Communication Workers Union (CWU) leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward have written to every member of the union informing them that the leadership is putting down a motion for national industrial action at the CWU annual conference this weekend.
This is in response to Royal Mail’s announcement that it intends to impose a pay offer which the union has rejected.
The letter states: ‘Your representatives will be coming to the Union Conference next week and will be involved in taking decisions on how we change Royal Mail’s attitude on pay and, importantly, tackle their future plans.
‘The leadership has tabled a motion that proposes these next steps:
• Royal Mail must re-open pay negotiations, resolve outstanding efficiency issues and pay all the money you’re owed. Then you must have your say on a final pay settlement. The Union is seeking a substantial first step towards our strategy of catching, matching and overtaking UK average basic pay, currently £395 per week.
• We must secure an agreement that continues to reward our members for change. We must also achieve a further agreement that deals with the wider ranging elements of Royal Mail’s letter strategy.
• We must ensure Royal Mail and the government fulfil their moral obligations to the Pension Fund with no detriment to you.
• If acceptable progress is not made on the above objectives by four weeks after Conference, we will implement a nationwide ballot for Industrial Action.’
Hayes and Ward say: ‘After pressing Royal Mail to 2.9 per cent (on basic pay only) we were not prepared to endorse a pay offer of less than £10 per week. Royal Mail can afford more.
‘In the next few days Royal Mail will announce around £600m profit and this will deservedly trigger your £400 Share in Success Payment.’
They add: ‘Let’s be clear, Royal Mail’s actions are not just about the current pay talks.
‘This is a premature and calculated act of hostility to destabilise the Union and stop us dealing with the real issues that are key to your future.
‘Their motivation is simple. They want the Union out of the way so they can drive through their business plans.
‘The Union is totally opposed to Royal Mail’s behaviour. We must deal with their arrogance on our terms.’
Hayes and Ward warn that Royal Mail plans include ‘axing 40,000 further jobs, converting massive numbers of full time jobs to part time and using back door privatisation as a replacement for higher basic pay.’