The UK’s former state postal service, Royal Mail, announced on Friday it would lay off 6,000 workers by August 2023, blaming strikes for losses at the company.
The statement issued by International Distribution Services, the company that owns Royal Mail, indicates that it has already begun notifying workers and that the measure aims to reduce the workforce to a total of ten thousand people.
Royal Mail also mentions that it foresees annual losses of 350 million pounds (404 million euros).
The company blames the workers for the “direct impact” of the strike days as well as the decrease in the volumes sent by the Post Office.
Royal Mail workers began another strike on Thursday over higher wages and better working conditions.
Thursday’s strike is the sixth strike in recent months and the first of a 19-stop journey before Christmas, according to the British Communications Industry Union (CWU).
Simon Thompson of Royal Mail management said it was a “very sad” day, referring to planned redundancies at the company.
“We will do everything we can to avoid compulsory redundancies and we will support those affected,” he said.
The company announced losses of 219 million pounds (253 million euros) during the first half of the fiscal year, adding that “every day of strike weakens” the financial situation of Royal Mail.
“The union’s decision to opt for damage-causing strikes increases the risk of more layoffs,” Thompson threatened.
Source: TSF
