Royal Mail Group PLC (LON:RMG) faces a two-day strike later this month after its workers increase the pressure in a dispute over pensions and pay.
The Communication Workers Union said on Twitter that it had served notice to the FTSE 250-listed company that its staff will strike for 48 hours from noon on 19 October.
A great day for our union. A big one today as we service strike action notice on @RoyalMailGroup https://t.co/htW5vIiHD3
— Dave Ward (@DaveWardGS) 5 October 2017
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “This is a watershed dispute that will determine not only our members’ pensions, jobs and pay but also the future of the service.”
Royal Mail said in a statement that it was “very disappointed” at the announcement, stressing: “The company is committed to further talks as a matter of urgency to reach agreement with the CWU. There are no grounds for industrial action. We want to reach agreement.”
It added: “Royal Mail will be writing to the CWU invoking the external mediation process under the dispute resolution procedures in the Agenda for Growth. These legally-binding dispute resolution procedures were set up as a vehicle to resolve industrial disputes. We wish to use them to do just that.”
READ: Royal Mail shares fall after CWU members overwhelmingly vote for industrial action on pension scheme changes
The decision to press ahead with a strike followed an 89% vote for action in a ballot of members, announced earlier this week.
It will be the first strike at Royal Mail since the postal group was privatised.