ROYAL MAIL strikes are set to cause disruption in Ryedale and York.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will walk out on August 26, 27, 30, and 31, and also September 8 and 9.

On August 26 and 31, along with September 8 and 9, Royal Mail delivery offices will be closed due to walk outs.

This includes the York delivery office on Leeman Road, the Malton delivery office on Wheelgate, and the Scarborough delivery office on Aberdeen Walk.

Phone lines will remain open and the offices will fully reopen the following day.

On days when strike action is taking place Royal Mail say they will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked24 parcels as possible and prioritise the delivery of Covid test kits and medical prescriptions wherever possible.

However, Royal Mail say they will not be delivering letters, with the exception of Special Delivery.

During the strikes Royal Mail advise customers to post items as early as possible in advance of the strike dates.

Items can still be posted at post-boxes or post offices, although collections will be less frequent on striking days.

More information on the services can be found at royalmail.com/latest-news, or customers can call Royal Mail’s customer service teams on 0345 740740.

Immediately following strike action, Royal Mail will lift the suspension of letter deliveries and prioritise the delivery of critical Government mailings and NHS letters.

Ricky McAulay, operations director, Royal Mail said: “The CWU rejected our offer worth up to 5.5 per cent for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years.

"In a business that is currently losing £1 million pounds a day, we can only fund this offer by agreeing the changes that will pay for it.

"We apologise to our customers for the disruption that CWU’s industrial action will cause.

"We are ready to talk further with CWU to try and avert damaging industrial action but, as we have consistently said, it must be about both change and pay.”

Crown Post Office employees will strike on August 26 and 27, and supply chain and admin members of the union will walk out again on August 30.

During these strike days post offices in Ryedale and York will stay open.

Elsewhere in the UK 144 Crown Post Offices (directly managed by Post Office Limited) will be closed.

A full list of these Post Offices can be found here.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We’re disappointed that the CWU have notified us of intention to take strike action at our 114 Directly Managed Branches on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 August.

“Separate CWU action at Royal Mail on Friday 26 August will cause disruption to letters and parcels services and there will be delays to the collection and delivery of items.

“However, customers that use our Amazon and DPD ‘Click and Collect’ services, available at thousands of branches across the UK, are unaffected by strike action at Royal Mail.

“Postmasters will continue providing vital cash deposit and withdrawal services, bill payment services and gas and electricity metre top-ups.”