CWU Offers Peace Deal to Royal Mail

[piranha]

13th October 2009

The Communication Workers Union has today (Tuesday) written to Royal Mail offering a deal to avoid strike action. The offer would help restore customer confidence at a crucial time for the Royal Mail while addressing outstanding problems of job security, work levels, bullying, and reward.
In the letter to Mark Higson, Royal Mail managing director, the CWU urges the company to show it is sincere about reaching an agreement and avoiding strike action. If not, the CWU will have no option than to press ahead with issuing notice for strike action later this week. Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "Postal workers do not want to have to take strike action, but neither are they prepared to put up with continuing attacks from a management which is failing.

"We have today written to Royal Mail making it clear that the CWU is ready to issue notice for a national strike as voted for by three quarters of postal workers. "More importantly, we have offered what we believe is a genuine alternative to reach a lasting agreement. This is an opportunity to avoid a national strike, restore customer confidence and resolve the concerns of staff. "If Royal Mail really is sincere about reaching an agreement we expect them to take up this offer for the interests of all involved in the mail industry." CWU is copying the letter to organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses, Direct Mail Association, Mail Users Association and British Chambers of Commerce encouraging them to urge Royal Mail to reach an agreement. CWU is also campaigning for a resolution to the pension deficit and is hoping to make a joint approach with the Royal Mail to government on this issue. A full copy of the letter is attached: Letter to Higson 13.10.09 If Royal Mail refuses this offer then strike dates will be announced on Thursday 15th October.

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/cwu-offers-peace-deal-to-royal-mail.html

[baldrick]

According to Channel 4 News first strike is likely to be next Thursday.
Royal Mail management say they are considering their response.

[piranha]

Copy of the letter:

Our Ref : DW/JDD 24207


13th October 2009

Mark Higson
Managing Director
Royal Mail
Royal Mail Group
First Floor
35-50 Rathbone Place
London
W1T 1HQ

Dear Mark

I am writing to confirm that on Thursday 15th October 2009, the Union will serve the relevant notice in line with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidated) Act 1992, announcing national strike action.

However, given the seriousness of the situation we are prepared to make a fresh offer that will avoid the planned strike action and assist in finding a resolution to this dispute.

The CWU offer comprises of the following:-

• That Royal Mail will reveal their business plan for the whole of the planned transformation programme. This will create an open environment that will allow Royal Mail and CWU to reach a 3 year agreement aimed at providing long term stability for the business, employees and our customers.

• That Royal Mail recommit to the key principle which underpinned the 2007 Pay and Modernisation Agreement i.e. that “change will be introduced by agreement”. This means Royal Mail will unequivocally agree planned 2010 change, including the rollout of new walk sequencing machines.

• That we agree, in principle, that improved Job Security arrangements and a new benefits package that rewards postal workers for delivering success for the business will form part of the final agreement.

• That Royal Mail agrees the principle that budgets should not drive staffing levels and that what constitutes a fair days workload will be based on transparent and agreed standards with the Union. We should jointly consider utilising independent experts in the field of work measurement to facilitate a resolution to all workload issues.

• That Royal Mail are prepared to step back from imposed change and resolve all current local disputes by agreement.

• That Royal Mail agrees to an independent enquiry into the bullying and harassment of postal workers and immediately ceases the use of unagreed HR procedures.

• That Royal Mail are prepared to jointly approach the Government on the urgent need to find a resolution to pensions and regulatory issues.

• That the national parties clear our diaries to allow for an intense period of negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and conclude a comprehensive national agreement.

Your commitment to the aforementioned will enable us to restore customer confidence and provide a genuine opportunity to resolve this dispute without the need for any further strike action.

Separately and in addition to the above offer, the Union are proposing, without any preconditions, that the national parties jointly explore the possibility of third party mediation. As well as seeking third party mediation to resolve the dispute, the Union would also be prepared to engage third party assistance to help bring about a fundamental long term improvement to industrial and employee relations.

The Union is available for meaningful negotiations for the remainder of this week.

I look forward to your prompt response. If Royal Mail really is sincere about reaching an agreement with the Union that aligns the interests of our customers, employees and the company as a whole, then you will pick up this offer.

Yours sincerely



Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)


Cc: Dale Haddon, Pat McFadden

[tailfly12]

There does'nt seem to be anything about this years pay rise on the letter.

[baldrick]

Dave Ward on BBC 24 News now.

Now on Sky News.

[stokes11eg]

:sadStill not sure that the C.W.U should be offering a deal--nor do I like the reference to this share in success nonsense----a proper annual pay rise is what they should be aiming for--we all know the 'bonus' system is designed
to be unachievable for most of us.Now i suppose it's a waiting game.

[postghost]

No no no!!!

Give them an inch and they will take the whole mile!!

They should have called for the resignation of Crozier in that letter.
Then and only then would I see it as tenable.

[spilie]

fuc**ng weak timid s**t, the use of "in principle", is what got us into this mess and should be replaced by solid statements, as for waiting thats what allowed hitler to get half of europe before he was challenged, so lets tell them whats happening and take it from there

[tailfly12]

The CWU are agin selling us all down the river. With bad agreements.

[kwf166]

I am not happy too, that the union is already offering a deal, and yes no talk of any pay rise,what the hell going on, it seems that it out of touch with it members

[DirtyHarry]

Another dodgy deal will only see a repetition of what is happening now. If management resort to dictatorship like tactics, enforcing unagreed change locally, then local offices will demand to be balloted for strike action, this will see staff at affected MCs and DOs return a resounding YES vote, leading to prolonged regional industrial action, which in turn will almost certainly become NATIONAL.

Billy and Dave, learn from history.