We have agreed a Joint Statement with the CWU after meeting in talks with Acas, earlier today.
National Disputes – CWU / Royal Mail Group Joint Statement
1.RMG and CWU recognise that it is crucial to the future of the company and the long-term job security of its employees (CWU members) that we reach agreement to resolve the current pay and change disputes.
2.There will now be an intensive period of negotiations on all aspects of pay and change, including proposals on the overarching approach to revisions / re-alignments, Voluntary Redundancy Pay, MtSF and the wider approach to redundancy. This will be facilitated by ACAS from Monday 7th November to Tuesday, 15th November led by the RMG CEO, the CWU General Secretary and their respective teams.
3.To enable the right environment for constructive negotiations, RMG confirm the following will apply until at least the 15th November:
•The pay and change offer tabled on Monday, 31st October (including Parcelforce Pay and Change Update letter of the 2nd November) will now be subject to further discussion and negotiation including revision activity.
•Managerial revision planning activity will continue. However, all activity with employees in relation to MTSF and redundancies linked to revision activities will be paused.
•Where available based on workload, employees will be offered overtime opportunities using our normal practices.
4. RMG have confirmed that the only communications activity they will undertake are those that were already underway covering their latest position on change issues. CWU will communicate with their members on how they intend to move the dispute forward to a resolution.
5. To create space for constructive talks, both parties have committed to a de-escalation of tension to avoid flashpoints and restoring calmness in the workplace.
Q&A
Does this mean revisions / realignments aren’t happening?
No. Revisions and realignments are vitally important to improve our productivity in light of declining workloads. Planning for revisions will still continue by managers, however we will pause on local consultation on redundancies with CWU Reps and employees.
Is Royal Mail considering keeping the previous two-year MTSF voluntary redundancy terms?
As we set out previously, the current MTSF terms are unaffordable. We have said that we will discuss and consult with CWU on how the redundancy process will work, including things like selection criteria and terms for voluntary redundancy.
Does the mean that the pay offer will be increased?
As we said in the offer letter on 31 October, given our financial position, this is the best offer we can make and it is subject to agreeing a programme of change with CWU.
Does this mean that we can expect more overtime in my office?
Where available based on workload, employees will be offered overtime opportunities using our normal practices.
