Royal Mail workers have voted to strike between October 19 and 21, potentially impacting thousands of delivery purchases via online retail sites.
The confirmation of the strike dates comes after 89.1 per cent of Royal Mail workers who are members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) earlier this week voted in favour of industrial action.
This means 111,000 postal workers plan to walk out of the job for three days as ecommerce retailers prepare for the holiday rush from Black Friday right through to Christmas.
In response, the Royal Mail said it was “deeply disappointed” by the CWU‘s decision and that they remained “committed to further talks”.
The industrial action was prompted by the Royal Mail‘s decision to close its final pension scheme.
The FTSE 250-listed company said it would explore all legal options, including applying for a High Court injunction, to prevent the strike.
It added that that because of the 2013 Agenda for Growth agreement, the CWU has no legal grounds to strike.
To gain the right to strike, they have to undergo a “legally binding dispute resolution procedure” that would take until at least Christmas to be finalised.
“The company is committed to further talks as a matter of urgency to reach agreement with the CWU,” the Royal Mail said in a statement.
“There are no grounds for industrial action. We want to reach agreement.”
If the postal strike goes ahead, it will be the first since 2009 and the first since the Royal Mail was privatised three years ago.
