Royal Mail directors in crisis talks amid threat of fresh walkouts

Royal Mail bosses were locked in crisis talks yesterday as trades union leaders looked poised to call for fresh walkouts.

The 507-year-old company’s board met in London as chairman Keith Williams and chief executive Simon Thompson try to solve the bitter dispute. 

With the postal service losing more than £1million a day, bosses have warned further strikes could see it put into administration.

They said strikes will ‘threaten the job security’ of its posties.

Williams was appointed to the board in 2019 after 18 years at British Airways where he ended a row with cabin crew over pay and conditions. 

But he has failed to work the same magic at Royal Mail, in a long-running dispute with the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents around 115,000 postal workers, over changes to pay and conditions the firm insists are necessary for it to modernise and compete with rivals.

Royal Mail has been battered by 18 days of strikes over the last year including the Christmas period. 

‘After 11 months of talks, making numerous improvements to our offer based on CWU feedback, and mediated talks, we are deeply concerned that we have yet to reach an agreement,’ it said.

‘We have been clear throughout that significant transformation of our network and working practices is essential for the business to survive. 

‘It is not sustainable for the business to be losing more than £1million a day. Change cannot continue to be delayed.’

Further strikes would ‘only serve to threaten the job security of our postmen and women and make our pay offer unaffordable’, it said.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward blamed the crisis in Royal Mail’s finances on the way it has dealt with the dispute, adding its offer was ‘not good enough’. 

It is thought the CWU could call more strikes today, with the firm expected to respond immediately, possibly by calling in administrators.