Update on CWU strike action at Royal Mail
Royal Mail said the Communication Workers Union strike had slipped and remained extremely patchy with the percentage of people coming to work ranging from 5 pct to more than 60 pct around the country. Royal Mail added that the network of 14,220 Post Offices was operating as normal.
The company said that, as ever, it is willing to meet the union at any time. Royal Mail met Dave Ward and Billy Hayes on Wednesday evening to explain again the company’s urgent need to change, as all its major rivals in the UK postal services market have already done, if it is to thrive in an increasingly tough marketplace. Chairman Allan Leighton and Chief Executive Adam Crozier set out the very serious competitive threat facing the company and its people but the union nevertheless decided to go ahead with a second damaging 24-hour strike which started at 7pm last Thursday.
Royal Mail has offered a package of pay which gives a basic pay rise of 2.5% for change as well as a GBP 800 dividend if we hit our targets – plus the opportunity to earn a 50:50 share of any savings over and above budget.
Mr Leighton called on the CWU to accept the absolute need to modernise and take off their block on local change in 250 operational units where changes have been agreed with our people and the union locally but blocked by the CWU at a national level.
Royal Mail remains very willing to meet the union at any time to explain the company’s position.
