Above-inflation pay rise for Quadrant workers
Postal April 11 2019Hundreds of hard-working Royal Mail catering members will see their pay rise by 2.6 per cent now and a further 1 per cent on top from October, after voting to accept a deal negotiated by the CWU.
The 2.6 per cent settlement is effective from April 1st 2019, and discussions are now underway with the company to ensure that the increases are paid, including any backpay at the earliest possible juncture.
In addition, the deal included a rebalancing of overtime payments to ensure that premium overtime rates (above 37.5 hours) are fixed at £1 above standard rate for all grades going forward. This resolved an anomaly in the previous overtime rate system which had seen the rate fall in value, for some grades.
Reacting to the ballot result, CWU assistant secretary Davie Robertson said: “I’m pleased that our members in Quadrant will be getting this extra cash – and also good to see this year’s pay deal done and dusted promptly, rather than dragging on for months as has happened in past years.
“Our Quadrant members have recognised that this is a good deal, which raises wages by more than the current rate of inflation and goes some way to restoring Quadrant workers’ pay levels relative to the rest of the catering sector,” he added.
As well as the headline aspects to the agreement on pay and overtime, there are also some agreed reforms to sick pay entitlements and other procedures – the details of which have been shared with our Quadrant reps and members.
Looking forward, Davie is keen to increase membership among Quadrant workers and also to work with the business to raise the use of canteens and catering facilities at all Royal Mail units.
“With the big focus on the need for all our Royal mail members to do the job properly and to take their scheduled breaks, let’s also take the opportunity to remind our members to use their Quadrant facilities as much as possible,” he urged.