Post chief `Hacked off' over pay deal delays

The chairman of postal group Consignia has written a remarkable letter to his workers, saying he is “fed up” with the politics clogging up the business.

Allan Leighton took a swipe at union negotiators and his own managers, saying he was “hacked off” with all of them.

Using typically colourful language, Mr Leighton said a recently accepted pay deal linked to the introduction of single deliveries should have been agreed months ago.

The first part of the increase – 2.2% – is backdated to last October but will only appear in pay packets this week.

Mr Leighton said in his letter to 170,000 workers that the pay increase was firmly linked to the introduction of single deliveries.

“Now the negotiators seem to be struggling to find time to talk about this linkage. They must all be in the Costa del Sol, or watching every game in the World Cup, so in theory the pay deal cannot go through.

“Frankly I’m hacked off with the whole lot of them and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were too.”

Mr Leighton said he wanted to press on with pilot schemes testing single deliveries which he aimed to be completed within two months.

Consignia last week announced record losses of more than #1 billion and said that 17,000 jobs are to be axed.

But Mr Leighton said people who would be leaving the company were not the ones that caused the problems.

They have been “loyal servants” and should be looked after properly, said Mr Leighton, who added in his letter that he will soon be announcing plans for an employee share participation scheme.

The chairman, who has embarked on a tour of delivery and sorting offices around the country since his appointment earlier this year, said that everyone he had spoken to wanted him to “get on” with the job of planning for the future.

“I wanted to write to you directly because, having talked to so many of you, I know that like me you are fed up with the politics and treacle that clog up this business.”

Mr Leighton told workers that if they wanted to express any views they could send him an e-mail.