Royal Mail responds to Unite statement on upcoming ballot

Royal Mail has released a statement expressing its “disappointment” over Unite’s decision to ballot its members regarding possible industrial action. As previously reported, Unite has announced that ballot papers have been sent today (4 April) to Royal Mail managers who are members of Unite.

Unite said that the ballot was in response to its pay dispute with Royal Mail – but the union also claimed: “The pay dispute is part of a much wider set of problems engulfing the now privately-owned Royal Mail.”

The Unite statement added: “The managers will be asked to vote on taking strike action and/or industrial action short of a strike after they overwhelmingly rejected a ‘paltry’ 1.3 per cent pay offer for the year starting September 2015 in a consultative ballot.”

The ballot closes on 21 April.

Royal Mail has this afternoon issued its own statement on the matter, in which it quotes a Royal Mail spokesperson as saying: “It is disappointing that Unite has chosen to ballot its members.

“However a ballot for industrial action does not mean that any action will take place.

“Royal Mail has engaged Unite in serious discussion around its pay claim from September 2015.

“We maintain that we have put forward a fair and competitive offer, which recognises the efforts of our managers and compares well with current inflation levels. We want to reach agreement so that our managers receive their pay award as quickly as possible.”