POSTAL workers and sixth form teachers will be on strike in St Helens today.

Separate industrial actions by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the National Education Union (NEU) are taking place, which will have an impact on the town today.

CWU strike

Royal Mail workers are set to stage another strike today as a row regarding pay and working conditions rumbles on. 

A Communication Workers Union (CWU) spokesperson said: “The CWU want a negotiated settlement with Royal Mail Group and will continue to engage the company to that end.

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“But those in charge of Royal Mail need to wake up and realise we won’t allow them to destroy the livelihoods of postal workers.”

CWU strikes took place last week on Thursday, November 24, Friday 25.

There are strikes planned for today, Wednesday, November 30, tomorrow, Thursday, December 1.

Further planned upcoming Royal Mail strikes are: 

  • Friday, December 9 
  • Sunday, December 11
  • Wednesday, December 14
  • Thursday, December 15
  • Friday, December 23
  • Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Royal Mail has said that it has “well-developed contingency plans” to minimise disruption.

It added that it was "focused on getting mail delivery back to normal as quickly as possible after strike action," but letters will not be delivered on strike days.

NEU strike

Meanwhile, sixth form teachers, including at Carmel College, will also be on strike today as part of action by the National Education Union (NEU).

NEU members at 16 Sixth Form colleges in the North West have voted to take strike action on November 30.

St Helens Star: Carmel College will be affected by strikes todayCarmel College will be affected by strikes today (Image: Google Streetview)

This will include staff from Carmel College on Prescot Road, and also nearby Winstanley College, in Wigan, which takes in some students from St Helens.

The NEU says members have voted to take strike action in response to” an inadequate pay offer”  from the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), which they say is well below inflation.

The union said 88.5 per cent of members voted yes in a statutory ballot to strike action.