Postal workers on the brink of national strike
Postal workers are on the brink of an all out national strike after negotiators failed to reach closure in the dispute over pay.
Despite concerted efforts yesterday afternoon and early evening from both the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at the conciliation service Acas in London, strike action may ensue next month.
160,000 postal workers will now be asked to vote on whether to take industrial action.
Adam Crozier, chief executive of Royal Mail, claimed the CWU was “going backward.”
And one the CWU chief negotiators, Ray Ellis, said Royal Mail management had demonstrated “complete contempt” for postal workers.
The sticking point lies in the CWU’s interpretation of the current pay offer.
The Royal Mail says the 340 million pounds per year offer amounts to a 14.5 per cent increase over 18 months, but the CWU says there is only a 4.5 per cent hard cash offer. The rest is tied to controversial productivity improvements.
Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton said workers would be committing “commercial suicide” if they voted to strike.
It is estimated a strike would cost the Royal Mail up to 20 million a day and would hit its return to profitability in the short to medium term.
The CWU is looking for an eight per cent increase in basic pay, with any extra cash tied to productivity.
The CWU wants postal workers to have at least 300 pounds per week.
Royal Mail, which has managed to axe 750, 000 pounds from its losses of 1.5 million pounds two years ago, has said it aims to take 30,000 workers out of the workforce and scrap the second post.
