| Royal Mail Dispute

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An interim agreement was reached on 5th November between CWU and Royal Mail at talks at the TUC and strike action was suspended. Since then, an independent chair - Roger Poole - has been appointed to oversee ongoing talks. These talks are subject to fortnightly progress reviews to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed.

You can view the interim agreement here:

- CWU-RoyalMail Interim Agreement

Overview
On this page you will find information and background to the dispute with Royal Mail, along with links to relevant press releases, members' letters and contacts.

The Communication Workers Union is in the biggest dispute with Royal Mail since the national strike of 2007. Local strikes have taken place across the UK since June and two days of national strike action took place in October.

On 15th October 2009 an Early Day Motion (EDM) 2035 was lodged by CWU supported MP, Geraldine Smith calling on Government to ensure Royal Mail responds positively to the CWU's proposals to end the dispute. You can view the EDM by clicking on the following link http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39264&SESSION=899

Urge your MP to support EDM 2035 by contacting them on the following link www.writetothem.com

To view the CWU's proposal to Mark Higson Managing Director, Royal Mail, please click on the link: Letter to Higson 13.10.09

A letter of support to our striking members: Royal Mail Dispute Update - Letter of Support to Striking Members

The following links also explain our position to the public:
- Defending Postal Services - Info for the public
- Defending Postal Services-issues - Info for the public

Latest News:

22nd January 2010
CWU and ROYAL MAIL TALKS CONTINUE

The following message has been issued by Roger Poole the independent chair of the current negotiations between CWU and Royal Mail.

Billy Hayes on BBC's Newsnight 15th October discussing Royal Mail 'Strategy' Document

Billy Hayes on the Andrew Marr show BBC 18th October

22nd October 2009
Picket lines for Thursday 22nd October 2009
Please find below a list of picket lines for Thursday 22nd October along with addresses and local contacts. Strike action starts at 4am. The best time to visit picket lines is between 6am and 11am.

20th October 2009
Mandelson's Comments Undermine Talks and are Untrue
The following statement is in response to the statement made by Lord Mandelson this afternoon in the House of Lords.

13th October 2009
CWU Offers Peace Deal to Royal Mail
The Communication Workers Union has written to Royal Mail offering a deal to avoid strike action. Click on the link for more information.

8th October 2009
Ballot Results: Yes Vote Shows Royal Mail is Failing
The Communication Workers Union can report a yes vote in the national ballot for strike action in Royal Mail. Postal workers voted by 76 per cent in favour in favour of strike action.

Please check the news and press releases section of this website for even more information.

If you would care to support your postal workers with a financial donation, they would appreciate that. You may do this by cheque made payable to 'Postal Workers Support Fund'.
c/o Tony Kearns,
Senior Deputy General Secretary,
CWU, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1RX
or by transfer to Unity Trust Bank - account no: 20194129 - sort code: 08 60 01
Thank you.

Background issues
The scale of change planned by Royal Mail is frightening and unprecedented. The postal industry, along with the workplaces and jobs of our members, could be unrecognisable.

Royal Mail is rolling out those changes with little or no concern for the views or interests of our members, the hard-working postal staff who deliver to every address in the UK year-round. Worse still, we have seen an alarming rise in bullying and harassment cases with managers using the flimsiest of reasons to sack postal workers with long service.

Change necessary
The CWU has offered a three-month no-strike deal in return for negotiations and a suspension of the current changes which are forcing postal workers into industrial action. Change is a reality with modernisation of the company. The combined challenge of competition, pensions and the need to adapt to a rapidly changing world of communications makes change necessary.

Royal Mail's current approach clearly isn't working so we're seeking intensive talks to establish a national agreement that will pave the way for rolling out the change that the company desperately needs.

What we are for: Fairness
· A new job security agreement - reflecting the sheers scale of change our members face. Sustainable full-time jobs, no compulsory redundancies, maximising choice over the future.
· Benefit from change - modern and enhanced terms and conditions. Higher pay, shorter working week, better attendance patterns providing more quality time away from work, including weekends.
· A better local working environment - work systems that ensure daily workload is based on fair and objective measurement so that postal workers can cope. Staff and CWU having a genuine say over how the job should be done.

What we are against: Unfairness
· Royal Mail imposing change by diktat - not honouring national agreements leading to a part-time industry and compulsory redundancies.
· Royal Mail constantly driving down terms and conditions - not giving workers a real share in the savings that are being made or the benefits from automation. Continuous driving down of pay, earnings, pensions and conditions.
· Royal Mail imposing unfair work rates to meet unrealistic local budget demands - chaos management creating workloads that people cannot cope with. A bullying managerial culture.

Contacts
If you are a journalist, please contact the press office:

Sian Jones, Press Officer, tel: 020 8971 7267, mobile: 0779 3314249, e-mail: sbjones@cwu.org

If you are a CWU member, please contact your branch in the first instance.

If you are a member of the public, please contact:
tel: 020 8971 7448 or e-mail: cwudisputeinfo@cwu.org

Resources
Please click on the below to download leaflets, posters, reps' briefs and other useful documents.
- Fight for a Fresh Start leaflet
- Fight for a Fresh Start poster
- Vote Yes For a Fair Deal poster
- A4 window poster 2