Postal union rejects pay offer

THE COMMUNICATION Workers’ Union (CWU) Postal national executive
committee has just overwhelmingly rejected what was termed as Royal
Mail’s full and final offer and which Royal Mail called "excellent" and
"inflation-busting".

Gary Clark, vice-chair, CWU Scotland No 2 branch

This offer consisted of 2.9% on basic pay and weekly overtime. But
this failed to flow through to shift allowances, skill allowances and
scheduled attendance rates.

In real terms, this means an increase of £9 a week for postal workers.
Royal Mail have said any increase in this offer would have to be achieved
through the National Efficiencies Savings agreement. 40% of all savings
are to be put into a national pot and paid into basic pay in June this
year – with the possibility of a £400 payment for some workers.

This was due to be reviewed jointly between Royal Mail and the CWU but
Royal Mail is now withholding all available information from the union.
What Royal Mail chief Adam Crozier and others are saying is that if
postal workers want a decent pay rise this year it will have to be met by
massive job losses of around 30,000.

This would increase postal workers’ workloads – but they claim this is
the only way we will be able to work towards securing the average weekly
wage in the UK. We currently receive £80 less than the national average.

The national union response has been very limited, with only very
loose threats of industrial action being made to Royal Mail. Our
conference in three weeks’ time should be turned into a conference of
action.

Our leadership is still reeling from the ballot defeat three years ago
and seems to lack confidence in postal workers. But postal workers up and
down the country have received attack after attack during those three
years. We need to use this conference to launch a campaign to secure and
enhance our members’ conditions after the constant onslaught from Royal
Mail and the New Labour government.