Royal Mail and CWU Reach Deal on Pay

Not even two weeks ago, it looked like there would be more strike days coming in the nearly yearlong dispute between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU). Royal Mail even threatened they might be forced to declare the business insolvent if these strike days were to be called.

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But in a surprising turn of events, the two sides issued a joint statement on Monday that they have reached a negotiators’ agreement in principle.

“After almost a year of talks, Royal Mail and the Communication Workers’Union (CWU) are pleased to announce they have reached a negotiators’ agreement in principle.  

“The proposed agreement will now be considered by the executive of the union before being voted on by the union’s membership.   

“An announcement on the detailed content of the proposed agreement will be made when it is ratified by the union’s executive committee. It is expected this will take place next week.” 

Barring a last-minute surprise, it appears the at times very contentious labor dispute by UK postal workers is coming to an end.

But the question will be how much damage this strike may have done to Royal Mail’s reputation, as ecommerce shippers were forced to find alternative solutions during the December holiday rush.

As piles of packages piled up in December, and deliveries were running late, small businesses often were hurt the most as they typically relied more on Royal Mail.

Will this be forgotten so easily, and how will Royal Mail regain the confidence of shippers? That will be the greatest challenge moving forward.

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