This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7004918.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Postal union unveils more strikes | Postal union unveils more strikes |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Postal workers are to stage two 48-hour national strikes next month in a row over pay and jobs, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed. | Postal workers are to stage two 48-hour national strikes next month in a row over pay and jobs, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed. |
| Since June, the CWU has staged a number of nationwide walkouts to protest at Royal Mail's offer of a 2.5% pay rise and its modernisation plans. | |
| The union claims the shake-up plans will put about 40,000 jobs at risk. | The union claims the shake-up plans will put about 40,000 jobs at risk. |
| The Royal Mail believes that without dramatic reforms it will not to able to survive in a liberalised mail market. | The Royal Mail believes that without dramatic reforms it will not to able to survive in a liberalised mail market. |
| 'Out of control' | |
| "Despite five weeks of negotiations, Royal Mail have failed to take on board the union's message that in order for the business to succeed, Royal Mail need to invest in their workforce," said CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward. | |
| "Strikes are a proportionate response to an employer that is completely out of control. | |
| "Rather than running the business, Royal Mail's actions demonstrate they are intent on destroying it." | |
| The Royal Mail was not immediately available for comment. | |
| Earlier this month, the CWU said that the Royal Mail had now upped its pay offer to a two-year increase worth 6.7%. | |
| Yet the union added that the company was sticking to pension reform proposals - such as increased employee contributions and later retirement age - that it had rejected. | |
| The Royal Mail countered at the time that it had "made it clear" to union officials that their aim was to "protect [our] existing people's pensions as far as possible and not increase their contributions". |