CWU holds back on Xmas postal strike
An agreement has been reached between Royal Mail and postal workers to end the long running dispute over pay and working practices.
Consequently, the threat of two 24-hour walkouts in the capital on December 19th and 22nd diminished yesterday after postal workers’ union, the CWU, said it would hold back on industrial action.
The deal covering pay, scrapping second deliveries, and the London weighting allowance will be recommended to the executive of the CWU next Tuesday, with union members balloted early in the New Year.
A joint statement said: “The Royal Mail and the CWU are pleased to report that we have reached a conclusion to our talks.
“The CWU will be recommending a package to their executive next week and both parties have agreed to refrain from discussing details publicly in order to respect internal consultative processes. Further details will be issued next week.”
Separately, Royal Mail said it would cut up to 3,000 managerial jobs as part of a restructuring programme designed to return the ailing firm to profitability.
The jobs would be lost by March 2004 through voluntary redundancy, the company confirmed.
