Royal Mail managers announce strike dates

Royal Mail managers across the UK are to go on strike this month in a dispute over pay and job cuts.

The Unite union says 2,400 managers will work to rule between 15 July and 19 July and will take part in strike action from 20 July to 22 July.

According to Unite, during these periods, deliveries and some services like tracked items, will be delayed.

Royal Mail said there were "no grounds" for a strike and it had contingency plans to minimise disruption.

Unite says the strike action is over Royal Mail's plans to cut 700 jobs and cut pay by up to £7,000.

However, Royal Mail hit back at Unite's figures saying that "56% of workers have had an increase and others have had their pay protected at their substantive grade".

A spokesperson from the Royal Mail also said the 700 job losses were "planned" and have happened following an "extended consultation and achieved through voluntary redundancy."

The union's general secretary, Sharon Graham, said Royal Mail was "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.

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"Our members are determined to force the business to take a different path, and they have the full backing of Unite."

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We have contingency plans in place to minimise disruption for customers in the event of industrial action, and we will work to keep people, businesses and the country connected."

It added it was "committed to protecting pay for all managers who stay with Royal Mail, and the vast majority have seen an increase in their earnings".

"We are disappointed that Unite/CMA has notified us of planned industrial action. There are no grounds for industrial action. The extended consultation on our recent restructure concluded earlier this year, and the restructuring is complete," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this year, Royal Mail increased first class stamp prices by 10p to 95p and second class stamps by 2p to 68p.

At the time, Royal Mail warned it was facing "significant headwinds" from rising costs and said it would need to cut costs more as a result, increasing its target to over £350m from £290m previously.