Royal Mail postal workers and members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have confirmed their first 24-hour strike of 2023 will take place on 16 February.
Over 115,000 members will strike from 12.30pm on 16 February to 12.30pm on 17 February.
According to a statement from the CWU, the elected leaders decided to call the strike after Royal Mail, owned by International Distributions Services PLC (LSE:IDS), started forcing through changes without an agreement with the union to do so.
In effect, the CWU said the changes represent the removal of its rights to negotiate at a local level, a move it views as a “real step towards the derecognition of the union.”
“This action is down to the conduct of Royal Mail management, who have displayed a complete lack of integrity,” said CWU general secretary Dave Ward in a statement.
“Our members will not just sit back and watch as their working lives are destroyed by a company leadership hell-bent on ripping up historic arrangements that protect their rights and give them a voice through their union.
“It is postal workers who keep this company going and this country connected – it’s time management recognise this, drop the nasty games and begin taking negotiations seriously, so that this dispute can be ended for good," he added.