LTB 397/24 – REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL – AGREEMENT REACHED WITH EP GROUP
No: 397/24
18th December 2024
TO: ALL POSTAL BRANCHES
Dear Colleague
REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL – AGREEMENT REACHED WITH EP GROUP
Further to today’s online branch briefing, please find attached a full copy of the CWU and EP Group Agreement, which has been unanimously endorsed by the Postal Executive.
Please also find attached a member’s communication which must be distributed in all workplaces as soon as possible.
You will see the agreement goes well beyond achieving the requirements set in our conference policy that gave us the mandate for engaging with EP Group.
There is no doubt this is a ground-breaking agreement that has been delivered in unprecedented and extremely difficult circumstances, clearly demonstrating the strength and influence of the CWU both industrially and politically.
The CWU will continue to recognise there are legitimate concerns amongst our members about RMG being taken over by a foreign equity investor. This is why it is crucial that in the coming weeks, both before and after Christmas, we collectively re-engage with our members in the workplace and explain how the agreement addresses those concerns.
In reaching this agreement, we can also be confident that our members know from their own experience that there is no future with the current RMG Board.
We must also highlight the fact that the new Governance and Business model, which will be anchored in the company’s articles of association, changes the very nature of how a private company operates.
Furthermore, the deed of undertakings agreed between the Government and EP Group, means that for the first time since privatisation, the UK Government will have an ongoing involvement in the future of Royal Mail.
Next steps
- Please ensure our local reps receive a full copy of the agreement.
- We will hold a briefing for local reps either before Christmas, or most likely in the New Year.
- At a point in the New Year, we will write to our members home addresses with a more informed communication also covering our approach to USO Reform, pay and growth.
- All Branches and Representatives will need to make clear plans to re-engage in the workplace.
- All Branches and Representatives will need to redouble our efforts to recruit new entrants.
In conclusion, we must never lose sight of the reality that whoever owns the Royal Mail Group, the only way our members and the company can really prosper, is if we adapt and grow the business in a permanently changed world of communications and a constantly evolving post and logistic sector.
Finally, the agreement provides the opportunity for a fresh start and it’s time for the Union and our members to move forward. It’s for EP Group to earn the trust of employees and the country and for CWU to play a full part in rebuilding Royal Mail.
Yours sincerely,
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
LTB 397/24 – REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL AGREEMENT REACHED WITH EP GROUP
Attachment: Agreement – REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL – A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT BETWEEN EP GROUP AND CWU