THOUSANDS of posties have voted in record numbers to strike in the run-up to Christmas.
About 110,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have had their say on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. But why are they annoyed and what are they striking over?
Royal Mail strikes 2019 – when are they?
Royal Mail staff are expected to walk out either over Christmas, during the Black Friday sales at the end of November or both.
It would be the latest blow for the formerly state-owned giant which is struggling to compete with the likes of Hermes.
What are the strikes about?
The Royal Mail is embroiled in a dispute over job security and employment terms and conditions.
The CWU said that Royal Mail is not sticking to an agreement reached last year covering a wide range of issues, including plans to reduce the working week, as well as job security.
Industrial relations at the company have worsened this year, with widespread unofficial strikes breaking out virtually every week.
The CWU said the result represents the largest yes vote for national industrial action since the passing of the Trade union Act 2016.
The union said the prospect of the first national postal strike in a decade now “looms large”.
Union bosses fear the 503-year-old company is trying to scrap rules which means it must deliver to every address in the UK six days a week for a set price.
They say dropping to a five-day week would cost 20,000 jobs but the company denies any plan to do so, The Sunday Times reports.
An attempt to save money by issuing 70,000 scanners to workers in 2015 was also met with anger by the union who were concerned about the devices’ ability to track staff.
