Hatfield postal workers who are a part of the Communications Workers Unions (CWC) have warned of the ‘end of Royal Mail’ as their strikes continue.
Today (Thursday, November 24) 115,000 employees went on strikes and will continue to do so on Black Friday - November 25 - in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The well-established dispute continues with Simon Thompson, Royal Mail Group’s CEO. Postal workers unanimously voted for a no-confidence measure in Simon as thousands of workplace gate meetings occurred this week, including in Hatfield.
The strike comes as Royal Mail senior management presented take-it-or-leave-it proposals to the CWU.
Stuart Brady, Labour member, was present at the Hatfield CWU strikes this morning in support of the strikers.
Stuart said: “The CWU strikes at Hatfield sorting office saw a very well attended picket line standing up for the terms and conditions of Royal Mail staff.
"CWU Members said they are very keen for a deal, so that strike action closer to Christmas will not be necessary, but what is on the table from the Royal Mail at the moment is not acceptable.
“CWU Members were keen to stress the importance of their role in the community. Particularly as key workers during the pandemic.
"Often it is the local postie who will be the only person that a lonely person says hello to all day, or the person that first calls for help when a Hatfield resident is in need. 
“Many members of Royal Mail staff have family responsibilities and have built their lives around the current terms and conditions with, for example, the traditional early starts.
"They say the alterations will totally change the job with massive disruption to their lives and to service levels to residents.
"They also point to the hundreds of millions paid out to shareholders this year and the large executive pay deals in recent years. Against that backdrop the threats of redundancies are outrageous.”
The CWC said, Royal Mail proposed a “final and best offer” to workers on Wednesday, November 23, which included a 3.5 per cent pay increase; demands that the CWC will no longer formally support workers who have submitted employment tribunals for unlawful pay deductions during strikes; refusal to allow the CWU to negotiate revision proposals locally, later start and finishing times that will see Royal Mail abandoning the AM delivery period; cuts to sick pay and more.
In response to this, the union argued the following proposals to help resolve the dispute: an improved 18-month pay deal including back pay for all workers; a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies; and the restoration of previously agreed processes for voluntary redundancies. 
The proposal also included a joint review of all agreements and the relationship between the CWU and Royal Mail Group; re-establishing the right of CWU reps to be fully involved and able to negotiate on local revisions; and an alternative business strategy that would see Royal Mail Group use its competitive advantage to grow as a company, instead of becoming a gig economy parcel employer.
The General Secretary of CWU said: “We are disappointed that instead of reaching a compromise to avoid major disruption, Royal Mail have chosen to pursue such an aggressive strategy.
“We will not accept that 115,000 Royal Mail workers – the people who kept us connected during the pandemic and made millions in profit for bosses and shareholders, to take such a devastating blow to their livelihoods.
“These proposals spell the end of Royal Mail as we know it, and its degradation from a national institution into an unreliable, Uber-style gig economy company.
“Make no mistake about it, British postal workers are facing an Armageddon moment.
“We urge every member of the public to stand with their postie, and back them like never before.”
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