Conference condemns Royal Mail's announcement on Thursday 13 April 2017 to close the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme from 31 March 2018.
Conference further deplores Royal Mail's decision to announce the closure whilst our National Officers and PEC are in talks on Pension, Pay and the wider Four Pillars negotiations.
Conference recognises that Royal Mail's decision - along with their proposals - is a clear signal that they intend to attack our terms and conditions to maximise profit for the shareholder.
Conference agrees that Royal Mail's decision to join the race to the bottom in terms of our conditions and their wider operational strategy needs to be confronted and stopped.
To this end conference agrees that unless Royal Mail agree to the following within the National negotiations then the union will ballot for industrial action.
- A pension solution which is either the union's proposed pension scheme (WINRS) or an acceptable and agreed alternative Defined Benefit Scheme.
An agreed pay rise above inflation.
Royal Mail's proposals for removing RRIS, TPM, reserved rights payments and legacy payments and monthly pay to be withdrawn from negotiations.
The attack on new starter's terms and conditions must be withdrawn from the negotiations.
No agreement to be given on reductions to sick leave entitlements/procedure or reductions in MTSF.
The proposals on the IR Framework including the removal of Area Reps, must be taken off the table.
That Royal Mail's operational strategy which is clearly designed to put in a command and control system and turn this industry into a part time industry on lower terms and conditions needs to be opposed. The CWU must also change Royal Mail's strategy which is to use automation to enforce a more labour intensified delivery role on CWU members.
An agreement to extend the legal guarantees.
A flight path to achieve the 35 hours gross working week.
Conference further agrees that should Royal Mail attempt to introduce any of their policies which they have proposed within the negotiations by executive action the CWU executive is instructed to activate an immediate ballot of CWU members for strike action.
Conference recognises that the pension issue, alongside the wider Royal Mail proposals and the CWU's Four Pillars represents the biggest set of negotiations in recent history.
To this end, conference agrees that the PEC will organise the widest possible membership campaign to galvanise membership support to the union's strategy. This will be aimed at ensuring that Divisions, Regions and Branches arrange visits to every workplace in the UK in order to maximise support for the CWU via any proposed industrial action.