Royal Mail to axe up to 10,000 jobs as 19 days of Sheffield strikes begin

Royal Mail has announced that up to 10,000 jobs could be axed by next August, a day after Sheffield workers began 19 days of walkouts.

It has blamed the planned redundancies on ongoing strike action and rising losses at the business, saying it expects its full-year losses to hit £350m.

Simon Thompson, CEO of Royal Mail, said: “This is a very sad day. I regret that we are announcing these job losses. We will do all we can to avoid compulsory redundancies and support everyone affected.”

The company currently employs 140,000 people, with offices in Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield Brightside and Sheffield South, among others.

Royal Mail announced total losses of £219 million in the first half the year today and said that each day the strikes continue, their financial situation weakens.

Mr Thompson added: “The CWU’s decision to choose damaging strike action over resolution regrettably increases the risk of further headcount reductions. 

“We call on the CWU (Communications Workers Union) leaders to immediately call off their planned strike action and accept our invitation to enter talks through Acas to find an urgent resolution to our change and pay dispute.”

The CWU, which has roughly 115,000 members, began picketing outside Royal Mail offices all over the country at 04:00 BST on Thursday 13 October.

This is due to issues such as unsatisfactory pay, after the company offered its workers a 2% pay rise earlier this year,.and cuts in sick pay to Royal Mail workers, 

Planned strike dates will cover Black Friday and Cyber Monday, meaning long delivery delays are expected for one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

The full list of dates for planned industrial action can be viewed here.