Royal Mail workers end long-running row over pay

Postal workers have accepted a deal to end a long-running row over pay and conditions, a union has said.

It comes after some 115,000 workers held 18 days of strikes last year, causing postal delays across the UK.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said that workers "overwhelmingly" backed the deal but warned anger at the firm "doesn't end with today's result".

Royal Mail, which lost millions of pounds through the strikes, said the deal would help it to stabilise.

"The agreement provides Royal Mail a platform for the next phase of stabilising the business whilst continuing to drive efficiencies and change," a spokesman for Royal Mail said.

"The three-year pay deal agreed provides certainty for employees and ensures Royal Mail remains the industry leader on pay, terms and conditions."

The CWU said the agreement was backed by 75% of voting members.

Royal Mail said that the three-year agreement includes a 10% salary increase, some of which was given in 2022, and a one-off lump sum of £500 for CWU members working for Royal Mail and Parcelforce.

Median pay at Royal Mail is £32,465 a year, and the average pay for a postal delivery worker is £25,777.

The company said the deal also includes a commitment to no compulsory redundancies during its duration.

CWC general secretary Dave Ward said the dispute had been the "most challenging period in both the history of the union and the company".

He added that the result will be the "start of the union reconnecting in every workplace".

"We all know what is going on in workplaces across the UK and we are going to deal with it", he said.

Several industries across the UK have experienced strikes in recent times as workers seek pay rises in line with the soaring cost of living.

Walkouts have also taken place in sectors such as the railways, nursing, the civil service and Border Force.

Royal Mail has previously said it is moving from its traditional business of delivering letters - which is no longer profitable - to the fast-growing world of parcel deliveries, driven by the increasing popularity of online shopping.

But the company faces fierce competition from other couriers and in February it claimed it was losing about £1m a day.