No delays at Sheffield Mail Centre following strikes, Royal Mail bosses say

Bosses say industrial action before Christmas affected services but ‘contingency plans’ have seen them return to normal.

Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union have been in dispute over job cuts, pay and conditions since June last year. More than a dozen strikes have been held, the most recent on December 23 and 24. The firm does not deliver letters or parcels on strike days, except those sent by special delivery.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said there were no current delays at the Sheffield Mail Centre on Brightside Lane.

He added: “Following damaging CWU strike action, we have deployed contingency plans to keep communities, businesses and the country connected. Throughout, we have prioritised essential government mailings and NHS letters for delivery. After each period of industrial action, we have increased our network capacity and used additional resources to assist with getting services back to normal as quickly as possible.”

There are no further strike dates currently confirmed for 2023, but the dispute between Royal Mail and the CWU shows little sign of reaching a conclusion, meaning further action is likely at this stage. Royal Mail tabled its “best and final” offer to workers in late November.

On its website, the CWU states: “The pay dispute is not complicated. Our members are striking for a pay rise that fully addresses the current cost of living. Our members need it, our members deserve it the company can afford it.”