Royal Mail and CWU to discuss pay dispute at ACAS

Royal Mail and the CWU have agreed to hold discussions at ACAS on the dispute over pay.

Royal Mail said the union had also promised to suspend all moves towards possible further official strike action over the dispute.

A spokesman said he was very sorry for the inconvenience customers had suffered to their mail services through unofficial strike action by up to 10,000 union members in London.

“It’s time the CWU focused on ACAS and got on with stopping strikes, not letting them spread,” he said.

“Today’s unofficial strike in London is hurting postmen and women who are needlessly losing wages, and the customers who are losing their services. The union need to bring that situation to an end.

“We’ve accepted the unions’ offer to return to ACAS. Royal Mail has consistently said that’s the right thing to do and we are pleased the union now agree. We have also asked for a meeting directly with the union this afternoon, and are pleased that the union has suspended all moves towards more official strike action.”

The spokesman added: “This is a dispute about a pay offer that is giving everyone nationally in Royal Mail an increase in basic pay of 14.5% over 18 months, alongside increases in London Weighting of between 8.6% and 12.6%. That’s a good offer which is already making a real difference to people’s pay packets – it is not a justifiable reason to put customers through the disruption we have, regrettably, seen in London.

“Outside London Royal Mail is moving forward. Postmen and women voted against a strike. And more than 480 offices – a third of the total – have rejected the stalemate the union is trying to preserve and have signed up for the local changes needed to pay out the rest of the money.”