UK postal workers vote to accept Royal Mail pay deal

BRITISH postal workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a pay deal with employer Royal Mail, their union said on Tuesday (Jul 11), ending a long dispute that has cost the company hundreds of millions of pounds and seen the departure of its boss.

“This has been the most challenging period in both the history of the union and the company,” Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary Dave Ward said in a statement.

“Our members will know it doesn’t end with today’s result,” he added, cautioning that the new CEO should be one that wants to “take the workforce with them” rather than continuing down its current path.

Over 115,000 postal workers held a total of 18 days of strikes between September and December last year, demanding higher pay and better working conditions as rising inflation eroded earnings.

Some 76 per cent voted in favour of the pay agreement, which included a 10 per cent salary increase and a one-off lump sum of £500 (S$867), in a ballot that recorded a 67 per cent turnout, the CWU said. REUTERS