CWU STATEMENT: UPDATE FOR ROYAL MAIL GROUP MEMBERS

UPDATE FOR ROYAL MAIL GROUP MEMBERS

CWU members will be aware of a communication issued yesterday by Royal Mail confirming they will no longer be seeking any further deployment of USO reform until 2026. This is a position the union communicated many weeks ago and it has now been confirmed openly by the business. This is welcomed. Our priority now will be fixing the issues in the USO pilot units. We want to make it clear to members that we will not be reaching an agreement on Royal Mail’s ODM model. It has failed.

At the same time, they point to these USO negotiations and their complexity as one reason for the delay in the implementation of resolutions for all outstanding issues from section 5 of the EP Group / CWU agreement - which of course includes the first step in equalising new entrants’ terms and conditions. We do not accept this position.

We are also extremely concerned at the continued degrading of quality of service across the UK which culminated last week in a record £21m fine from OFCOM. Every CWU member will know the reality is even worse than this with mail failures being in many cases underreported. This lack of honesty and integrity from Royal Mail continues to be a major concern for everybody who cares about the future of the business.

The CWU will continue to make the case in negotiations for the full implementation of the EP Group / CWU agreement at the earliest opportunity with any overdue issues like the new entrants’ terms and conditions being backdated as appropriate.

We will also be directly engaging the government now on the lack of progress since the EP Group takeover, the need for a complete overhaul in the way OFCOM regulate the postal industry and how we level the playing field and tackle unfair competition.

Our Postal Executive have agreed an extensive engagement plan with our members and all these issues, and we have today shared this with our branches.

In the coming days and weeks, we will directly engage with local representatives and members to ensure you are a key part of how we challenge Royal Mail, truly re-set employee and industrial relations and rebuild quality of service in our workplaces.

Our final message today is to thousands of new entrants across the country - the best way of delivering equalisation is by you joining the CWU. The company have already shown that if they believe they can avoid improving your terms and conditions they will. We will hold them to the words we have secured, and we will deliver fairness - every new entrant that joins strengthens our hand.