Royal Mail has agreed to take part in “intensive negotiations” with union leaders in a bid to resolve a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have staged a series of strikes and are due to walk out again around Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the end of the month.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Royal Mail and CWU recognise that it is crucial to the future of the company and the long-term job security of its employees that we reach agreement to resolve the current pay and change disputes. There will now be an intensive period of negotiations on all aspects of pay and change, facilitated by Acas, from Monday, November 7 to Tuesday, November 15.”
Strikes have been announced around Black Friday on November 25 and Cyber Monday on November 28. The CWU withdrew strikes planned for November 12 and 14, saying it wanted to take more “proportionate” action.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said earlier this week: "Posties are in the fight of their lives against the Uberisation of Royal Mail and the destruction of their conditions. But 115,000 of our members will not just accept this war on their livelihoods and their industry.
“They will never give up the fight to protect this industry and to protect their hard-won working conditions. (Royal Mail chief executive) Simon Thompson has to either accept that or walk away; until he does one or the other, serious disruption will continue.”
The CWU said its members would strike on Thursday November 24 and Friday November 25 and on Wednesday November 30 and Thursday December 1. When the walkouts were announced, a Royal Mail spokesman said: "On Monday October 31, Royal Mail proposed a new pay-for-change offer to the CWU worth 9% over two years, despite making a loss of £219 million in the first half of the year.
“The CWU have been in talks with us at Acas and claim they are open to change but they now need to show it. Instead, the CWU have announced four days of strike action which will damage our business further at our busiest time of year.
“The CWU is playing a dangerous game with its members’ jobs and the future of Royal Mail. We urge CWU to withdraw these strikes for the good of our customers and our people.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience the CWU’s continued strike action will cause. We are doing all we can to minimise delays and keep people, businesses and the country connected.”
