The postal service in Worcestershire is set to be hit by “severe disruption” as Royal Mail workers strike over a pay dispute.

Members of the Communication Workers Union took industrial action in August and early September but plan to carry out more strikes as their demands haven’t been met.

Workers who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters will be taking national strike action on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1, as well as on October 13, October 20, October 25 and November 28.

The CWU has also announced that “functional strike action” that will impact various parts of the Royal Mail’s day-to-day operations will take place throughout November and into early December.

A list of picket locations released by the union includes the Worcester Delivery Office on the Shire Business Park in Wainwright Road as well as delivery offices in Evesham High Street, Abbey Road in Malvern and on the Station Industrial Estate in Ledbury.

The Royal Mail is asking people to post items as early as possible in advance of strike days and that on days when strike action is taking place, it will prioritise delivery of Covid test kits, medical prescriptions and Special Delivery and Tracked24 parcels.

With the exception of Special Delivery, letters will not be delivered on strike days.

“We’re sorry this strike action is likely to cause you some disruption,” it said in a statement.

Post Office branches will stay open during Royal Mail strikes

“We will be working to get our services back to normal as quickly as possible. Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but we cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce.

“We’ll be doing what we can to keep services running, but you should expect significant disruption on dates when strike action is taking place.”

The Post Office is not involved in the dispute and its branches will remain open, but services including banking, travel money and posting parcels and letters may be disrupted.

The CWU said in a statement: “Our Royal Mail members have had an unagreed two per cent pay deal imposed on them.

“This is at a time when RPI inflation is currently running at 11.8 per cent and when Royal Mail has announced group profits of £758 million and when the company is paying out many millions to private shareholders.

“The pay dispute is not complicated. Our members are striking for a pay rise that fully addresses the current cost of living.”