Union agrees Royal Mail Sunday delivery plan

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Extended Sunday postal services came a step closer yesterday, when CWU leaders backed an agreement with Royal Mail to trial deliveries in London and parts of the Home Counties.

"In the long term this initiative is right for postal workers, customers and the company."Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary (postal)

The pilot, which is planned to start in September, will also see over 100 enquiry offices across the UK opening on Sundays too.

Negotiations with the company had been ongoing since the idea was first put forward back in May, and while both sides backed the plan in principle, there were various issues to resolve around resourcing and remuneration.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was endorsed by yesterday's postal executive, Sunday working will take place on a wholly voluntary basis and staff will be rewarded on the basis of one of three options.

Option 'A' pays existing Sunday Scheduled Attendance rates for the time worked, 'B' pays accrued leave on a time-and-one-half basis to the volunteer, and the third choice, 'C', applies the same arithmetic but then takes the time calculated to shorten that person's remaining working week.


"These are some innovative ways of resolving this issue," said Bob Gibson, the union's national officer for delivery workers, "and this remuneration agreement, plus the guarantees on the voluntary principle mean that we can now focus on working together for a successful launch of the trial."

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said that it was right for the union to work with the company to develop and launch new services and expand existing operations.

"The market dynamics in the business are changing rapidly and if we want to sustain jobs in the future then we cannot turn work away," he explained, adding: "In the long term this initiative is right for postal workers, customers and the company."