Online shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief – for now – after the impending postal strike at Royal Mail was cancelled by the High Court.
Last week, Royal Mail workers voted to strike for three days between October 19 and 21, which would have had an impact on deliveries from online purchases.
However, after Royal Mail bosses argued it could not go ahead unless the Communications Workers Union (CWU) first followed contractual dispute resolution, a High Court judge ruled the strike illegal.
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The Royal Mail warned that the dispute resolution process may not be resolved until Christmas.
Around 111,000 postal workers were planning to walk out of the job after 89.1 per cent of those who are CWU members voted in favour of industrial action over an ongoing row regarding pensions, pay, working hours and job security.
The FTSE 250-listed company responded by applying for a High Court injunction to prevent the strike.
The Royal Mail added that that because of the 2013 Agenda for Growth agreement, the CWU had no legal grounds to strike.
To gain the right to do so, they have to undergo a “legally binding dispute resolution procedure”.
CWU general secretary Terry Pullinger said there had been a “breakdown in trust” between workers and Royal Mail management.
The last time Royal Mail workers held a strike was in 2009, before the organisation was privatised three years ago.
