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☆ Royal Mail: Meet Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský who wants to buy Britain’s postal service
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It has been operating a postal service in England since the reign of Henry VIII. EP Group has until May 29 to convert its £3.5 billion ($4.4 billion) non-biding offer into a formal bid for IDS. The likely sale would come after a difficult few years for Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013. ‘As British as it gets’The potential buyout of Royal Mail has stirred anxieties about the consequences of the iconic British institution coming under foreign ownership. “Royal Mail is an important national asset that would benefit from being able to take a longer-term view,” the firm said.

Persons: Henry VIII, Daniel Křetínský, Křetínský, Patrik Tkáč, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Dave Ward, ”, ” Ward, Jonathan Reynolds, ” Ivana Kottasová Organizations: London CNN — Royal Mail, Distribution Services, IDS, Royal Mail, UK Department for Business, Trade, CNN, Bloomberg, Equity Investment, Newsweek, West Ham United Football Club, Reuters, Communication Workers Union, Labour Party, Royal, Labour Locations: England, Czech, British, United States, FNAC, France, United Kingdom, West

☆ UK workers at Royal Mail accept pay deal, ending long dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Royal Mail sign is pictured on a delivery lorry at the Mount Pleasant mail centre in London, Britain, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File PhotoLONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - British postal workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a three-year pay deal with employer Royal Mail, ending a long dispute that has cost the company hundreds of millions of pounds and prompted the departure of its boss. "This has been the most challenging period in both the history of the union and the company," Communication Workers Union (CWU) General Secretary Dave Ward said in a statement on Tuesday. Simon Thompson, who took over as Royal Mail's CEO in early 2021, drew heavy criticism from the CWU over his handling of the pay dispute. Royal Mail's parent, International Distributions Services Plc (IDS) (IDSI.L), said the agreement provided Royal Mail a platform for the next phase of "stabilising the business whilst continuing to drive efficiencies and change".

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Dave Ward, Simon Thompson, Muvija, William James, Mark Potter Organizations: Mount, REUTERS, Royal Mail, Communication Workers Union, Royal, International, Services, IDS, Thomson Locations: Mount Pleasant, London, Britain

☆ Royal Mail export services severely disrupted after 'cyber incident'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Sachin Ravikumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Britain's Royal Mail said on Wednesday it was facing severe disruption to its international export services following what it described as "a cyber incident". "We are temporarily unable to despatch items to overseas destinations," Royal Mail, one of the world's largest post and parcel firms, said in a service update on its website. It advised customers to temporarily hold any export mail items while it works to resolve the issue. The "cyber incident" is the latest in a growing list of high-profile cybersecurity events in Britain. Royal Mail said its import services remained operational, albeit with minor delays.

☆ Britain's new 'winter of discontent' deepens as widespread strikes mount over festive period
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In recent weeks, upcoming strike actions have been announced by nurses, rail workers, postal workers, ambulance workers, airport staff, Border Force agents, highway workers, Eurostar staff, civil servants, bus drivers, firefighters, charity workers, meteorologists and offshore workers. For the public sector, real earnings were 5 percentage points lower, and Hollingsworth suggested that the growing gap had become "unsustainable." "I think there's clearly a lot of pressure here for some catch-up on the public sector side of things, and it's clear that there is that labor bargaining power there." "However, the gap between private and public sector pay narrowed slightly, with private sector pay up 6.9%, while public sector pay is up by 2.7%." However, with negotiations remaining fraught and unions showing no signs of backing down, he said some catch-up on public sector pay growth will likely be required to prevent further disruption.

☆ Factbox: Pay increases reached by UK workers following strike action
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Below is a summary of some of the deals reached following strike action:AIRPORTSIn July, British Airways (ICAG.L) staff at London's Heathrow Airport represented by two unions called off strike action after accepting a new pay offer. Earlier that month the airline's check-in staff at Heathrow airport also suspended a strike after an improved pay deal was agreed. Wage rises were also agreed at bus operators Arriva and Go-Ahead, with Arriva's drivers in Kent securing a 13.92% pay rise in October and Go-Ahead's London workers getting a 10.5% increase. WASTE COLLECTIONWaste collection workers in various areas around the country have agreed pay rises after undertaking strike action which disrupted waste collections. Among agreements reached by the GMB were a 17% rise for some workers in Windsor and Maidenhead, just outside London, and increases of between 8% and 22% for refuse workers in Manchester.

☆ UK strikes to hit ambulance services, hospitals and trains in the run up to Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

More than 10,000 ambulance workers represented by the GMB Union will strike again on December 28. Ambulance workers, like others in the UK National Health Service (NHS), “are on their knees,” according to GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison. According to The Times, one million UK workers are set to strike in December and January. The union said that critical care will be exempt from strike action but non-critical services will have lower staffing levels. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 115,000 postal workers, has notified Royal Mail of additional walkouts on December 9, 11, 14 and 15.

☆ Postal workers in the UK launch Black Friday strike as industrial action sweeps the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON - Strikers from the CWU Trade Union attend the picket line at Peckham Royal Mail centre on November 24, 2022 in London, England. Strikes planned for the Black Friday weekend and the run-up to Christmas will go ahead after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union ended without agreement. LONDON — Thousands of postal workers in the U.K. are on a two-day strike, disrupting Black Friday after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union fell through. Leaders of the trade union, which represents around 115,000 striking postal workers, re-entered negotiations with Royal Mail executives early last month, with talks now having spanned seven months. In a statement, the CWU warned of "the end of Royal Mail as we know it."

☆ UK strikes: Nearly 200,000 British workers are striking on Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Postal workers are planning further strike action for November 30 and December 1, following walkouts in August and September. “Customers should expect delays to items posted just before, during or just after strike action,” Royal Mail said in a statement. Amid worker strikes, Royal Mail vehicles remain parked at the Tonbridge Delivery Office in Kent, England on November 24, 2022. Strike action will also add to losses facing companies and could prompt further job cuts. Royal Mail says it has not yet been formally notified of these dates.

☆ Royal Mail parent slides to half-yearly loss as UK business drags
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Royal Mail's parent company International Distributions Services (IDSI.L) on Thursday reported a first-half loss of 57 million pounds ($67.88 million) as higher costs and disruptions arising from strikes by its postal workers put a strain on its finances. The former British postal monopoly, which recently changed the name of its holding company from Royal Mail Plc, still expects full-year adjusted operating loss for Royal Mail - its UK business - of around 350 million to 450 million pounds. It is targeting for Royal Mail to return to adjusted operating profit in full year 2024-25. Royal Mail had said it could cut up to 10,000 jobs and warned of more layoffs and even deeper financial losses if it cannot reach an agreement with the CWU. ($1 = 0.8397 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Royal Mail's largest labour union rejects new conditional pay offer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Ajose Koilparambil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) last week agreed to engage in talks through arbitration to resolve the months-long pay dispute and on Sunday the CWU withdrew its planned strike action in Britain in the next two weeks. Royal Mail's latest offer includes a 7% salary increase over two years, plus a lump sum payment of 2% of pay this year, but was subject to CWU agreeing to several changes including to Sunday working, start times and flexible working. The CWU, which represents more than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail, rejected the offer and said it would vote to take further strike action. "It (the offer) includes more unacceptable changes and a derisory 7% two-year pay offer that is well below projected inflation for both years," the CWU said in a statement. Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

About 110,000 Royal Mail staff went on strike on Thursday to demand better pay and working conditions. It was the first of 19 days of strikes planned to coincide with the peak holiday shopping season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In a statement posted to its website on Friday, the union said it was demanding a government inquiry into the “gross mismanagement” of Royal Mail. Royal Mail has said that most letters will not be delivered on strike days, and customers should expect delays to parcel deliveries. It would deliver as many tracked parcels and those tagged for fast-track delivery as possible on strike days, the company added.

☆ UK postal workers begin holiday season strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As many as 115,000 Royal Mail staff went on strike on Thursday to demand better pay and working conditions. It was the first of 19 days of strikes planned to coincide with the peak holiday shopping season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Royal Mail has said that most letters will not be delivered on strike days, and customers should expect delays to parcel deliveries. It would deliver as many tracked parcels and those tagged for fast-track delivery as possible on strike days, the company added. Amazon (AMZN) workers are being balloted on strike action, with the result of the vote expected next week.

☆ Strikes, possible blackouts and a plunging currency: Brits are being hit by a wave of bad news
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

'The recession has begun' The U.K. is the only G-7 economy not to have re-attained its pre-pandemic GDP level by the second quarter of 2022, Citibank Chief U.K. The ONS said GDP was only just returning to its pre-pandemic level, highlighting the challenge facing Prime Minister Liz Truss' "growth, growth, growth" agenda. "We now believe the recession in the U.K. has begun in the third quarter of 2022 and will likely last for three quarters. "The cost of living crisis is having a detrimental effect on individuals, not only financially, but physically and mentally too." Members of the CWU (Communication Workers Union) also continue to strike, including 115,000 postal employees of former state monopoly Royal Mail.

☆ BT Group workers announce further strike action over pay dispute
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterLogo of British Telecom (BT) is displayed outside a store in London, Britain, November 15, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File PhotoSept 21 (Reuters) - About 40,000 British workers for telecoms company BT Group (BT.L) and its networking arm Openreach will hold a national strike over pay in October, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said on Wednesday. Members of the union, including BT Group's 999 emergency call handlers, will hold a strike for four days in October: Oct. 6, Oct. 10, Oct. 20 and Oct. 24. The dispute centres on workers opposing the imposition by company of an "incredibly low flat-rate pay rise," the union said. ($1 = 0.8836 pound)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Royal Mail workers vote for major UK summer strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-19 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - More than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail (RMG.L) have voted to strike over pay, trade union CWU said on Tuesday, putting them on course for what could be the biggest industrial action to hit Britain this summer. read moreRoyal Mail had offered a pay rise of 5.5% for CWU-grade workers, which it described as its biggest increase in years. "The vote can leave no doubt that postal workers are united, and that they are demanding the proper pay rise they deserve," the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said. If the strike were to go ahead, it would likely be the biggest industrial action taken by workers this summer in Britain, the union said. "In the event of industrial action, we have contingency plans to minimise customer disruption."

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