Contract extensions agreed in Royal Mail CE

Postal August 11 2020

Fixed-term contract workers in four major Royal Mail Customer Experience sites will have their employment extended until the end of February next year, following negotiations between the CWU and the business.

Reporting the breakthrough yesterday, CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: “This is good news for 33 individuals working at the Dearne (South Yorkshire), Doxford (Sunderland), Plymouth and Stoke units and reflects current levels of demand for Customer Experience services – as well as the excellent job these people have been doing.

“This group of workers’ contracts had been due to end next month, so these extensions will see them over and beyond the Christmas period and well into 2021 when, hopefully, the wider economy will have picked up again and job prospects may not be as bleak as at present. Naturally, the aim will be to secure permanent contracts for these workers.”

Achieving these contract extensions is “Something our union should be proud of,” according to Gary Cooney, CWU rep at Royal Mail Customer Service Dearne.

“The CWU listens and responds to our members on the issues that matter and the extension of 33 Temporary contracts within CE is an example of what the CWU can still achieve during these unprecedented and very difficult times,” he explains.

“The CWU might not be able to change the world, but you can change someone’s world and that’s what we have done for 33 people within Royal Mail Customer Service.”

In a joint statement, RMCE director Susan Howlett joined Andy in explaining that the decision had been driven by the need to support this part of the operation through the current programme of a phased return to office working across all sites – and also the progressing of technology enhancements.

The joint statement concludes with a recognition of the “challenging times” that Customer Experience workers are experiencing and thanking them for their “continued customer focus and efforts.”