Royal Mail on strike as soldiers prepare to guard UK borders

Britain's postal workers are latest to walk out over pay and job cuts

Royal Mail postal workers in London. The Communication Workers Union says its members have had a below-inflation 2 per cent pay deal imposed on them. EPA

Britain’s postal workers began six days of strikes on Friday over what a union leader called a “brutal attack on jobs”.

It came as soldiers faced the prospect of giving up Christmas leave to cover for striking Border Force workers.

Talks to head off a rail strike are expected to continue through the weekend amid a wave of industrial unrest.

Royal Mail workers are walking out to demand higher pay and resist plans for job cuts.

“They don’t want to be out on strike over Christmas and in this long-running dispute,” said Dave Ward, the general secretary of the Communication Workers Union.

“But this really is the most brutal attack on jobs that we’ve seen any group of workers have to face in this country,” he told Sky News.

Royal Mail has told customers to send second-class post by December 12 to avoid a Christmas melee.

The six days of strikes lead up to Christmas Eve and come despite months of talks over pay and restructuring.

Elsewhere, Border Force workers in the Public and Commercial Services Union are planning eight days of walk-outs this month.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Thursday that military personnel could have to step in and fill key roles.

About 100 soldiers have already been sent to London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports for training, The Times reported.

It said as many as 600 soldiers could be drafted in to check passports and be on alert for human trafficking.

“These sorts of rolling strikes will cause disruption for everyone,” Mr Sunak’s spokesman said.

Some of the most disruptive strikes will affect public transport if no agreement is reached.

London bus drivers working for Abellio are on strike on Friday and Saturday as part of 10 days of action.

The union Unite accuses Abellio of paying some of the lowest rates for bus drivers in London.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has meanwhile accused the government of blocking a deal for train staff.

RMT strikes are scheduled to begin next week and are expected to cause chaos on Britain’s railways into early January.

The union says negotiations will continue over the weekend over a pay rise and railway reform.

But it claims that ministers added “last-minute clauses” into offers made by the train companies.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper says reform is needed after taxpayers bailed out the railways to the tune of £31 billion ($37.97 billion) during the pandemic.

Mr Sunak said this week he is working on “new, tough laws” to protect people from strike disruption.

The RMT’s London Underground workers voted on Thursday to renew their strike mandate.

“If a resolution cannot be found, we will continue our industrial campaign for as long as it takes to get justice for our people,” said RMT boss Mick Lynch.