Postal workers could ballot for strike action

Delegates at the CWU’s annual conference, taking place this week in Bournemouth, have given Royal Mail Group management notice that if no national agreement on a “straight, no strings pay increase” can be reached by the week commencing 2 May 2022, then the union will move into a position of formal dispute with management.

The emergency motion, which called workers “dishonoured” by Royal Mail management, said that workers deserved a pay increase to “reward them for their exceptional contribution during the nation’s moment of need”, and to “protect them and their families from the current cost of living crisis”.

The motion also condemned Royal Mail for “finding any number of excuses” to “either not reward, under-reward or delay” pay increases.

CWU deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said: “We know what our members have done through the pandemic, we know they deserve a pay rise – one that rewards them for what they’ve done, but also protects them from this cost-of-living crisis.

“You would think the company would be working with that in the best way they can, but instead they have insulted our members by making an offer which is an absolute disgrace – that offer is nothing.

“We are giving them one week – and if we’re not in sight of a no strings pay award, we’ll instigate the four-week resolution process at national level.

“They want to smash up this great public service and fill their pockets with gold. We have to fight with everything we’ve got.”

In response to a request for comment, Royal Mail sent Printweek a statement to say it has offered to the CWU a package worth up to 5.5% this year for CWU grade colleagues.

The proposed offer, which is conditional on reaching an agreement with the CWU, is structured as follows: 2% would be paid to all CWU grade colleagues as soon as an agreement is reached, and this would be backdated to April 2022; a further 1.5% would be paid from the date upon which Royal Mail implements the changes it needs to meet growing customer demands; and there would be a new ‘above and beyond’ bonus worth up to 2% of salary this year for CWU operational grade colleagues who achieve it.

Royal Mail said this offer ensures it would retain its position as the industry leader on pay and terms and conditions.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we want to agree a deal as soon as possible to recognise the great work of our people, while ensuring that Royal Mail can grow and remain competitive into the future in a fast-changing industry. We have offered a deal up to 5.5%, the biggest increase we have offered for many years.

“We’re disappointed to hear that there was a motion at the CWU conference to seek support for a potential ballot for industrial action if significant progress isn’t made on a deal by the end of next week. This feels premature given we have only had one meeting and we have already put meetings in the diary next week for as soon as the CWU conference finishes.

“Our industry is characterised by a race to the bottom on pay and terms and conditions. We will not join that race and will retain our place as the industry leader on pay and terms and conditions. We value the work we do with CWU and remain committed to agreeing a deal for tomorrow, not just today.”

Adding further background to the offer, the organisation said it could not agree to a “no strings” deal as it needs certain changes necessary to grow the business in line with customer demands and key market trends.

It said the parcel delivery industry is moving quickly, and consumer trends are changing all the time, and that it needs to move quickly to get ahead of the trends it is seeing in the market – e.g. bigger parcels, and more demand for deliveries that arrive the next day – including Sunday, and that are more environmentally friendly too.

Post Office workers strike
Separately, CWU said Post Offices across the country will face massive disruption unless bosses stop engaging in “power play” with their workers’ wages.

The union said “workers won’t accept a collapse in their living standards”, as hundreds of employees look set to strike on Tuesday (3 May) against a real-terms pay cut.

Post Office management has insisted on a pay freeze for 2021-22 and offered a 2% pay increase – plus a £250 one-off payment (pro-rata for part-timers) – for 2022-23.

CWU said Post Office management has claimed that it is following government policy on public sector pay but has simultaneously claimed that the decision to impose a pay freeze was its own to make.

CWU members considered the pay freeze “a slap in the face”, and voted by 97.3% on a 70.2% turnout to take strike action. However, since the vote, CWU said Post Office management has refused to get around the bargaining table despite repeated attempts by the Union to instigate meaningful negotiations.

CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: “To avoid more disruption to services this year, the CWU urges Post Office to get round the bargaining table and thrash out a settlement with us that treats our key worker heroes with the respect they deserve.”