Socialist Party Wales Socialism In Wales
By Dave Reid
CWU members in Royal Mail were out on the picket lines across Wales today as part of a national stoppage for a decent pay rise without strings.
Postal workers made newly-privatised Royal Mail £758 million profit in the last two years, essential workers who kept the service going through lock-down. £400 million has been paid to shareholders in dividends. The CEO got an overall annual pay and perks package worth £753,000. The deal included a ‘short-term’ bonus of £142,000 while he expects Royal Mail workers to accept 2% plus another 3% which they will have to pay for themselves through job losses and increased working.
All the CWU is asking for is a pay rise that keeps up with inflation – expected to hit 16% in the next 12 months.
The company is taking advantage of new anti-workers laws to bus in agency workers to try and break the strike in the hubs but the strike remains solid.
Pickets were out in force at all the main sorting and delivery offices in Wales.
The mood was buoyant and confident on all the picket lines. Management had tried to get vans in to deliver parcels with little success. Everywhere cars tooted their support as many workers understand that they might be taking action themselves soon as the bosses and Tories (and Labour) politicians expect us to take big real pay cuts this year.
In Abertillery , a pit bull roaming the streets mauled the arm of one of the pickets, making him the first postie to be bitten by a dog on a picket line!
At every single picket line there was widespread support for the idea raised by the Socialist Party that the TUC should make a call for all workers to strike together and to co-ordinate the action. Many strikers expressed an interest in coming on the NSSN lobby of the TUC on September 11th.
