Pay increase imposed without agreement?

[Zicomurphy]

CWU just posted this on Twitter

We understand Royal Mail Group are about to announce the imposition, without agreement, of a 2% pay increase.

We will of course bring you reaction from Deputy General Secretary Terry Pullinger and our Postal Executive in due course.


Will wait for more details but, if true, I find that a massively insulting kick in the teeth, both the fact it’s only 2% and the fact it’s just been imposed on us without our agreement.

[Schiff]

They will be hoping that this buys a few votes against industrial action.

[Binsey]

Interestingly the real powers behind the throne are now making there move.


This is a total different ball game.

[Zicomurphy]

They will be hoping that this buys a few votes against industrial action.

Hopefully it will have the opposite effect. If they get away with imposing a pay increase with no agreement what is to stop them introducing any changes they want to make without agreement?

[daveyeff]

Union will scrap their agenda for change and not agree to anything whatsoever if this is the case...our reps just had the notification on his phone as well...am spitting effing blood here if its true

[wazer]

Staff need to work to rule ,which they don't .Stop going in early ,which they do.(can't get job done otherwise).. Some are already saying hopes it my day off when we go on strike. Our office got Mail left gor days ,quite the nom now.Dont seem to bother management.Still got staff shortages as mist new starters leave within a week.Royal Mail are clever. If they get this 2% ,thats the future of our jobs .Hope Terry can pull something out of bag.If not that's the end of CWU.
As mentioned staff do wot they want and don't see the bigger picture.Xmas bonus,stamps bye bye.

[Zicomurphy]

The level of the pay increase isn’t the important thing here. It’s the principle that the pay increase and any major change is negotiated with the union and then voted on by the membership. If we lose that we are in big trouble.

[Woody Guthrie]

The full statement

Update from CEO Simon Thompson: We will pay 2% pay increase in July payroll

Simon Says

For just under two months we have been in negotiations with the CWU on this year’s pay deal, including completing our mutually agreed Dispute Resolution Processes (DRP).

As you will be aware, we made an offer to the CWU of a package worth up to 5.5% this year for CWU grade colleagues.

During the negotiations we moved on our original position and made a 2% unconditional offer. However, we told the CWU up to a further 3.5% was available subject to us agreeing a series of changes and a new ‘above and beyond’ bonus.

I am sorry to say we have not been able to secure agreement on these proposals and the pay talks have now been exhausted.

We have scheduled further talks with the CWU next week to discuss the changes. We really hope this will unlock things and ultimately lead to a way of giving our people more.

However, I have been listening to the fact that many of our people are feeling the impact of the cost of living now. I also know you have been waiting for more than two months for a pay deal to be agreed, at a time when your bills are rising.

We'll pay a 2% increase in July

Given the exceptional times we are in and the fact people are feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis now, we have taken the unusual step to increase CWU grade colleagues pay by 2% with no conditions to be paid in July 2022 payroll.

Calculating individual pay increases for over 120,000 people when we need to account for things like allowances and overtime, takes time. So, to be able to pay you quickly, we will pay everyone a lump sum advance, the equivalent to a 2% increase on their base pay for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 August 2022. This will be pro rated for part time and roughly equates to £200. CWU grade colleagues will receive this in their pay on 1 July if paid weekly or 29 July if paid monthly.

In the meantime, we will implement the pay award for each person across all relevant allowances, supplements and overtime etc. These calculations will be reflected in your August pay which will be backdated to 1 April 2022 and adjusted to account for the sum you have already received.

From September onwards, colleagues will receive the 2% increase in their normal weekly or monthly pay.

But to be clear, we do want to pay more. To do that we need to agree the changes we need to pay for further pay increases.

Our commitment to working with the CWU to agree a deal

I am sorry that despite our best efforts we haven’t managed to agree a pay deal with the CWU. We have held a number of talks with them over recent weeks, but unfortunately we have made little progress. I am also disappointed that the CWU has already chosen to ballot, when we know how damaging the threat of industrial action is to our business.

The business is at a crossroads, it is important that we agree a deal that includes the changes we need to set us up for tomorrow, and not just today.

Our working relationship with the CWU is important and I am hopeful that our further talks will lead to agreement on change, unlocking a way to bigger pay rises. We remain committed to working with the CWU to grow this business and ensure long term job security for all of you.

Thank you,

Anthony Bouch

After announcing the 2% pay increase has been imposed via Executive Action here are the changes which RM are proposing and want for the future and for 1.5% pay rise and a further £400-£500 lump sum payment, are as follows for RM employees:

Flexible working - via Annualised Hours and proposed form of seasonal variation via 2 weeks notice of changes. That would also include a flexitime bank system for on the day variations!

Allowance Reviews - consolidation of supplements, buyout of legacy payments, change to Inner and outer London weighting to an average 1 payment and phased removal of Sunday premium payments.

Sunday working a normal day and as above on a reduction to existing pay rates.

Green Agenda - changes to the pipeline/network meaning a later window and adding up to 3 hours across the operation enabled by later delivery start times. This would impact on every function, Processing shifts, Area Distribution services, Network services and Delivery start and finish times.

Revised terms and conditions for new employees - lower hourly rate of approx £11.62 and salary of £24,170 a year outside of London a new full time employee would earn a minimum of £1,580 less on basic pay. However they would be expected to work 40 hours per week (3 hours more than current FT employees) meaning the impact is much greater and significantly worse terms and conditions!

Absence Policy - reductions to sick pay via introduction of Statutory Sick Pay after the first absence in 12 months and for the 1 week of absence. Changes to the attendance standards via changing trigger points and increasing the time to come of the procedures. Leaving the business via I’ll health significantly worsened terms.

Above and Beyond Bonus Scheme - citied as 2% increase in pay, however it’s actually a maximum of £500 lump sum and not consolidated into basic pay. However subject to increased productivity, advancing year 3 targets into year 2, eligibility conditions at employee level and not offices.
In addition to that the same principles above would also apply via revised criteria for all Parcelforce Worldwide Employees and Fleet Employees, meaning significant changes to working practices and pay/reward.

[2yearpostie]

Am I the only one reading that as have a 2% rise while we continue to talk to the union.

[daveyeff]

Halt any further talks immediately....surely there is something unlawful in this....if its not whats to stop any other company doing exactly the same thing.? The railway for instance...any company could do that .....just give them 2% and bypass the union and invalidate any ballot,?

[Woody Guthrie]

Am I the only one reading that as have a 2% rise while we continue to talk to the union.

What they are trying to do is unilaterally draw a line under the negotiation for a no strings pay rise and continue the negotiations on pay linked to further change.

Basically you'll negotiate on our terms or not at all.

I'm for not at all. It's possible they may impose the changes next, I hope they do.

Their changes won't work without buy in from the staff, they can deal with 100,000 applications for flexible working before I'll do one Sunday for them now. Same goes for later starts.

I'll bury them in paperwork first.

[A2B]

Am I the only one reading that as have a 2% rise while we continue to talk to the union.

I think what we are reading is a message from a loanshark

[POSTMAN]

Terry met Si and Zareena Brown in a coffee shop at 7-15 this morning in London.

[iHateD2Ds]

Hopefully all the Union reps get the message across to members to use their vote in the ballot.

[fb1969]

Terry's reaction