Strike threat at Royal Mail
Union leaders today raised the threat of industrial action among tens of thousands of postal workers in a row over pay.
Talks will be held over the next two days between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union in a bid to avert a dispute.
According to the union, Royal Mail is proposing a freeze on basic pay and officials warned that unless there was a “dramatic change” in the Royal Mail’s attitude there was no prospect of a deal being made.
In a letter to its members, the union warned that a “major dispute” was inevitable unless a better offer was made in the next few days.
According to the union, Royal Mail has offered lump sums ranging between GBP 250 and GBP 550 but conditional on the union agreeing new working practices and GBP 350m worth of cuts.
The letter said: “These savings amount to pay reductions and major operational change even before the introduction of new automation.”
Engineering administration workers are being offered nothing on basic pay or in lump sums according to the union.
The letter continued: “We are now witnessing Royal Mail stepping up their slash and burn approach, deliberately exploiting competition as a stick to beat down your basic pay and conditions.
“Even if Royal Mail’s pay comparisons were true we would still be insisting CWU members deserve more and that pay in Royal Mail should always set the benchmark across the industry.”
The union accused Royal Mail of “abandoning” an agreed approach on growing the business and accused the organisation of being panicked into a “cost cutting frenzy” in every workplace.
The letter continued: “Royal Mail are now displaying a defeatist attitude towards competition. The union will continue to reject Royal Mail’s short-sighted policies and insist that the company returns to our jointly agreed strategy for dealing with pay and the future.
“Our priority is to reach an agreement but we are left with no alternative
other than to also prepare for a national industrial action ballot.”
The letter was sent by Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward.
A spokesman for the Royal Mail said: “We are continuing to talk privately to the unions about how to achieve a sensible, fair and affordable deal for our people at a time when we need to pay GBP 730m into our pension fund every year and when our rivals are already handling one mail item in every eight.
“It is no secret that Royal Mail needs to be more efficient both to compete effectively and to allow our people a share in our success.
“We are still just as committed to maintaining our current target-beating levels for our customers.”
