and 9.

The industrial action is being led by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) which represents Royal Mail Group workers.

A spokesman for the North region of the CWU told Yhe Courant the strikes had had solid support from members.

Members voted in favour of the strike by 97.6 per cent in a ballot after management 'imposed' a two per cent pay rise on employees but 'rewarded themselves with record bonuses', said the CWU.

Hexham Courant:

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. 

“We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks. When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758 million in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400 million, our members won’t accept pleads of poverty from the company.

“Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain. They are sick of corporate failure getting rewarded again and again.

“The CWU’s message to Royal Mail’s leadership is simple – there will be serious disruption until you get real on pay.”

Hexham Courant:

Barristers, BT and Openreach workers, journalists, NHS workers and rail workers are all also striking or due to over pay and conditions.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “The CWU’s self-centred actions with the wider trade union movement is putting jobs at risk and making pay rises less affordable.

“We are losing £1 million a day and the CWU’s strike action is making our situation worse. We want to protect well-paid, permanent jobs long-term and retain our place as the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions. Each strike day makes that more difficult, making Royal Mail’s future more uncertain than at any time in its long history.

“The CWU has failed to respond to our latest invitation to meet to discuss change and pay, instead creating red herrings on the Universal Service, renationalisation and shareholder activity. The CWU is deflecting to avoid talking about the changes we need to make as a business.

“On the CWU’s first strike day, more than 850 offices were operational as we worked to minimise customer disruption and keep people, businesses and the country connected.

“Over the Bank Holiday weekend, teams across Royal Mail have worked tirelessly to implement our recovery plans, ensuring NHS letters and critical government mailings were prioritised as we cleared the mail to return to normal service levels. We need the same commitment from the CWU’s leadership to engage on change, this is the only way we can unlock more pay.

“Our future is as a parcels business. We must adapt old ways of working designed for letters to a world increasingly dominated by parcels and act fast. We cannot cling to outdated working practices, ignoring technological advancements and pretending that Covid has not significantly changed what the public wants from Royal Mail.

“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience the CWU’s strike action will cause.

“We remain ready to talk with the CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action and prevent significant inconvenience for customers. But any talks must be about both change and pay.”