Rivus Fleet members urged to accept across-the-board 2% pay offer
Telecoms & Financial Services, Rivus June 9 2021
Pay negotiations with Rivus Fleet Solutions have delivered a ‘final’ offer that, if accepted, will see members receive a fully consolidated 2% increase
The proposed settlement is being strongly recommended for acceptance by the union’s National Team in an electronic consultative ballot that commenced last week.
Set against a relevant RPI inflation rate of 1.5% in March, the CWU-brokered deal that is on the table represents a real term increase for Rivus members employed in the former BT Fleet workshops which were sold by BT in 2019 to private equity asset management company Aurelius.
Last year Rivus members received no pay increase at all, and from the outset of negotiations the CWU negotiating team was adamant that it was therefore crucial that this year’s pay award delivered a fair cost of living increase.
Following intensive but businesslike talks, Rivus’s final offer comprises a 2% increase in base pay rates backdated to April 1, 2021, with the deal flowing through to London Weighting and shiftworking payments, also backdated to April 1.
Commending the offer to members, CWU national officer for Rivus Fleet Solutions, Allan Eldred, said: “Management’s opening position in these discussions was for a 1% increase payment from July 1 – something that was immediately rejected by the union as insufficient.
“Following this, the offer was increased and made payable from June 1, with a pay review which the company would carry out themselves, without any obligations, on January 1 next year. This too was rejected by the CWU, resulting in further discussions which culminated in the final offer that is now on the table.
“Throughout the negotiations the company’s position was that economic data and the fact that Rivus members received no increase last year was irrelevant and that it was all about what could be afforded. Conversely, the CWU argued strongly that, while it is doubtless the case that the pandemic has affected Rivus’s plans, the business has picked up strongly over the last few months as a result of the garage network remaining open while smaller businesses in the sector remained closed. We accept, however, that the exceptional circumstances at play mean that some doubt exists over the longevity of this unforeseen increase in work as Covid restrictions continue to ease.
“As such, it is the view of the CWU National Team that this final offer represents fair and reasonable offer that compares favourably the prevailing level of pay settlements being achieved across the UK economy, resulting in a higher award than is being seen in many sectors.”
- The consultative ballot that is presently underway will close at midday on Wednesday June 16, with the result being announced shortly afterwards.