Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have finally reached a pay and workingconditions deal to avert strike action in the run-up to Christmas following several weeks of
intensive negotiations.Royal Mail and the CWU said the proposed agreement will now be considered by the union’sexecutive over the next few days before being balloted on by the union’s members. The details ofthe proposed agreement will be made official when it is ratified. It is also subject to approval bythe Royal Mail plc Board.
The two parties have agreed that the union’s ballot for industrial action remains valid. “However, the CWU has confirmed that there will be no disruption through industrial action duringthe ratification process of the proposed agreement, including the whole of the Christmas tradingperiod,” the UK postal operator stressed.
The CWU has welcomed the reached agreement that covers pay, legal protections for terms andconditions, industrial stability and pensions.
During the negotiations process, the union had rejected Royal Mail’s original offer of an 8.6%phased pay rise over three years and various job protection commitments. This resulted in a clearmajority of the union’s members at Royal Mail voting in favour of industrial action to secure abetter deal.
