CWU keeps up pressure over pay and jobs

The CWU is going ahead with an industrial action ballot of its 160,000 postal members in the Royal Mail, in a dispute over pay and restructuring.

The union has rejected an offer said by the employer to be worth 14.5%, arguing it is "effectively" worth only 4.5% over 18 months (equating to an annual rise of 3%) and has "more strings than the Philharmonic Orchestra".

The union pay claim is for a rise of 8%, but the dispute is also about major changes to delivery systems, mail centres and transport operations, and the prospect of 30,000 job losses.

Deputy general secretary (postal) Dave Ward says it will not sign up to a "slash and burn" restructuring, although reform of the postal service is necessary: "We want a decent up-front pay rise but we must also have proper input into the programme of change at national and local levels".

The decision to go ahead with the ballot followed an earlier delay and informal talks at conciliation service ACAS. These took place on the basis of there being no preconditions, so that the union ballot could proceed on its original timetable.

However, relations were strained by a letter to employees from Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton suggesting that the offer had been improved.

This was seen as a direct snub to Leighton's own negotiating team and a meeting of the union's Postal Executive on 18 August confirmed that the ballot should go ahead. It will close on 17 September.