Union attacks Royal Mail after pay rise imposed

The postal workers’ union bitterly attacked Royal Mail yesterday after the group said it would award a 2.9 per cent pay rise rejected by the union’s leaders. The Communication Workers’ Union said it wanted further talks on the offer and that imposing the deal was “premature and a blatantly hostile act”. Dave Ward, deputy general secretary, said: “With Royal Mail’s prevailing attitude, a confrontation seems inevitable in the near future.” But Royal Mail said the staff were entitled to the money. “It is backdated to the beginning of April and it is right they should get it now.” The settlement follows payment last year of a bonus of Pounds 1,074 to its employees as reward for their co-operation in returning it to profit over the previous three years. The union said breaking off talks on the basic pay rise came as negotiations were continuing on details of a productivity package expected to raise postal workers’ pay further. It could not rule out a ballot, and would take the issue to its annual conference in Bournemouth in two weeks. Earlier the CWU protested over Royal Mail’s refusal to allow it to use work premises for its consultative ballot on plans to give staff 20 per cent of the shares in the group. Billy Hayes, general secretary, last week described the proposal as a scheme “to effectively privatise this public service”, and has protested at letters sent to staff asking them if they want the shares. The union said yesterday its members were being “gagged” by the employer, which had been ripping down posters advertising and explaining the ballot. But Royal Mail said: “This is a political lobbying exercise. Privatisation is not on our agenda which we’ve clearly stated, and not what the government wants to do.” The CWU is to press ahead with the consultative ballot, an attempt to give members a chance to air their views on its agenda for raising basic pay, improving job security and keeping the business in the public sector. “For a public company to deny the opportunity of the workforce to express an opinion and also to seek to undermine the Labour party manifesto commitment to keep Royal Mail in the public sector is deeply disturbing for standards in public life,” Mr Hayes said.