Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union
(CWU) have officially appointed Professor Lynette Harris to mediate
their talks over pay, pensions and other issues.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (25 October),
Royal Mail said: “We are pleased to be entering a new phase of talks.
Our priority is to reach agreement with the CWU. We are committed to
using the mediation process to do just that. Moya Greene, CEO, will lead
these talks for Royal Mail.“Mediation will bring both parties together, with a third party, to seek the right outcome for employees, customers and the business.
“In total, the procedures allow seven weeks for negotiations from the appointment of a mediator. If we do not reach agreement, the union is required by law to give a minimum of two weeks’ notice of any industrial action after mediation has finished. This means that the process will take close to Christmas to be completed, and may be longer.
“Given the complexity of the issues under discussion and the shared appetite to reach agreement, we anticipate that discussions could be extended to facilitate an agreement.
“Royal Mail remains committed to reaching agreement with the CWU.”
As previously reported, CWU members had voted in favour of taking industry action – but a High Court ruling determined that they would have to pursue the mediation route first.