ROYAL Mail workers have began a further two days of strike action as their dispute over pay, jobs and conditions continues.

Following a 48-hour strike last week, the latest two-day walkout by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) began on Friday morning and will continue on Christmas Eve.

The CWU said it had offered to suspend the strikes and ‘establish a period of calm’ until January 16  but the Royal Mail Group rejected an offer of negotiations to resolve the ongoing dispute.

General Secretary Dave Ward said: “For Royal Mail Group to reject our offer just hours after receiving it demonstrates that they were never serious about saving Christmas for customers and businesses.

"When a company openly boasts of having built a £1.7 billion fund, to crush its own workers rather than use that money to settle the dispute and restore the service, then you know dark forces are clearly at work.

“Their sole intention is to destroy the jobs of postal workers and remove their union from the workplace. Our members will not stand for this, and further action will take place in 2023."

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll has expressed solidarity with postal workers.   

He joined members of the CWU on the picket lines at Royal Mail in Tomb Street this morning.

“Royal Mail is doing all it can to break this strike action,” he said. 

“The blame for Christmas postal disruption lies with Royal Mail bosses, who would give the Grinch a run for his money. They are ruining Christmas for customers and workers alike. 

“This company has paid hundreds of millions to shareholders and is treating its workers with absolute contempt.   

“Striking postal workers have my full solidarity.”