Parcelforce settlement
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• Parcelforce will find out this week if its staff have accepted a radical overhaul of their wages. Post office managers say they are confident of a successful outcome to the latest union ballot, with a new national agreement sweeping away old wage deals.
If the 13,000 workers agree, the new three-stage agreement will be introduced within a few weeks . It will involve an annual increase but linked to improvements in flexibility.
Ninny workers can also expect to receive more training in new technology.
The deal aims to improve Parcelforce's loss-making balance by several million pounds this year—it has been told by the Government to break-even by April—although the benefits of the change are expected to be felt mostly in the long-term.
At the end of August employees threw out a similar agreement recommended by the Communication Workers Union. Earlier hopes of privatisation were dashed when the Government pulled away from selling Parcelforce.
Management believes employees will accept the latest deal, although it is little different to the last offer, because they have gained a "greater understanding" of the package.