Two-day walkout by postal workers planned for later this month called off following legal challenge from Royal Mail
6 February 2023, 22:42 | Updated: 7 February 2023, 01:26
A two-day walkout by postal workers has been called off following a legal challenge by Royal Mail.
In a newsletter to members, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) blamed laws "heavily weighted against working people" for cancelling walkouts planned to take place on 16 and 17 February.
The union will now not be able to call more industrial action until March, as its mandate runs out in the middle of February.
However, its members will soon be compensated for striking as union bosses put the final touches to a “formal strike fund”, according to The Telegraph.
The letter doesn't detail the nature of the challenge but it said: "Having discussed this with our lawyers they have advised that we could defend our position in court."
However, it adds, "given the laws in this country are heavily weighted against working people, the risks of losing in court may potentially impact on the re-ballot - we simply cannot allow this happen".
CWU's six-month strike mandate runs out on 17 February and a vote of its members is currently being held on whether to strike for a further six months in the dispute over conditions and pay.
The union said they received correspondence about the challenge over the weekend and that winning a yes vote in the next vote is more important than going forward with this month's strikes.
Union bosses said that negotiations with Royal Mail Group would resume this week but warned: "If talks fail, we will significantly step up the programme of strike action."
CWU members in Royal Mail staged 18 days of walkouts in the second half of 2022 over pay, jobs and conditions.
Union officials said that though pay is one of the issues in the dispute, they are also concerned with how Royal Mail is being run.
