Postal workers in the UK launch Black Friday strike as industrial action sweeps the country

Key Points

• The CWU has announced 10 further days of strike action between Thursday and Christmas Eve, of which four have been formally notified, with the last falling on Dec. 1.
• Workers across the U.K. are striking over pay, working conditions and pensions, with inflation running at its highest level for over 40 years and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) last week projecting the steepest fall in living standards since records began.

LONDON - Strikers from the CWU Trade Union attend the picket line at Peckham Royal Mail centre on November 24, 2023 in London, England. Strikes planned for the Black Friday weekend and the run-up to Christmas will go ahead after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union ended without agreement.

Guy Smallman/Getty Images

LONDON Thousands of postal workers in the U.K. are on a two-day strike, disrupting Black Friday after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union fell through.

Leaders of the trade union, which represents around 115,000 striking postal workers, re-entered negotiations with Royal Mail executives early last month, with talks now having spanned seven months.