Christmas strike chaos: Pressure grows on Theresa May as 1,000 Royal Mail workers threaten wildcat action as Post Office workers walk out
Does this represent “Christmas contagion” or is it just a flash in the pan. One of the interesting things it represents in my thinking is the discontent of those with very low wages in work as opposed to the 1980s scourge of unemployment. Interestingly there are a higher proportion of people suffering in work poverty in rural than urban England. Any action around postal deliveries will also hit vulnerable rural dwellers disproportionately. This article tells us:
Strikes that spell misery for hundreds of thousands of people this week are set to worsen as Royal Mail staff threaten new wildcat stoppages which could delay millions of Christmas cards and presents.
A further 1,000 Royal Mail delivery staff could take unofficial industrial action as a separate five-day strike by 3,000 Crown post office workers starts on Monday, The Telegraph can reveal, at a time when the service is creaking under the weight of festive demand.
It comes at the start of a week of strike chaos with conductors on rail network Southern set to stop trains south of London on Monday and Tuesday, and more stoppages by British Airways baggage handlers and cabin crew over the weekend frustrating many attempting to get home for Christmas.
Pressure is growing on Theresa May to bring forward Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting to discuss how to ease the crisis.
Senior Tory figures are calling on the Prime Minister to consider legislation to end the misery after Sir Patrick McLoughlin, a former transport secretary, described the action as “politically motivated”.