CWU VOTES YES TO PAY AND FOUR PILLARS AGREEMENT

For immediate release

28th March 2018

 

CWU VOTES YES TO PAY AND FOUR PILLARS AGREEMENT

Postal workers have voted overwhelmingly to accept a deal reached in talks with Royal Mail Group covering pay, pensions and working conditions.  Members of the CWU voted by a margin of 9 to 1 in favour of the deal.

The strong YES vote was secured after a two year campaign by the Union and months of talks with the employer.  A deal was eventually struck in the aftermath of a large strike vote by CWU members in October 2017 and following the intervention of an independent Mediator.

Commenting on the vote Terry Pullinger, Deputy General Secretary (Postal) of the CWU said:

“The massive vote in favour of the deal reflects the strong degree of membership support for the Union’s Four Pillars and Pay campaign which has delivered real improvements to our members’ employment and retirement security.  The support has delivered a progressive agenda which confronts the challenges of our time and significantly improves our members’ pay, working hours and workplace culture, both for current and the future generation of postal workers. The Agreement also extends the legally binding protections which gives postal workers confidence that the Royal Mail Group will not be broken up and that protecting the six day Universal Service Obligation (USO) remains a priority.

Now the Agreement is signed, the hard work begins on ensuring this comprehensive, long term deal is implemented in full across Royal Mail Group.  The CWU hope the degree of support shown by our members, both in the Industrial Action Ballot and in favour of the deal, reflects the Union’s determination to deliver all elements of the Agreement and provide our members with employment, standard of living and retirement security.

The Union is committed to work with Royal Mail to improve industrial relations, deliver better services and products for customers and safeguard the six day Universal Service Obligation (USO) to secure the future of this great British institution.”

The CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said: “The overwhelming ballot result is a credit to the whole union from our negotiators, the postal executive and reps but particularly our members. As a union we will ensure these standards are maintained and we will force Royal Mail to uphold the terms and spirit of the Four Pillars Agreement.

This dispute saw the union reach new levels in terms of engaging our members and smashing the Anti-Trade Union industrial action laws. Ahead of the New Deal for Workers March on 12th May, this agreement and campaign clearly demonstrates if unions organise, engage and inspire members then you can and will win.”

 

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors:

  • The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is the biggest trade union in the communications industry with 195,000 members in post, telecoms, mobile and financial services companies including Royal Mail Group, Post Office, BT Group, EE, O2 and Santander.

For further comment please contact:

CWU Press Office: 020 8971 7267 / 07793 314249 / pressofficer@cwu.org