Unite, the Union that many of Royal Mail’s 8,300 managers belong to, announced that Royal Mail managers voted by 78% to reject large cuts to their pensions.
The pension proposals which could see annual pensions cut by £3,788 for a manager retiring at 65 after 35 years service; from £23,099 to £19,311 according to Unite. Post Office managers also voted by 89% to reject pension proposals which Unite say could mean seeing their pension reduced from £9,143 to £8,599.
Unite officer for Royal Mail managers Brian Scott said: “Our members have made it clear that the proposals put forward by the Post Office and Royal Mail to make changes to their pension arrangements are unacceptable“.
Unite has a long standing policy of opposition to the privatisation of Royal Mail, which is backed up by the public who don’t want a national institution sold off to companies more interested in profits than providing a joined-up national service
Royal Mail responded saying “Around 5,660 of Royal Mail’s 8,300 managers are members of Unite the union. Given the 50% turnout, around one third of Royal Mail’s managers voted in the Unite consultative ballot. Therefore, only around 27% of Royal Mail managers said they did not accept the Company’s proposals for the Royal Mail Pension Plan as they stand and around 24% of managers opposed the Government’s plans for privatisation of the business“.
Royal Mail stressed this is a consultative ballot by Unite to understand its members’ views on two issues, not a ballot for industrial action and stated that they continue to have talks with the Union.
