UK Royal Mail calls for talks with ACAS

Royal Mail have made an attempt to break the deadlocked pay talks with the postal workers’ union by calling for talks with Acas, the conciliation service. The Communication Workers’ Union has threatened the first national strike action in seven years over the company’s pay offer.

The company have offered 14.5% over 18 months, bringing delivery workers’ minimum pensionable pay up from £262 to £300 a week. The union argues the “real” offer is only 4.5%, since the rest is in return for various changes in working practices. The CWU’s postal executive is to decide today whether to accept the invitation to go to Acas. Last year’s postal pay talks involved negotiations with Acas.