In a very short note, Royal Mail announced that they have concluded talks with the CWU union and that a Royal Mail CWU agreement has been agreed in principle by the negotiators.
The Royal Mail CWU Agreement covers strategy and the future direction of Royal Mail, how the national postal service operations will have to change as letters continue to decline and parcels take over as the primary source of revenue and of course pay for the countries Posties who have been working incredibly hard over the past nine months.
The exact details of the Royal Mail CWU agreement won’t be made public until after being rubber stamped by the CWU executive.
It’s worth remembering back in March, just as the pandemic hit, Postal Workers who are CWU members delivered a massive 94.5% YES vote to strike. The vote return of 63.4% of those balloted, for the third time in less than three years, easily met the relatively new Trade Union rules and represents a massive mandate to strike. However, recognising the enormity of the pandemic challenge the country faced, the CWU offered to set aside any threat of strikes with a stand still pledge and since then the agreement has been struck.
The removes any imminent threat of industrial action impacting the postal service and should be news welcomed equally by consumers, businesses, postal workers and the Royal Mail and CWU themselves.
“Royal Mail plc (RMG.L) announces that, following the conclusion of talks, it has reached a negotiators’ agreement in principle with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) covering areas including the strategy and future direction of Royal Mail, operational change, and pay.
The proposed agreement will now be considered by the executive of the union before being voted on by the union’s membership.
An announcement on the content of the proposed agreement will be made when it is ratified by the union’s executive committee. It is expected this will take place next week.”
– Royal Mail
42 Responses
Untill this new RM board actually realise that we are human beings not robots , I don’t there will ever be a good relationship with the members . Though out this pandemic the total arrogance and bullying to postal workers has been Disgraceful. This is one of the main issues that need sorting out .
One way or another RM &the CWU have succeeded in making what they agree, or what they do , less and less worrying
As a retired manager who is now an indoor postie and as one who has had many battles with the CWU over the last 20 years I must congratulate the CWU on their dignified stance during their recent negotiations with Royal Mail to achieve a balanced outcome despite the opportunity to haul Royal Mail over the coals over their handling of the challenges presented by Covid 19. As a ” senior citizen employee ” I have had recent battles with my shift manager over my stance to protect my work area from wandering casuals who have been using the area as a short cut through the mail centre . With over 400 people being present at times at our mail centre during the night shift xmas pressure I feel some what vindicated by the governments decision to place our postcode into the new phase four tier.
Royal Mail have been lapping up the good PR gained by our key worker status and have had a massive on line postal boost over the xmas period but I have seen very little protection offered to senior employees other than the standard ppe and sanatiser .
Anyway I hope all my colleagues have a merry if somewhat restricted Christmas and I sincerely hope , happy new year.
Time to finally realise despite all the crap you put us through your best asset is your loyal workforce goodwill alone will get you through christmas as always.if only people knew…..
Of course it must not be forgotten that the industrial action ballot expired so a new ballot would have been needed had talks failed, unlikely CWU would ballot again during pandemic but would look to alternative measures to persuade RML to a different way of thinking.
Hi can senior post people employed for there experience for indoorsorting for backing clearing as they have lot nlots experience
Good i hope things get sorted
maybe the CWU members should adopt a different way of thinking too?
they seem to think they need an award for doing a job they get paid for
Yes Victor the award is a well earned pay rise. Without CWU support Royal Mail will have us on new contracts with terms and conditions slashed to nothing.
This is nothing, the lockdown back in march brought us posties to our knee’s, with the sheer volume of parcels and packets and the managers still wanted us to do flex ?? I was at the end of my tether and constant cries for help fell on deaf ears ! As the months rolled by and there was no sign of the virus going anyone with half a brain could see a mile off that lockdown + christmas = disaster !! So while the fat cats rubbed there hands with glee at the increase in revenue, hard working posties were pushed to the limit 6 days a wk under pressue, anxiety and stress !! And im not proud to admit it but it broke me and i had a mini breakdown, pushed over the edge by bullying managers who see you as just a number !! It beggers believe !!
Well this time a year a lot of post services count on their staff as well as agency and temp workers, kudos to both, let’s praise them all
We’ve been treated disgracefully over this covid period by management who are more interested in getting the work through than any kind of health and safety issues bought on by the pandemic, as they sit upstairs in our mail centre overlooking the real workers not even got the bottle to come down onto the floor,bullying cowards.
My heart bleeds
We imagine To the nurses and doctors
Delivering packages for a living would be heaven
I think Victor is a manager and never done a Christmas delivery let alone a cvid Christmas delivery when you are out delivering for 8 hours so you don’t let you customers down.
As a postie of 33 years service on both sides of the fence, this has been the worst Christmas ever to work for this company. A 40 % increase in parcels and no extra assistance, 11 or 12 hours shifts 6 days a week and totally unsupportive managers. We are even told to leave letters in the office at the expense of delivering parcels thereby giving customers a third rate service – some of mine have only had letters delivered twice a week !. Cannit wait for Thursday and even more for my retirement/early voluntary redundancy as soon as it comes
I worked for RM in Northern Ireland for 32 years, lazy bunch of people. Hope they go bust.
The most effective thing here would be to ignore ‘Victor’ and leave him alone in his dingy little flat under a 40 watt bulb with only his right hand for company.
andy !
an insight to your world ?
Wife of a postie
I think its disgusting the way posties have been treated this year!
Since the covid outbreak it has been challenging for us all..we have tried our best at our office..but to have managers tell us we should be able to clear our delivery is an understatement..we have been out there 2 hrs sometimes more over our finish times..and still they want more out of us..not once have they shown any interest as to concerns over issues we may have..yes we are paid to do a job..without us nothing would get done..a little understanding and thanks goes a long way..
A load of rubbish managers are bullying people and expect staff to work hard they don’t have a clue about the job when you ask a question they have not got a clue
PTSD
For mail delivery ?
I’ve worked for rm for 41 years, we all know the business has changed tec has taken over, people aren’t sending letters like they used to we have to change.
The future of rm can be good but only if the workers get the respect they deserve, we are the face of rm not the managers without us rm could not deliver the service the public deserve
Our sorting office in sun st Wolverhampton. Is full with mangers . Who don’t have a clue about the job. All they do is they look after them self. And they keep you moving u around the office. Sometimes its nearly 5 times a day. So u will get pissed off .they manages don’t even have a gap they work 7 days a week. Overtime omg. Its shocking in Wolverhampton sorting office.
Victor, you clearly don’t understand what PTSD is or you wouldn’t joke about it! You are an absolute buffoon. I suggest until you experience it for youself you should be quiet. We all experience stress and anxiety differently and its no joke.
As somebody has correctly pointed out this Victor idiot is probably a manager especially when he in one of his earlier stupid comments that postman are wanting an award for the job we get paid to do.Where does he get this nonsense from.By the way Victor in this new agreement with Royal Mail,its possible we will be getting a pay increase which should be backdated to April for this year.Is that alright Victor or have you got a stupid comment to make about that.
No the wonder RMs in the plight its in
If the comments here reflect the intelligence and attitude of its staff
Managers just want the work out, their not bothered about añy issue’s the staff have my manager just shrugged his shoulders when i complained about being high risk as im clinically extremley vulnerable, i was even threatened with the conduct code because i refused to go on the reception, because i didnt believe i was protected enough. I put a grievance letter in at the end of November, still waiting for a responce. 29 years service and i can honestly say i cant wait to get out of there.
It always amuses me when I read stuff from unionised workers about “health and safety”. No one seems to give a damn about health and safety at my local depot.
The only time it comes up, is when there is a desire to negotiate pay. All of a sudden health and safety is the most important thing. Reminds me of those train conductors / drivers who suddenly care about health and safety when their job is being threatened by a computer.
Here is the reality. With technology half of your jobs would be redundant and Royal Mail would end up providing a better service.
Well done…. you guys got your agreement but the company will continue to run into the ground because of the union.
I’ve loved it. Start and finish at expected times, van to myself, i have always managed tracked and specials for my walk which is our top priority. Sometimes the mail builds up but that’s life. We’re posties not superheroes. Merry Christmas everyone x
I’m not a postie or work for RM but I would love to see how tech can go door to door delivering mail. Yes amazon is working on their drones but they are not there yet and I can’t see how a drone can put a letter through a letterbox in a door.
Unless Victor and James mean that RM should be sacking all their staff and replacing them with self employed posties / couriers like Hermes, etc., they would get complaints then.
Posties will still be needed for the foreseeable future and personally I find my various posties extremely pleasant and think they do a damn good job.
Technology such auto clock in out. This would catch out those taking the piss. Most modern companies have this. Not Royal Mail. Your union insists on sign in sheets by hand.
GPS tracking on your vans and workers. This way Royal Mail could use technology to improve routes and to ensure those lazing about are held accountable. Once again this is common amongst modern companies but the union says no.
Posties will always be needed – the problem is you have a lot of lazy posties amongst the hard working ones. These are the people who are scared of technology as they’ll get caught out.
Hi, no doubt Victor is definitely a manager not so sure about James;I think he has some issues with the CWU in the past or more recently but this is not a reason to be against posties.
What ever happens with this agreement there would be no delivery without US.
Drones may not be able use letter boxes
Though it seems zombies can?
A good selection of valid comments,I’ve done nearly 40 years in this company and witnessed many changes,yes we have to move with the times and need to be the best at what we do.managers constantly being slated,for miss management seems a common theme,we don’t seem to have time for that old school personal touch while on delivery,it’s a race to get the delivery done within your time,rounds used to be tested to see if you had enough time to complete,safely and securely as per policy.people seem to want to race round and cut corners to get done ,while others try to do the job properly and start on time have proper breaks etc.
Just a reply to Paul woodhead im also a posty in a delivery office in the midlands really sorry to hear it broke you over Christmas the work was snd will continue to be very very hard and stressful. You haven’t actually pointed an exact finger so i will. I blame fully your office and possibly sector manager for your breakdown. I have to say our office manager Steve has been fantastic throughout christmas and all through the pandemic which started in march he totally prioritised our delivery structure ensuring all parcels were the main priority. As a result we were put under no actual extra pressure except being asked if we were willing to do extra hours either sorting (early mornings) or afternoon parcel delivery. As a result our office is clear. I hope you manage to return to your post (maybe in the hope your manager gets moved during the restructure) good luck jeff the posty (Victor, Victor, Victor.) you stupid stupid man shame on you.
if stupid ?
is not being employed by royal mail
I accept the award
Vic vic calm down as your obviously someone who still lives in the 19th century (thats 1800’s to you vic) and believes all workers need to be downtrodden i demand a duel as you seem to think all we do is go to the office pick up a couple of bags of mail and a few pkts deliver them and go home.
lets just say for arguments sake you live close to me. Ok here’s the challenge. I’ll pick you up at 2-30 (thats am to you vic) and drive you to the office where you will help me uload the first van of 15-20yorks of sortable mail you’ll then sort till 5 when you will unload another 15-20 yorks and sort till 6-30 then unload again carry on sorting vic then when sorting is finished I’ll put you on a walk frame where you’ll sort your round into order bundle and bag up and then load the van (you know theyre those little red things with 4wheels you’ll then go out and deliver it all possibly 30 – 32000 steps, will help you get rid of any excess weight from when you were a desk jockey thats your challenge ? fancy a try NO THOUGHT NOT ???
Jeff
thats how you make a living
And you accuse me of being stupid?
Vic One thing being stupid, but stupid and ignorant to all and everything especially mental illnesses as you do double whammy.
Stop snivelling mate posties are not that special
Posties are important even very important
But so are supermarket staff
Refuse collectors plus dozens of other unseen
Workers
Spare a thought for nurses doctors ambulance drivers porters nhs call centres ,pharmacists and the thousands of other nhsstaff
While you stroll around delivering your junk mail
Oh dear think I’ve hit a nerve Good as I have a niece whose a nurse 2 sisters who work in a nursing home a mate who’s a refuse collector and my next door neighbour who is a good friend who works in boots pharmacy I don’t need a retired desk jockey telling me about the importance of people working all through the pandemic MATE still at least I got you to admit posties are very important ? Jeff the posty signing off