Royal Mail and union leaders FINALLY reach agreement following 11-month bitter dispute over pay

Royal Mail and union leaders have finally come to an agreement after an 11-month bitter dispute over pay and employment conditions.

The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) and the British postal service announced they have come to an agreement in a joint statement today.

Royal Mail said it had reached a negotiators’ agreement in principle with the CWU, with more details expected to be confirmed next week.

More than 110,000 postal staff at Royal Mail, owned by International Distributions Services, held several nationwide strikes in 2022, demanding higher pay to cope with rising inflation and pressure on living standards.

The joint statement said: ‘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.’

Royal Mail workers staged a series of walkouts last year, including in the run-up to Christmas.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward and deputy general secretary Andy Furey said: ‘We have reached a negotiators’ agreement with Royal Mail group.

‘The CWU postal executive will now meet and consider the agreement on Monday and Tuesday and we are putting in place plans to brief representatives across the union’s structures.’

Pictured: A Royal Mail staff leaving the Royal Mail offices in London

He added: ‘On the basis that the negotiators’ agreement is endorsed by the postal executive, we will put in place a full communications plan to engage members.

‘Thank you for your support and patience. It has got us to this point.’

Earlier this month the CWU leaders pulled back from announcing fresh strikes by Royal Mail workers.

At the time, Mr Ward said the union’s leaders did not believe more strikes were the right thing to do but there might come a time when more industrial action is called.