Consignia today expressed concern that factions within the CWU were intent on confrontation rather than mediation without pre-conditions as a way of resolving a long overdue 6.9% pay and efficiency deal involving changes to Royal Mail’s delivery operation.
Royal Mail and Communication Workers Union negotiating teams, with the help of ACAS, has agreed terms of reference and the make-up of a mediation panel, including a CWU-nominated member.
But the CWU has indicated that at its executive meeting tomorrow, it will be considering industrial action instead of mediation.
Jerry Cope, Consignia’s Group Managing Director for Mails Services, said: “At a time when the business is losing money, the regulator is considering the competition framework, and customers are considering whether to use the competition, any approach other than mediation would be financial suicide.
“Industrial action will lead to fewer customers and therefore even greater job losses, for which the Union would have to bear full responsibility.
“The way to resolve this quickly is to go to ACAS without unnecessary pre-conditions as we had agreed.”
Consideration of industrial action is at odds with the conclusions of the Sawyer report into industrial relations at Royal Mail, under which both Royal Mail and the CWU undertook to seek ways of resolving differences without strikes.
