Unions to announce plans to ballot Royal Mail workers

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Unions to announce plans to ballot Royal Mail workers on strike action as £3bn privatisation looms

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Trade unions are set to announce plans to ballot Royal Mail workers on strike action this week ahead of its proposed £3billion privatisation.

The Communication Workers Union will announce a timetable for the ballot, which will be held before the end of September.

The ballot will be on issues relating to pay and job security at Royal Mail, rather than outright opposition to privatisation, since unions cannot legally strike in protest against privatisation.

However, there was a 96 per cent vote against privatisation in a recent consultative ballot held by the CWU. It will be the first national strike ballot it has held since 2009.

The move comes at the same time as a debate is scheduled in the House of Commons to discuss the future of Royal Mail.

The union has rejected as ‘unacceptable’ a proposed pay rise of 8.6 per cent over three years from Royal Mail as the company attempts to assuage union concerns over privatisation, which is expected to begin shortly.

Sources close to the issue expect Royal Mail to deliver a prospectus for a probable stock market flotation of a majority stake in the business, or even the whole business, this autumn.

Under Government plans Royal Mail staff will get at least 10 per cent of the shares by the time the State’s shareholding falls to zero.
Royal Mail, under chief executive Moya Greene, has also said terms and conditions for existing and new employees will remain the same for three years. However, there is a proposed ‘industrial stability mechanism’ which has been interpreted as a ‘no strike’ clause.

Any prospectus on the proposed flotation will have to include a comment on the state of industrial relations within the company and its potential effect on the value of Royal Mail.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

just in case they don't publish my comment

The union has rejected as ‘unacceptable’ a proposed pay rise of 8.6 per cent over three years

I wish you would point out what the rest of the offer is - Full acceptance of a privatisation deal, a No strike Deal (with rogue bosses still rampant ), an undefined industrial stability agreement and acceptance of pension changes which mean a reduction of thousands of pounds in benefits already accrued by the longest serving posties. If it was just 8.6% and the £300 christmas bonus, on offer we would bite their hands off as thats an excellent deal, but the unreported parts and the no strike deal will cost us more in the future.

[wood]

Do we not get £200 for our Christmas bonus anyway? Or is the £300 on top of that?

[hubbahubba]

Do we not get £200 for our Christmas bonus anyway? Or is the £300 on top of that?

What does it matter?This is about long term job security,not a proxy couple of quid.Too many short sighted people in the job with a "I'm alright Jack" attitude.....

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Do we not get £200 for our Christmas bonus anyway? Or is the £300 on top of that?

Its not very clear thats why I just mentioned £300

[cloherty1976]

I reckon you get £500 in total and why does someone not ask moya at one of these meetings they seem to have with her. Now aren't 500 union reps meeting moya this month so can't they ask the question then. Simple

[philip spiby]

Ha ha thats a cracker, 500 quid from royal mail. You get 300 pounds in total, including your 200 pound Xmas bonus. So there not giving away 300 pound it's just 100 pound extra, no way are you getting 500 pounds. But we all end up with 0 zilch, zero,diddly squat.sweet fa. Remember that question in have your say.. Are you proud to work for Royal Mail?

[fishtank]

I reckon you get £500 in total and why does someone not ask moya at one of these meetings they seem to have with her. Now aren't 500 union reps meeting moya this month so can't they ask the question then. Simple

You don't get anything.
That deal has been rejected so it's off the table.
Why would the reps ask Moya about something that doesn't exist?
Any new deal that is accepted at some point may or may not include the same lump sum,at that point I will be happy to ask for clarification for you.

[cloherty1976]

Well most people would still want to understand a deal even if they reject. Maybe if the union new what they were signing in previous deals we would not have so many unhappy posties.

[BingBong]

I don't give a monkeys about 300 quid...long term future is what it's all about.

[worktotime]

Well most people would still want to understand a deal even if they reject. Maybe if the union new what they were signing in previous deals we would not have so many unhappy posties.

well said , what happened to all the £1000s of pounds transformation money what everybody was getting 3 years ago and not honoured . working together , no b&h off doms , its worse than ever and so on.

[cloherty1976]

Yes I agree with you workotime but they did have a get out clause on that as they valued company at zero. It was in the contract and they used. Not saying its right or wrong but they done there homework like previous encounters but you have to move on. My question on £300 or £500 is such an easy question to answer if you were part of negotiating team you would know the answer if you understood it. They never come back with a decisive answer because they don't understand it ..

[fishtank]

My question on £300 or £500 is such an easy question to answer if you were part of negotiating team you would know the answer if you understood it. They never come back with a decisive answer because they don't understand it ..

The answer was there from the start.

A non-consolidated lump sum payment of £300 (pro-rata for part-time employees) in December 2013 is also proposed. In addition, new incentive arrangements have also been proposed including a minimum £100 bonus (pro-rata for part time employees) payable each December

The £300 was in addition to the £100 "incentive arrangement" and our existing £100 Christmas bonus.
That's not difficult to work out but it is a waste of time because that deal does not exist anymore.
It might again at some point but until it does all you are doing is having a pointless pop at the union over something meaningless.That's something you do a lot on here which shows a real lack of imagination because there are loads of genuine reasons to have a go at the union without resorting to childish arguments about nothing.
It was Royal Mail's proposal,It got knocked back....move on.

[cloherty1976]

Make it easy for them and just say £500 turned down but we still get the £200

[tyl]

I don't give a monkeys about 300 quid...long term future is what it's all about.

+1