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Post deal talks continue

17/10/2007

Postal union leaders are meeting for a third day to consider whether to accept a deal offered by Royal Mail over pay and conditions for its workers.

The executive of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) is continuing to scrutinise the proposed agreement, despite having suspended further postal strikes due to begin today.

Union leaders began considering the outline agreement on Monday, with the document drawn up after last week's marathon talks between the organisation and Royal Mail bosses.

If its executive accepts the deal, the 130,000 members of the union employed by the postal service will be invited to vote on the proposals. The agreement is aimed at bringing an end to an ongoing row over pay, pensions and modernisation plans.

Unconfirmed reports claim that the deal proposed by Royal Mail includes a 6.9 per cent pay rise over two years and consultation on pension reform.

Previously the CWU had refused to accept a pay offer for postal workers, on the grounds that it contained "unacceptable strings" - including a reduction in pensions benefits.

The union also attacked Royal Mail's modernisation plan, which it said could result in the loss of 40,000 jobs.

Yesterday's decision to call off this week's official industrial action by postal workers comes as welcome news to Royal Mail's customers, who have been experiencing widespread disruption as a result of recent strikes.

Three strikes that had been due to affect Royal Mail drivers today and tomorrow and data entry clerks and Heathrow distribution centre workers from tomorrow until Friday will now not take place. Royal Mail previously secured a high court injunction blocking scheduled walkouts by postal workers earlier in the week.

However some of the CWU's members in Liverpool have been staging wildcat strikes over the past few days and were joined yesterday by postal workers in Normanton, West Yorkshire. The unofficial protestors are understood to be taking the action over changes to their working hours.