sorry behind paywall15 Dec 2022 19:12
Royal Mail vows to ignore striking workers as thousands cross picket lineCompany leaders say they have built up £1.7bn war chest to defeat unionByOliver Gill,CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT15 December 2022 • 4:51pmThe leaders of Royal Mail have vowed to ignore striking workers as thousands cross the picket lines and support for industrial action crumbles.Chairman Keith Williams and chief executive Simon Thompson said that they intend to ram through reforms to the business with or without the backing of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), ahead of another round of walkouts in the days before Christmas.In an interview with The Telegraph, they said that 12,000 postal workers are prepared to cross the picket lines each day - a sixfold increase since autumn - and that the company has built up a £1.7bn war chest to defeat the CWU.The interview came just hours after CWU general secretary Dave Ward upped the ante on Wednesday evening, describing the Government as a “shower of corrupt b******* in Westminster" as he voiced support for striking nurses.Royal Mail is pushing through automation that it says is essential for the future of the business, but which the CWU claims will lead to waves of unnecessary job cuts. Workers have been offered a 9pc pay rise which the CWU has so far rejected.Mr Williams said: “It's an important point which people miss, which is: we have the ability to change.“The change is going to happen anyway. We'd like to secure the change that we need from the people, which is pretty limited, to give them the 9pc pay rise that's on offer.“[But] change can happen as a result of the cancellation of the agreements [earlier this year], and will happen regardless of whether there's an agreement with the union or not.”A wave of strikes has forced Royal Mail to warn that customers should post all their Christmas cards and presents by Friday this week or risk them not arriving in time. Workers walked out on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and will be striking again on Dec 23 and Christmas Eve.Strike calendar – Winter of discontentProposed reforms include Royal Mail’s parcel arm switching to hundreds of freelance “owner-driver” postal workers. Until recently, only a quarter of Parcelforce drivers could be self-employed, but the changes will mean this can be lifted to 100pc, for instance.Royal Mail expects to rack up losses between £350m and £450m this year.Mr Williams, a veteran of disputes during his time as British Airways chief executive, said: “Most of that loss is not attributable to strikes. it's actually attributable to the change that you need in the business.“As you change the business, you're actually improving the business. Yeah, they can be out on strikes, but the strikes are not are not the big element of the loss.”Mr T