How much does a postman earn? Average salary of postal worker for Royal Mail explained - and 2022 strike dates

Royal Mail workers are half way through a strike which has seen more than 115,000 people stop work in a dispute over pay.

For households, this means that they won’t receive any letters or packages on certain days in September, after already having two days without mail in August.

The dispute over wages and strike action, which has been supported by the workers’ union CWU, has led many people to question how much Royal Mail postal workers actually earn.

Here’s everything you need to know about what postal workers do, how much they earn, and when the next strikes are planned for.

How much do Royal Mail postal workers earn?

On average, a full time Royal Mail postal worker earns around £18,000 per year gross pay, according to employment website Indeed.

This means that, on average, they earn £10.56 per hour in terms of gross pay.

How much do other Royal Mail postal workers earn?

There are various other roles in the Royal Mail, alongside postal worker, with annual  gross salaries averaging somewhere between £15,000 and £57,000.

This is what other Royal Mail workers earn per year in gross pay on average, according to Indeed:

• Driver: £15,475
• Delivery driver: £21, 299 
• Manager: £29,685
• Operations manager: £32,915
• Truck driver: £33,228
• Delivery manager: £33,405
• Senior operations: £50,777
• Owner operator driver: £56,188

What did postal workers do?

A postal worker delivers letters and packages along a defined route to residents and businesses.

They typically use a vehicle such as a postal truck for their work, although they may need to walk for part or all of their route.

Their typical day begins in the early morning hours, with the worker accepting pre-sorted mail to be delivered along their regular route.

Most postal routes are organised for efficiency, and the postal worker normally arranges all mail and packages in their vehicle or bag according to the order of addresses visited.

Additionally, a postman secures signatures for certified mail, as well as for signature on delivery packages.

When do Royal Mail workers go on strike?

Royal Mail workers have already gone on strike on two days; Friday 26 August and Wednesday 31 August.

More than 115,000 staff members will strike again over two further dates and walkouts take place on the following dates:

• Thursday 8 September 
• Friday 9 September 

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

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

The company has apologised to customers but says it has plans to minimise the disruption.

Why are Royal Mail workers going on strike?

Royal Mail workers are striking in a dispute over pay.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced earlier in August that more than 115,000 postal staff would walk out in a dispute over pay and gather outside Royal Mail officers across the country.

The decision to strike came after a recent ballot which saw members vote by 97.6% for the industrial action on a 77% turnout.

There had been three months of talks between Royal Mail and CWU came to an end on 9 August without an agreement being reached.

The CWU had demanded that the Royal Mail begin talks to agree to a "straight, no-strings" pay rise.

The union said management responded with a 2% pay rise, which the CWU claimed would lead to a dramatic reduction in worker living standards due to soaring inflation.

A further 3.5% increase is available, subject to agreeing on a series of changes, the company said, but the CWU rejected this offer.