Royal Mail managers to strike over jobs and pay

theguardian.com:

Royal Mail managers across the UK are poised to take industrial action in the next two weeks in a dispute over jobs and pay.

Unite, the union which represents the workers, said 2,400 managers will work to rule between 15 and 19 July, followed by strike action between 20 and 22 Julyover Royal Mail’s plan to cut 700 jobs and slash pay by up to £7,000.

Last year, Royal Mail paid out £400m to shareholders and made a £311m profit, the union said.

It said its members had no other option but to take strike action as months of consultation had failed to produce an agreement.

Unite called on Royal Mail to restore jobs, arguing that the proposed cuts are so savage they will destroy the service.

The Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “This business is awash with cash but it is putting profits and dividends for the few at the top ahead of its duties as a public service.

“There is not a single aspect of these cuts which is about improving customer service. They are being driven entirely by a culture of greed and profiteering which has seized a 500-year-old essential service, driving it close to ruin.”

Unite argues that removing hundreds more posts would make the six-day postal service that the company is obliged to run by the regulator, Ofcom, impossible to sustain.

The Unite national officer with responsibility for Royal Mail, Mike Eatwell, added: “The business is seeking to cut 700 posts on top of the 1,200 cut last year.

“For those managers who remain, they face cuts to their salaries of up to £7,000. People who gave their working lives to this business will lose their homes. It is no wonder then that our members are angry and ready to take strike action.”

Industrial action by the managers, who voted by 86% to strike (89% in