London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Royal Mail dispute nears end as union recommends peace deal to posties

Royal Mail dispute nears end as union recommends peace deal to posties

A ballot of the company's frontline staff will take place soon as both sides express satisfaction with the terms of the agreement.
The most bitter UK industrial dispute of the last year is on the verge of being settled as the union representing 112,000 frontline Royal Mail workers has recommended they accept the terms of a peace deal.

The company and Communication Workers Union (CWU) have been at each others' throats for more than 11 months but agreed the outline of an agreement last weekend pending the approval of the union's national executive.

The CWU said on Friday that it would recommend the membership support the plan in a forthcoming vote - with both sides claiming victories in certain areas.

The dispute covers three broad areas: pay, jobs and working conditions.

Loss-making Royal Mail had previously warned that without an agreement, staff would have been risking their jobs.

The agreement includes later starting times for deliveries which, Royal Mail said, would respond to greater demand for more next-day parcels, reduce its impact on the environment through the removal of 18 flights a day, improve quality of service and create greater capacity to grow.

New seasonal working patterns and regular Sunday working were also agreed. Royal Mail said that would allow it to grow its seven-day parcels business and adapt to changing customer demands.

On pay, the staff will get a 10% rise over three years - some of which has already been paid - and a one-off lump sum of £500.

The union had initially demanded an annual increase in line with the rate of inflation.

For its part, the CWU said it was delighted that the "Uberisation" of Royal Mail was to be abandoned, as they called it.

It was particularly unhappy over the introduction of owner-drivers into the Royal Mail for delivery purposes.

The CWU also hailed reductions in agency workers and the establishment of an independent inquiry for suspended or sacked workers.

The union has not staged one strike this year as the sides have grappled, publicly and bitterly, on the sidelines of the negotiations with the CWU calling for Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson to be sacked.

The company claimed that industrial action in 2022, including over Christmas, cost it £200m.

A union spokesperson said of the settlement: "This situation has been arrived at only because of the sheer determination of every postal worker in this country who stood up for themselves, their jobs and their industry.

"We intend to put this deal to our members' vote as soon as possible."

Royal Mail had argued that without reform being attached to the wider deal, it would have been unable to compete properly with rivals in the key parcels sphere.

It said: "This agreement is an important step forward in the turnaround of Royal Mail and, if approved by the CWU membership, represents a good outcome for customers, employees and shareholders.

"The agreement provides a platform for the next phase of stabilising the business whilst continuing to drive efficiency and change.

"The operational changes in the agreement are designed to improve competitiveness, particularly in next-day parcels, reduce cost and environmental impact and improve quality of service for our customers."

The agreement will allow a single parcel network between Royal Mail and Parcelforce to be created, eradicating current duplication.

It will see both companies carrying the same format of parcels and visiting the same customers on the same day.

There is a commitment to no compulsory redundancies for the life of the agreement and a joint review in April 2025 to consider whether it can be extended.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×