Managers at Royal Mail managers have voted “overwhelmingly” to strike in a dispute over job cuts and a redeployment programme.
Following a number of significant recent strikes, including the three-day national rail strikes, and the barrister strike, as well as UK doctors threatening strike action if they do not receive a 30% pay rise over the next five years, it has been confirmed that the country’s postal service will be the next organisation to take industrial action.
Members of the Unite union in Great Britain backed the industrial action by 86%, and by 89% in Northern Ireland – with around 2,400 managers at more than 1,000 delivery offices involved in the ongoing dispute.
Strike dates are set to be confirmed later this week.
Unite union says the ballot this week was a response to what are plans to cut 542 frontline delivery managers’ jobs, as well as implement a redeployment programme with worse terms and conditions for employees.
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“It’s no surprise at all that these workers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. Make no mistake, @RoyalMail is awash with cash –there’s no need to sack workers,drive down pay or pursue this ill-thought out redeployment programme.” @UniteSharonhttps://t.co/5k1P4oJ5j3
— Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) June 29, 2022
The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said it’s “no surprise at all that these workers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action”, and that “enough is enough”.
She continued: “Make no mistake, Royal Mail is awash with cash.
“There is no need whatsoever to sack workers, drive down pay or pursue this ill-thought-out redeployment programme.
“These plans are all about boardroom greed and profiteering and nothing whatsoever to do with securing this vital public service – shareholders have been seizing the Royal Mail profits, while our members have been holding the service together.”
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Managers at Royal Mail managers have voted “overwhelmingly” to strike / Credit: Royal Mail
In response to the overwhelming vote for strike action, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are disappointed by the announcement that Unite members have voted in favour of both industrial action and industrial action short of a strike, also known as work to rule.
“Unite have stated they will be informing us in due course in relation to the terms of any industrial action.
“Throughout the ballot process, Unite head office has misled members about additional job losses – this is not true.
“Unite has ignored our request to correct these claims. There are no grounds for industrial action. The extended consultation on these changes concluded earlier this year, and the restructuring is complete.
“We committed to protecting pay for all managers who stay with Royal Mail, and the vast majority will see an increase in their earnings.”
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Royal Mail is awash with cash – but it wants to sack 542 Unite members, workers at the heart of the business.
— Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) June 29, 2022
The spokesperson continued: “We allowed managers to request voluntary redundancy with a package of up to two years’ salary, which was over-subscribed, and we also made several concessions during the process, which Unite declined.”
The Royal Mail also confirmed that it has “contingency plans in place” to keep letters and parcels moving in the event of a strike.
Featured Image – Royal Mail
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Stockport man jailed for life after kidnapping and sexually assaulting teenage girl
Emily Sergeant
A Stockport man has been sentenced to life in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl on her way home from the library.
Paul Sharpe has been sentenced to life imprisonment with an eight-year minimum term in prison after being convicted of a number of offences when subjected a teenage girl to what police called a ‘terrifying ordeal’ that lasted several hours back in May 2026.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the victim had been studying at Sale Library before beginning her journey home with friends at around 5:50pm and contacting her parents at 6:10pm to let them know she was on her way.
Twenty minutes later, she spoke to her boyfriend on the phone and said she was approximately five minutes away from home, but that her phone battery was about to die.
This was the last contact received from the victim that evening.
While walking along Bradgate Road in Altrincham, the victim noticed a grey Ford parked nearby and a man wearing a high-visibility jacket pressing doorbells in the area.
As she walked past, Sharpe approached her from behind, placed her in a headlock and threatened to stab her if she did not get into his vehicle.
Concerned that their daughter had not returned home, the victim’s family contacted police at 9:22pm to report her missing, and officers immediately launched an investigation to locate her.
Over the next several hours, the victim was subjected to and placed in a number of terrifying situations.
Sharpe drove the victim to several locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, before police located and arrested him at around 3:40am on 19 May 2026.
Following his arrested, 56-year-old Sharpe was convicted of kidnap, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, threats with a bladed article, and administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for a young girl who was simply making her way home,” explained Detective Inspector Karl Perry, from GMP’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Sharpe targeted a vulnerable victim, subjected her to hours of fear and intimidation, and went on to sexually assault her.
“The victim has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Through her bravery and actions, she no doubt made it harder for Sharpe to carry out whatever acts he had planned.”
Emily Sergeant -
30th June 2022 
