Royal Mail, and the two key unions that represent their workers, have entered into talks about pensions. Although currently in surplus, it seems that the Royal Mail pension fund will dry up in 2018.
Couriers like MyHermes will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of strikes by Royal Mail: nothing converts sellers to using such services more than a Royal Mail strike.
Unite’s Brian Scott says of industrial action: “The consultation is complex and the company needs to ensure that its employees, our members, clearly understand the potential impact on them, and the reasons and justification for the proposed changes. It is too early to make any pronouncements on industrial action, but if the company does not respond positively on this and other issues we cannot rule this out.”
Terry Pullinger of the CWU, said: “So we move from shadow boxing to the ring and negotiations will now begin in earnest, and the CWU is fully committed to developing an agreed solution which maintains the pension promise of a wage and dignity in retirement. However, any attempt to introduce any unagreed change by the business would be met with an industrial action ballot.”
We’ll keep reporting this as 2017 unfolds. But, and it should be said, Royal Mail strikes are best avoided when it comes to ecommerce.
