Crunch week to resolve Royal Mail dispute

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.printweek.com/news/article/ ... il-dispute

The CWU has described the week ahead as “critical to the outcome” of its long-running dispute with Royal Mail, with a series of pay for change proposals aimed at stabilising the business now on the table.

Royal Mail: "These are complex and at times difficult talks"

The union issued an update to members on Friday (17 March), after the BEIS select committee of MPs referred Royal Mail to Ofcom over failings in meeting its Universal Service Obligations.

The statement from general secretary Dave Ward and Andy Furey, acting deputy general secretary (postal), described the current situation as “untenable”, and said postal workers were under huge pressure in the workplace “both because of unachievable revisions and the continued targeting of CWU members and representatives”.

The duo stated: “With these huge issues in the background the negotiations have been extremely difficult. We are discussing pay, change and the very future of the company. There is enough in the talks to warrant continuing them. What we must now do is bring them to a conclusion – one way or the other.”

Ward and Furey said that work had continued over the weekend to analyse the key differences between the two parties, and the union planned to put forward “a clear view to the company on how we resolve them”.

“Board level negotiations will continue next week and both parties recognise we are at a crunch point.

“We want to reach an agreement and we are committed to ending their mantra that is destroying the livelihoods of postal workers and the service to the public. Next week will be critical to the outcome of this dispute.”

This morning, a Royal Mail spokesperson told Printweek: “These are complex and at times difficult talks. But the situation is serious, and it is important for all involved that any deal agreed is the right deal.

“We have put forward a series of pay for change proposals designed to stabilise the business, and set Royal Mail on the path to being competitive again. We are awaiting a response from CWU. They have committed to come back to us in the coming days.”

A series of CWU briefings will take place this week for CWU representatives and members.

[Cucumber]

Sounds like RM are going to successfully argue that they HAD to fail the USO given their precarious finances.
Ofcom and the government will then grant them a USO review to stop the company from sinking.
Even the CWU have laid off the blame game of paying shareholders hundreds of millions this time last year. That money has gone and the company have shown they won't be shamed into giving the workers a fair deal.

[jbo5066]

https://www.printweek.com/news/article/ ... il-dispute

This morning, a Royal Mail spokesperson told Printweek: “We have put forward a series of pay for change proposals designed to stabilise the business, and set Royal Mail on the path to being competitive again. We are awaiting a response from CWU. They have committed to come back to us in the coming days.”

Doesn't sound encouraging

[Linden14]

So basically we are back at the start with negotiations

[redlen]

You realise there is no obligation on employers to give a pay rise being discretionary?
Look at the public sector workers as an example.

People go on about the millions paid to shareholders, but that is what a privatised industry does, compensates with dividends. Not ethical, but legal. Despite all the bravado, Simon Thompson and the board have done nothing wrong with the company's finances besides not putting in reserves for when the Covid pandemic ended instead of relying on paper assets such as property as security.

[timbo1234]

To me it reads that pay is not now the major issue. I think the offer - if there is one- will be well below the figures talked about on this site. The main focus of the CWU will be on the changes and revisions RM are forcing through which are causing so much stress and anger. RM have obviously not honoured the recent joint statement and I don't think they ever intended to. The board appear to have no control over the operational managers who carry on implementing unworkable revisions and causing mayhem among the workforce.

There is only so much of a trade off for money versus change. When the changes make the job unworkable and demoralising that becomes the main issue , not pay.

[Cucumber]

For many, pay is still the biggest thing, then deciding if they can do the job (or want to) with the inevitable big change coming.
People can't make ends meet with the sudden increase in cost of living coupled with no overtime.

[koolishy67]

Stop revision pay I am happy with 5%

[sixfoottwo]

That all sounds like we are in for the greatest shafting ever, looks like talks have gone seroiusly badly to me reading between the lines

[Shirtbuttons]

From what I am witnessing I wonder how RM are ever going to get the morale of their staff on the up again. People are so low they have almost given up. They really don’t care anymore and many have or are leaving. How can we ever trust them again? How can we believe anything they say? I have a fellow postie friend in the south who tells me even his managers are leaving the business and that’s not with a pay off. I think the situation is unrepairable.
You can only kick someone so much. It is such a shame because with the right leadership the foot soldiers would be on your side and it could be the best postal service in the world. If only they realised a happy workforce is a productive workforce. I’m sorry but I think it’s all far too late. They need to take a hard look at delivery offices and see the damage done. You have lost the dressing room and I think it will take 10 years if at all to get it back.

[BenacreNick]

Koolishy, you make me want to give up with comments like that.

[Cedar_Room]

It’s interesting that up until a month or so ago the general consensus was that RM wanted all of their changes in place before the start of the new financial year. Well,that day is coming fast & none of the proposals have emerged at our DO. Even the latest ‘revision’ appears to have been kicked into the long grass due to the fact that the office is failing even before they remove any more duties. I genuinely don’t know how this is gonna go now

[SpacePhoenix]

Even the latest ‘revision’ appears to have been kicked into the long grass due to the fact that the office is failing even before they remove any more duties. I genuinely don’t know how this is gonna go now

I suspect that it's only until the COM gets ordered by their boss to implement it

[gary1975]

Busy trying to find enough glitter to roll the turd of a deal in.

[guardianangel]

Whens the next ballot at this rate we will need one.