ROYAL MAIL GROUP: CHANGE DISPUTE – STRIKE ACTION – 24-HOURS FROM 12.30PM THURSDAY 16TH FEBRUARY
We have today served the legal notice on RMG under the current Change ballot for a 24-hour strike action as follows:
The strike will cover all duties and scheduled attendance commencing between the period at or after12:30pm on Thursday 16th February 2023 and before 12:30pm on Friday 17th February 2023.
The Postal Executive has called this strike action as a consequence of RMG’s ongoing and planned Executive Action in local offices across the UK, whereby the company are implementing Revisions and unagreed change, whilst refusing to negotiate locally or apply the terms of the IR Framework.
This is in direct contravention to the unequivocal commitment given by the CEO Simon Thompson, in a letter to the Union of 6th January, stating “the IR Framework will apply in full”. At that point, the CEO’s commitment was instrumental in the Union not calling further strike action up until 20thJanuary, to enable intensive talks to continue in a more constructive environment.
In a further attempt to avoid Executive Action, the CWU presented RMG with a proposal for re-engagement in Revisions at local level, which met the company’s timescales and included a fast-track process to resolve any disagreements over savings targets. This was rejected by the company in their counter proposal, copies of both documents are attached.
In making the decision to call further strike action under our existing Change ballot, we wish to make clear that the Postal Executive concluded that RMG’s actions to remove the right of negotiation at local level, has wider implications than the current Revisions and change activity and must now be viewed as a significant step towards de-recognising the Union and the voice of our members in the workplace.
We must also take into account that the scale and severity of RMG’s Executive Action is increasing on a weekly basis and goes well beyond even their own guidelines. This is about RMG deliberately accelerating their plans to change members’ attendance patterns and start & finish times in Delivery, in advance of their proposal for significant network changes later this year. In Processing units, Executive Action on unagreed structural Revisions will impose unacceptable widespread change to duties, attendance patterns and earnings packages.
Given the gravity of the situation, including the company’s refusal to discuss this matter further in Acas talks, the CWU has no alternative but to defend the principle of our Union having the right to negotiate on all aspects of change at local level. This principle has been fundamental to how we represent and support our members throughout the history of our Union.
We have made it clear to RMG in writing that to avoid this strike action the CEO needs to honour the commitment he made to apply the terms of the IR Framework in full, including applying this retrospectively to all units that have had change imposed upon them.
The Union’s position remains that we want to negotiate an agreement and the best way of achieving this is to re-establish the IR Framework agreement so that joint re-engagement can take place locally, rather than managerial Executive Action, whilst national negotiations continue. However, unfortunately what we are faced with is the company continuing to act in bad faith, displaying a total lack of integrity in their conduct.
Finally, Branches must convey the content of this LTB to all workplaces and encourage members to join our CWU Live session scheduled for 6pm tomorrow. This will give us an opportunity to provide a full update on recent talks, and the need to do everything possible to maximise the turnout and Yes vote in the re-ballot.
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Andy Furey
Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
Mark Baulch
Assistant Secretary
Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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