Ballot papers are set to be dispatched to Royal Mail staff as the nation’s postal workers prepare to walk out on strike.
More than 115,000 workers will have the chance to vote in the coming weeks on whether to take industrial action, the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) has announced.
Ballot papers will be sent out on 28th June, with the result announced on 19th July.
Speaking on Sky News, CWU general secretary Dave Ward called for “fair pay” for workers after the company posted huge profits.
“BT posted profits of £1.3billion last year, Royal Mail posted profits of £758million. They paid shareholder dividends of £700m and £400m. What about fair pay for their workers?”, he said.
Ronan Burtenshaw, the editor of Tribune Magazine, posted a video of CWU flags being waved in a sorting office, saying:
“There’s more than 100,000 workers in Royal Mail being denied a proper pay rise – and they’re not having it. We’re heading for the second major strike of the summer.”
The news comes as more rail strikes will be held this week in worsening disputes over issues including pay, jobs and conditions.
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef on the Croydon Tramlink will strike on Tuesday and Wednesday over pay.
The walkout follows three days of strike action last week on the railways and a 24-hour stoppage on London Underground which crippled services.
Aslef said FirstGroup, the company which operates Tramlink on behalf of Transport for London, has offered tram drivers a 3 per cent pay rise.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser on Croydon Tramlink and London Underground, said: “This would mean a real terms wage cut for people already struggling to deal with rising fuel, energy and food bills.
“Our members do a difficult and demanding job, working round the clock shifts over 364 days of the year. They deserve a fair pay settlement.
“The Mayor of London and the board of TfL should be intervening to stop this abuse and make Tramlink treat its staff fairly.”
Talks between the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Network Rail and train companies are expected to resume in a bid to resolve the national dispute.
Related: Lammy courts controversy as he refuses to back BA workers
