News

The Royal Mail has described its latest pay deal for 9,500 LGV and van drivers as "the best in the market".

The deal, concluded last week, was thrashed out with the Communications Workers Union during talks following the threat of a ballot for strike action. Drivers were concerned that they faced a possible cut in earnings when the Road Transport Directive was introduced for the Royal Mail - which was previously excluded from the original 2005 implementation - in April this year.

A  Royal Mail spokesman says: "Royal Mail is very pleased to have concluded an excellent deal which will see our professional drivers' basic pay increasing from between 7% and 20%. This will benefit all drivers and 80% will see their total earnings rise, often for working fewer hours a week.

"The deal provides for greater flexibility in the deployment of our drivers and that will improve Royal Mail's competitive edge and help us to be even more responsive to our customers."

Under the deal, area drivers have been offered a further £4.27 per week which equates to a revised basic annual pay of £19,600 while network drivers who drive between mail centres will receive between £22,000 and £23,500. Overtime rates have been increased to £9.50 an hour for the first eight hours worked.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU says: "This is an industry-leading pay deal it recognises and introduces flexibility that is necessary to help the company to be recognised as  competition in this environment. New legislation has forced this negotiation upon us we believe the agreement struck is good for CWU members".

A strike ballot over pay had been imminent before Royal Mail re-opened talks, with ballot papers due to be dispatched on February 7.