Hopes rise in Consignia talks

Hopes are rising that Consignia and the main postal union could overcome a key sticking point in plans to change mail deliveries in Consignia’s bid to cut costs.

The Communications Workers’ Union said continuing talks with Consignia on holding trials for shorter delivery runs for postal workers under new delivery plans had been “constructive”.

Consignia had proposed to postal staff four-hour delivery runs in pilot schemes for one mail delivery a day, which would save the loss-making company £350m.

But it said yesterday it was considering trying delivery runs of three-and-a-half hours in its pilot scheme due to begin imminently.

The length of new delivery runs has been a bone of contention for the union whose members’ delivery runs are now two-and-a-half hours. It is concerned that moves to scrap second delivery and prolong the first delivery would create problems for postal workers such as a lack of toilet facilities.

Separately, Consignia said that Allan Leighton, its chairman, did not see the withdrawal of his invitation to address the CWU conference this week as a setback. Sarah Laitner