1988 United Kingdom postal workers strike
Encyclopedia
The 1988 United Kingdom postal workers strike was a strike
in the United Kingdom
in August and September 1988. It was the country's first national postal strike for 17 years, and began after postal workers at Royal Mail
walked out in protest over bonuses being paid to recruit new workers in London
and the South East
. As a result postal deliveries throughout the United Kingdom were disrupted for several weeks.
The strike action started on 31 August when members of the Union of Communication Workers
walked out to protest against 2.75% bonuses, and it was intended as a 24-hour stoppage. However, the strike continued after temporary workers were hired to clear the backlog of undelivered mail. By 5 September the industrial action had spread with a quarter of the country's postal workers on strike, and by the time an agreement was reached the following week, the strike had spread throughout the British mainland (workers in Northern Ireland
did not strike). No mail was being delivered by this point and, in order to ease the backlog of post, bosses at Royal Mail placed an embargo on the delivery of overseas mail. By the time the strike ended there was a backlog of 150 million undelivered letters and parcels.
The issue of temporary workers also led to some violence. In an incident at a sorting office in Liverpool
, three men were arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour after pickets threw bottles at workers arriving at the facility.
The strike came to an end on 13 September after union representatives and Royal Mail managers held talks over the preceding weekend. However, because of the backlog of mail, deliveries remained unreliable for several weeks afterwards.
The strike led to a delay in the receipt of information concerning the September 1988 unemployment statistics which were briefly over-recorded as a result.
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in August and September 1988. It was the country's first national postal strike for 17 years, and began after postal workers at Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
walked out in protest over bonuses being paid to recruit new workers in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the South East
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. As a result postal deliveries throughout the United Kingdom were disrupted for several weeks.
The strike action started on 31 August when members of the Union of Communication Workers
Union of Communication Workers
The Union of Communication Workers was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries. It was founded in 1919 as the Union of Post Office Workers by the merger of the Postmen's Federation, Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association and the...
walked out to protest against 2.75% bonuses, and it was intended as a 24-hour stoppage. However, the strike continued after temporary workers were hired to clear the backlog of undelivered mail. By 5 September the industrial action had spread with a quarter of the country's postal workers on strike, and by the time an agreement was reached the following week, the strike had spread throughout the British mainland (workers in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
did not strike). No mail was being delivered by this point and, in order to ease the backlog of post, bosses at Royal Mail placed an embargo on the delivery of overseas mail. By the time the strike ended there was a backlog of 150 million undelivered letters and parcels.
The issue of temporary workers also led to some violence. In an incident at a sorting office in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, three men were arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour after pickets threw bottles at workers arriving at the facility.
The strike came to an end on 13 September after union representatives and Royal Mail managers held talks over the preceding weekend. However, because of the backlog of mail, deliveries remained unreliable for several weeks afterwards.
The strike led to a delay in the receipt of information concerning the September 1988 unemployment statistics which were briefly over-recorded as a result.
See also
- 1971 United Kingdom postal workers strike1971 United Kingdom postal workers strikeThe 1971 United Kingdom postal workers strike was a strike in the United Kingdom staged by postal workers between January and March 1971.-Details:...
- 2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes2007 Royal Mail industrial disputesThe 2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes were a series of industrial disputes between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
- 2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes2009 Royal Mail industrial disputesThe 2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes is an industrial dispute in the United Kingdom involving Royal Mail and members of the Communication Workers Union , which began in the summer of 2009...