Great Britain: Royal Mail unions and management sign an agreement on the company’s modernization

Voluntary leaves. After weeks of conflict, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), stepped in, in November, to act as a mediator between Royal Mail and the CWU (see our dispatch No. 091019). After the announcement of the transformation of the company, thousands of postal employees went on strike. Royal Mail, faced with increased competition and forced to adjust to the sector’s technological evolutions, let around 60,000 people go in five years. There should be more leaves, but the agreement signed on March 8 only provides for voluntary leaves. “Of primary importance will be to continue with the professional approach to long-term resource planning, utilizing normal employee turnover and where necessary early voluntary retirement and voluntary redundancy.” While the management wants to make working time more flexible as of 2013, the trade unions obtained the guarantee that at least 75% of workers will keep working full time.
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leaves. “Of primary importance will be to continue with the professional approach to long-term resource planning, utilizing normal employee turnover and where necessary early voluntary retirement and voluntary redundancy.” While the management wants to make working time more flexible as of 2013, the trade unions obtained the guarantee that at least 75% of workers will keep working full time.


Bonuses. The agreement, negotiated for over two months and supervised by ACAS, also provides for a 6.9%

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