CWU: 'Play fair on pay UK Mail'

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Logistics company UK Mail has been urged to "play fair on pay" after reporting an 8 per cent increase in revenues in the last three months of 2012.


Driven by increased demand for internet shopping, the firm's parcels operations showed the strongest volume growth, while its bulk-item pallets business also grew although courier activity declined.


Over the last couple of years, increasing numbers of UK Mail workers have been joining the CWU, which has a long-standing policy of seeking to bring pay, terms and conditions across the industry up to the standards of the union's Royal Mail members.






CWU senior field organiser Lynn Browne explains: "No-one can deny that the UK postal industry is becoming ever-more competitive. It's also a profitable industry - that's why private companies are in the market.


"As a union, it's our job to ensure that this competition doesn't drag wages, terms and conditions down and that's why we're actively encouraging all UK Mail workers to join the CWU."


At Royal Mail, there are long-established collective pay negotiating procedures and a structured pay grading system, but as yet UK Mail do not have these arrangements in place, which is why the latest pay awards at the company have been widely perceived as unfair by many workers.


Lynn explains: "UK Mail implemented a pay increase last year - 1.5 per cent from October, with a further 1.5 per cent in either June or July of this year. However, as is always the case with this company, our members tell us that there were 'hoops to jump through' in order to get it.


"Our information is that anyone who had a disciplinary award against them would not get the increase, while others didn't get the increase because they were told they were currently on a higher rate than others.


"It remains to be seen what happens with the June/July raise - but we're calling on the company to play fair on pay and agree to negotiate collective agreements with the recognised trade union for this industry - the CWU."


And to all UK Mail workers, Lynn said: "You are the people who have created your company's success and you should be rewarded fairly for your efforts. The CWU is on your side - and we're here for you."

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Our information is that anyone who had a disciplinary award against them would not get the increase

That would be 90% of us screwed then.