Royal Mail has stated it has made its "best and final" offer to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in order to resolve the ongoing dispute.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have held a series of strikes in recent weeks which the company said had cost £100 million. A new, 48-hour strike is set to be held at the end of this week, on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25.
Royal Mail said its revised offer includes “extensive improvements” that have been made during the negotiations with the CWU.
This new offer includes an enhanced pay deal of up to nine per cent over 18 months, making voluntary redundancy terms more generous, and offering to develop a new profit share scheme for employees.
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The company has also confirmed it would be committing to no compulsory redundancies until the end of March next year, at the earliest. Royal Mail added it could offer to buy out a number of legacy allowances, make Sunday work voluntary, and stagger the introduction of later start and finishing times over three years.
Seasonal working proposals would also be changed so that employees would work around two hours less a week in the summer, and two hours more in the winter.
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail’s chief executive said: “Talks have lasted for seven months and we have made numerous improvements and two pay offers, which would now see up to a 9 per cent pay increase over 18 months alongside a host of other enhancements. This is our best and final offer.
“Negotiations involve give and take, but it appears that the CWU’s approach is to just take. We want to reach a deal, but time is running out for the CWU to change their position and avoid further damaging strike action tomorrow.
“The strikes have already added £100 million to Royal Mail’s losses so far this year. In a materially loss making company, with every additional day of strike action we are facing the difficult choice of about whether we spend our money on pay and protecting jobs, or on the cost of strikes.”
However, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) is understood to be preparing to announce it will reject the terms in its dispute over pay and conditions.
It means the CWU's 10 days of strike action will go ahead, meaning its 115,000 members will walkout on November 24, 25, and 30 as well as December 1, 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24.
Royal Mail bosses have warned union leaders that if the strikes go ahead, previously tabled deals on pay and working conditions will be withdrawn.
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