Post Office Pay Negotiations 2017/18 Update

The CWU were due to meet the Post Office again on Wednesday 28th June. Earlier this week, the Post Office cancelled this meeting on the basis they have scheduled a meeting of their Group Executive Industrial Relations Steering Group (GEIRSG) on 4th July to consider further the Postal Executive’s rejection of the 2% pay offer (not flowing through to allowances).
Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary reports:
Whilst our members may be disappointed with this cancellation by the Post Office, it is, I believe, encouraging that the most senior Directors from the Group Executive are planning to have further discussions in respect of our pay claim.
Hopefully their deliberations will result in a much improved offer that is specifically designed to achieve an agreement. In order to influence the GEIRSG discussions, I have now taken the opportunity to write to John Whitefoot, Employee Relations & Policy Director, elaborating upon our reasons for rejecting the pay offer. Compelling arguments have been made as to why the 2% pay offer should be significantly improved. This correspondence is attached for your information.
We are now seeking to establish a mutually convenient date to recommence our negotiations. The Post Office pay team has offered dates to meet with us again following the GEIRSG meeting. Unfortunately theses dates clash with important prior commitments that we are unable to reschedule; consequently we have responded with alternative dates to meet week commencing 10th July. Hopefully when a meeting date is agreed we will be able to reach an agreement. If this were to transpire, the agreement would be placed before our Postal Executive for ratification on Tuesday 18th July.

Of course, this can only happen if the Post Office is willing to move towards our aspirations, including the other important components of our pay claim such as improvements to the Defined Contribution pension scheme following the Post Office’s controversial decision to close the Defined Benefit scheme at the end of March this year.