CWU rejects insulting two percent pay offer from Post Office

Postal, Post Office (PO)

Image: John Corry / Shutterstock

Employer proposes basic deal worth less than a quarter of current RPI inflation, plus a ‘derisory’ £250 lump sum…

“Insulting and downright inflammatory” were among the choice words used by CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey in robust message to branches yesterday, to describe the pay proposals received from the Post Office.

“They’re offering a basic, across-the-board consolidated 2 per cent, with an added £250 non-consolidated lump-sum for each employee (pro-rata for part-time) – and even worse than that, they’re refusing to offer a single penny of backpay.”

This offer, as set out by the Post Office, proposes to apply the pay adjustment with-effect from 1st April 2022, with the next pay settlement date to be 1st April 2023. But the union is currently in dispute over the total pay freeze imposed by management during the 2021/22 financial year.

Andy explains: “Our pay dispute with Post Office Limited, and the issue upon which our members returned a 97.3 per cent YES vote for strike action, is the employer’s refusal to pay any pay rise at all for 2021/22, so any offer that comes now must include backpay to 1st April 2021 at the very least.

“But, it seems as if they’ve now chosen to forget that 2021/22 even happened.

“Well if they have forgotten 2021, let me remind the leaders of the Post Office that during that year, our key worker members worked exceptionally hard, staying open for business when virtually every high street bank branch closed. Our members continued serving the Great British public throughout the terrible Covid period.

“And as well as providing first-class public and customer service, our members, through their hard work, strenuous efforts and sheer dedication, also helped create significant profits for the Post Office.

“So, Post Office bosses, that was what happened in 2021 – you may want to forget, but our members never will.

Pay up Post Office. Pay a decent and fair pay settlement for 2021/22 and let’s sort out 2022/23 as well.

 “Our members have delivered the biggest strike mandate that we’ve ever had in the Post Office. And without meaningful progress we will be striking soon. Every Crown office in the UK will shut, cash collections and deliveries to every sub-Post Office will cease, and general postal services will be severely impacted too. Nick Read CEO – if you want to avoid that happening, you know what to do. Pick up the phone and give us a call.

 “The clock is ticking towards that strike – get real, get round the table with us and settle this pay dispute.”