Postal workers in the north and north-east say they feel “neglected” months after being praised as critical key workers during the Covid pandemic as they hold a second day of strikes.
Thousands of Royal Mail staff are standing their ground in a 24-hour strike today to fight for better pay and working conditions.
The strike action forms part of a national movement with over 115,000 workers expected to be walking out this week making it the biggest strike of the summer.
Postal workers say they feel neglected after only been offered a 2% pay rise – despite being classed as key workers during the pandemic.
Today marks the second day of four days of planned industrial action across Scotland, with a further two-day walkout due on Thursday and Friday next week.
Picket lines are in place at depots across Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands and islands and are due to return next week.
‘We have really been left with no choice’
Postal workers in Inverness gathered outside the city’s delivery office this morning for a second day of strikes over pay.
Union leaders and workers have erected a number of banners outside the gates of the Seafield Road premises to help deliver their message to Royal Mail officials.
Robert McIlwraith, branch secretary for Communication Workers Union (CWU) Highland AMAL, said: “We are absolutely committed to making the company work and giving the best possible service to customers but all we want is a fair share for our members of bonuses so they can survive.
“Inflation is around 10.1% just now and with the cost of living crisis and utility bills going through the roof, it is not sustainable or affordable for our members to live on.”
Mr McIlwraith, who has been working for the Royal Mail since 1996, said turning to industrial action is their last resort as the pay offer on the table is an insult to their efforts; particularly at the height of the pandemic.
“Everyone in the union and non-members who also come out will lose a day’s pay and no one wants that or inconvenience customers but we have really been left with no choice,” he added.
“Only last year, we were being classed by Royal Mail as key workers. We were serving the public and delivering and collecting test kits during the pandemic.
“We had members who got Covid and passed away and to then be treated and told we can only give you two percent when record profits are being made. It is quite insulting.”
Postal workers will remain on the picket line in Inverness until 4am on Thursday.
‘We are going out and putting our family’s lives at risk’
Royal Mail worker Lynn Connelly, 50, says during the pandemic, she became a lifeline for vulnerable people in Inverness.
She feels the 2% pay offer is a kick in the teeth considering they are the one’s padding the pavement and putting their family’s life at risk.
She said: “We feel neglected and we are not sure if we are going to have jobs at the end.
“They have already paid £600 million to shareholders so while they are sitting at home we are going out and putting our family’s lives at risk.
“I had an elderly mother who had COPD and we didn’t get offered furlough. We were told if you are going to take it off you are going to do so with no pay.
“We made them a turnover of £758 million last year and they are sitting at home, taking all the profits and giving it to shareholders.
“On the rounds that I was doing I saw the people that didn’t see anybody else. We were talking to them, making sure they were alright.”
Ian Storer, who has been working for Royal Mail for 16 years, turned out for the second day of strikes to pledge his support for the movement.
He added: “We’ve all got bills to pay and in realistic terms 2% is a wage cut. We were told all through the pandemic that we were the best but since it died down, we’re not any more.
“None of us can afford to have a day unpaid but you have to look at the big picture.”
‘We’ve been offered peanuts’
A good crowd of workers from Parcelforce and Royal Mail were also camped outside the Aberdeen depot.
Standing outside the only joint UK depot with the two companies in Wellington Circle, vehicles passed by the group dressed in pink high vis jackets offering honks in support.
After working for Royal Mail for 36 years, postman Jim Smith said he was joining the strike due to the poor wages and terms and conditions imposed.
The 63-year-old said he was “sick fed up of it”.
“What they’ve offered us is just peanuts, especially with the way things are going it’s just unacceptable,” he added.
“We’ve been saying it for years that it’s doomed but the way it’s going it is doomed. I’ve only got three years to go but I feel for the folk that it’s their life.”
Alan Coleman, union representative for CWU Grampian and Shetland and a driver for Parcelforce, said over 97.8% of the staff voted for strike action.
“Today’s strikes are all about a pay deal,” he said. “They’ve imposed a 2% pay deal on us. The business is saying they’re offering 5.5% but the 3.5% extra is just all strings attached.
“It’s removing bonuses from us to give us that extra 3.5% which in real terms is an even bigger pay cut than the 2% imposed on us so it’s just not viable for the people.
“The 2% imposed and with the cost of living at the moment it’s just not acceptable.
“It’s down to the senior guys just to get down to the table, it just seems to be at loggerheads and the business doesn’t want to move from their stance.
He said they would have to keep taking action until the company was ready to listen.
“The business has to realise this is a job that people love,” he added. “It’s a community, your posties are linked and there’s a bond with customers.
“The cost of living is going up. October’s gonna be horrendous for everybody. So we need something, we’re right here not getting paid, as well. So we’re losing four days, at least this month, in wages.”
‘In these scary times we have to take a stand’
Postwoman Barbara Cormack said it had been a “very trying three years” and something had to be done.
Identifying herself as “one of the dafties that go out in all weathers”, she said she has worked for the company for five years.
The 56-year-old said although she was worried about going four days without pay, they have to take a stand.
“The way that they’re treating us and the way that they think they can bully us,” Mrs Cormack said. “Because of the pandemic, we worked through everything.
“The majority of them were still at home, probably working at their laptops but we were in the firing line of everything.
“We were at everyone’s doors not knowing what was being opened to us. We were just getting anything and everything thrown at us and it was scary then.
“The cost of living is the scary bit now. We’re going without wages for this strike but we’ve got to make a stand somehow.”
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