It’s been two weeks today since Royal Mail and the CWU revealed that the mediators report regarding the UK Postal dispute had been received and disclosed the recommendations within it. So what happens now?
Our Royal Mail and CWU Mediation Process Timeline showed a week for Royal Mail and the CWU to meet followed by two weeks of further discussion so at the most generous time scale the clock runs out on the 27th of December. We’re not expecting the CWU to walk out and call strikes on that date.
The CWU’s latest statement indicates that progress is still being made but equally they’re still threatening strikes if their is a suspicion of things stalling.
“Further talks with the business have continued this week on Pay and the Four Pillars campaign and we continue to closely monitor progress. We have reminded Royal Mail Group that we are still in dispute and we will not hesitate to serve notice for industrial action if we suspect, at any moment, that we are losing impetus or that progressive talks have stalled or are going backwards.”
– CWU Bulletin – 15th December 2017
What’s really holding things up and isn’t going to please the CWU is the pension situation. It’s one of their four key pillars that they’ve been fighting for so you’d think it was good news, but the ‘collective defined contribution’ scheme suggested by the mediator would need government legislation. This means Royal Mail and the CWU have to join forces and lobby parliament together to speed up the parliamentary process. It’s a somewhat bizarre turn of affairs for the two opposing sides in the bitter UK Postal dispute to suddenly be on the same side vs the government, but that’s the current status quo.
With the best will in the world one can’t imagine pension legislation being passed in a few months and of course the CWU’s mandate to strike only lasted six months before they need to ballot their members again. It’s unlikely we’ll hear much at all until some point in the New Year, but the likelihood of strikes has considerably abated. One might even imagine that the CWU will hold the threat of strikes to keep Royal Mail on track implementing the Mediator’s recommendations and consider reballoting members for a full on strike in the run up to Christmas next year if talks are derailed at this late stage.
22 Responses
Do not care JUST get the mail delivered , we have complaints everywhere, 24 hour mail taking 4 days. it is a joke
The miners caused no end of bother in the 1970s
Then the establishment got wise, stockpiled vast reserves and found alternative means of energy,
The next time the miners took action they fell
Flat on their face,
Take heed CWU!
next year santas elves will deliver our mail rather than
Royal mail
A sign of things to come if Corbyn and his cronies ever come to power. Full stop ahead (hope not) with Momentum.
Unhappy workers are unproductive workers. Unions do not want to bring companies down, it’s not in their interest (unemployed members can’t afford subs). They want to give the workers a decent life and safety for the future.
We have the lowest minimum wage in northwestern Europe. We also have the lowest productivity figures in northwestern Europe.
It’s like the advances in worker-management relations made during the industrial revolution never happened here!
Obviously you’re a postie or a Union representative. Post Office employees are well paid, enjoy excellent gold plated pensions and benefits as well as superior working conditions. You and your misguided kin can also stop this Country at will thrusting misery on millions whilst enriching yourselves.
You have nothing to complain about so get working, improve productivity and profitability and then you may have a case to get more money.
Money does not grow on trees unless you print worthless currency in a ‘Socialist’ State. We are still paying for the trillion + pounds of debt incurred under Blair and Brown.
Merry Christmas ‘Brother’
If you click on Tom the Southern’s name it clicks through to the TUC’s website. That in itself is fine but just thought I would highlight who you are commenting to.
I note your refusal to state your interest in this matter since you obviously write with a Luddite political agenda.
It would seem to me that every time a Unionised business seeks any improvement via technology or working methods there’s a green light for the Unions to call a strike and seek more money/benefits without increasing productivity. There is total disregard for whom will be affected.
There’s no independent evidence to support your argument.
The incentive is obvious, better technology is introduced to improve working conditions and with that better job security.
At this moment of time all I hear from my postie is ‘give me more for less work’. I would like this as well…..please (fat chance)
Also at Michael, did you misread my post? Looking at your opinions I thought we would have been on same page.
No matter , your posts lost a lot of their credibility with your attack on me. As I said, no matter.
@Alan Paterson you are still entitled to your opinion in a democracy. Yes I do agree on some of your comment. As to being a ‘moron’, this is a comment from someone who who has the inability to better express themselves through rhetoric. However if you say so I am a happy moron, with thanks.
@ Michael – I apologise for calling you a “moron”. I should not have done that. I was frustrated when I read your post which I interpreted as an attack on me.
I don’t understand your accusations though – especially when I am one of the few folk on here to make a point of using my real name. Also, calling me a “Luddite” could not be further from the truth and is a complete 180 degrees on my (rather strong) political views.
maybe we have just misread / misinterpreted each others posts as I like a lot of what you had to say above in other posts.
@Alan Paterson Sir, please accept my apology and inability to follow a thread correctly.
Still no news from @Tom The Southerner and @TUC.
Question: Why does my postie wear shorts even when it’s snowing?
Tea time, Chinese of course lol
p.s. I work in XXX House with a load of Trotskyites so would be blown out.
@ Michael, lol – yes, I thought we simply had are wires crossed. I was actually nodding my head reading your posts. Wires crossed. Glad we are on same page lol. Tom the Southerner isn’t responding – maybe he has went on strike on his own.
Got it @lotus nut; Totally Useless Corpses, I should have guessed.
Obviously a case of demarcation: start a job and then find out they are unable to use any initiative to finish the job as it’s not in their agreed procedure. Down tools and go on strike for better pay and conditions for doing half a job.
I would not mind being a Postie on £30,000.00 ++benefits or even a train driver on £75-£100,000 choo choo choo.