Company warns workers they will face a significant hit to wages unless industrial action is called off
Source - Daily Telegraph - 30/10/22
Striking Royal Mail workers will lose up to £2,000 each if they press ahead with industrial action in the weeks ahead, the company has warned.
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail's chief executive, said in a video to staff earlier this month that they would lose hundreds of pounds as strikes continue.
The company estimates that each worker will be left £2,000 out of pocket if all walkouts are held as planned. The average member of staff earns £30,000 a year including overtime and allowances.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 115,000 Royal Mail employees, has vowed to fight plans to cut costs and change working practices.
Royal Mail has responded by preparing to tear up a legal agreement with the union, and announcing plans for up to 10,000 job cuts.
Eight days of strikes have taken place at Royal Mail already with a further 17 days planned between now and the start of December.
Mr Thompson said: “We need to understand that strike action means a smaller company and fewer jobs. My view? I think enough is enough.”
Despite the rhetoric, efforts to reach a compromise are continuing. Two days of arbitrated talks went ahead at the end of last week with plans to continue discussions – overseen by Acas – this week.
In his address to staff before the Acas talks began, Mr Thompson said: “I’m not sure that Royal Mail and the CWU sat in room works.
“We definitely need some help and we definitely need some mediation.”
The CWU last week announced an extra day of strikes on Nov 12. It said: “Although talks are continuing at Acas, we need to put further pressure on Royal Mail in order to make progress.”
The Royal Mail board has offered staff a 5.5pc pay rise - but this is conditional on cutting costs and changing working practices, such as increasing the automation of sorting, and delivering parcels seven days a week.
Speaking ahead of the arbitrated talks last week, Dave Ward, general secretary of the CWU, said: “We welcome the mutual agreement to attend Acas discussions as a positive development, but at this stage, it is not a greatly significant one either.
“This is why the union has not chosen to suspend or call off scheduled strike action.
“Our members are fighting against… trashing their job security and side-lining their union - it will take more than Acas talks to hold them back.
“Until the employer reins in its relentless attacks on employees, the strikes will continue to take place. We won’t be backing down until we get just that.”
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