LONDON – August 26, 2022: CWU basic secretary Dave Ward (in grey fit coat) goes to the picket line in Whitechapel on August 26,2022 Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) enacted favour of strike action by 97.6 percent in the tally, in the most significant strike of the summertime up until now.
Guy Smallman/Getty Images
LONDON– Leaders of the trade union representing striking postal employees in the U.K. will meet Royal Mail managers on Monday for crunch talks, as the business looks for to avoid more disruptive shutdowns over the coming months.
In a letter on Friday to postal branches throughout the nation, seen by CNBC, the CWU (Communication Workers’ Union) stated it had actually accepted meet Royal Mail on Monday to “try and find a way forward in our national disputes.”
“Although we welcome this development, given how bitter these disputes have become, it is important that we do not raise any expectations that this meeting will be fruitful,” CWU General Secretary Dave Ward and Acting Deputy Andy Furey informed members in Friday’s letter.
“The reality is there remains huge differences over the company’s unilateral change programme and Royal Mail’s unacceptable actions and behaviours have led to unprecedented levels of mistrust.”
Without a resolution, Britain deals with 19 more days of strike action from around 115,000 postal employees in the runup to the joyful duration, consisting of over Black Friday and CyberMonday
The prevalent walkouts of around 115,000 employees are arranged forOct 13, 20, 25 andNov 28, or “Cyber Monday.”
Various smaller sized departments of Royal Mail employees will strike on a variety of other dates, and CWU General Secretary stated recently that the scale of the strikes shows “the level of anger” felt by the union’s members about their treatment by Royal Mail executives.
Postal employees in August voted extremely in favor of strike action in demonstration at pay and conditions, after Royal Mail enforced a 2% pay boost on employees while U.K. inflation is running near to 10%.
The CWU states public justifications from senior leaders at the 500- year-old previous state postal monopoly– consisting of a letter onSept 22 from CEO Simon Thompson which threatened withdrawal from a number of existing nationwide arrangements with the union– have actually intensified the issue.
Royal Mail managers have actually restated that the business is losing around ₤ 1 million ($ 1.1 million) daily which the commercial action threatens tasks and its future practicality, implicating the union’s vision of endangering its competitive position.
In a message to Royal Mail personnel on Friday, CEO Simon Thompson likewise revealed unwillingness to raise expectations, keeping in mind that the 2 celebrations are still “miles apart on many issues.”
“However, I know that the prospect of 19 days of industrial action is worrying many people and, from the many messages I have had from staff, I also know there is a strong desire for this dispute to get resolved.”
According to a letter from Ward to Thompson on Wednesday, the CWU is looking for clearness about the structure of Royal Mail Group, consisting of the future functions of Royal Mail– the U.K. service– and more rewarding Dutch parcel subsidiary GLS, in a brand-new parcel network.
The group altered its name on the London Stock Exchange to International Distributions Services, in what numerous suspect is a start to separating business. The union is likewise worried about prospective outsourcing to Parcelforce and “self-employed owner drivers,” similar to other shipment business such as Amazon or Hermes.
“As things currently stand, based on the company’s actions to date, including the serving of notice on our legal protections, the CWU can only conclude that your objective is to break up the company, introduce a levelling down agenda and operate on the same basis as your competitors in the parcels market,” Ward stated in Wednesday’s letter.
The 2 celebrations will likewise resolve pay and working hours, and the CWU urged Thompson to present an enhanced deal on Monday.
CWU members will be upgraded in a nationwide rundown on on Tuesday, with the next strike still arranged to go on on Thursday.
