Post Office pay deadlock 'could spark dispute' warns CWU

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"A serious industrial dispute" affecting essential supplies of equipment and cash to post offices right across the UK could be on the way unless management "get real" over pay, CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey has warned.

"They need to stop playing games, get back to the negotiating table and settle our members' pay claim"
Andy Furey, CWU national officer

Hundreds of workers in POL's Admin and Supply Chain (including Cash and Valuables in Transit) start voting in a consultative ballot on Wednesday following mounting frustration at the company's stubborn refusal to settle this year's pay claim.

"We've been in discussions with the business since the start of this year and the annual pay review became due on April 1st," explained Andy, "but after spending the first few months refusing to make an offer at all, POL finally made an offer last month that was well below inflation.
Andy Furey "This offer was rejected as an insult to our hard-working members - and we also rejected the company's divisive tactics of offering different settlements to different grades," he continued.

Last autumn, these grades went on strike against the company's expressed intention not to increase basic pay at all this year - but after just one day of action, red-faced bosses backed down and promised serious pay negotiations for 2014.

"I'm urging Post Office senior management to remember and remember well just how rock-solid our action was last year," Andy said, and warned: "Unless the company gets real and improves their offer, we could end up in a serious industrial dispute.

"They need to stop playing games, get back to the negotiating table and settle our members' pay claim or this consultative ballot could be a precursor to a full strike ballot."

Other issues in dispute include an internal workforce re-organisation programme, the industrial relations framework and duty revisions.
The consultative ballot of members working in POL Admin and Supply Chain opens on Wednesday, 17th September and closes on Wednesday 1st October.