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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Royal Mail wins strike injunction | Royal Mail wins strike injunction |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Royal Mail has won an injunction in London's High Court preventing next week's 48-hour strike. | Royal Mail has won an injunction in London's High Court preventing next week's 48-hour strike. |
| The postal firm's workers had been set to walk out from 19 October in protest over pensions, wages and jobs. | The postal firm's workers had been set to walk out from 19 October in protest over pensions, wages and jobs. |
| But the company said the strike would be "unlawful" if the Communication Workers Union (CWU) did not follow dispute resolution procedures. | But the company said the strike would be "unlawful" if the Communication Workers Union (CWU) did not follow dispute resolution procedures. |
| A strike ballot of the CWU's 110,000 members had produced an 89.1% vote in favour on a 73.7% turnout. | A strike ballot of the CWU's 110,000 members had produced an 89.1% vote in favour on a 73.7% turnout. |
| It would have been the first national strike since Royal Mail was privatised four years ago. | It would have been the first national strike since Royal Mail was privatised four years ago. |
| The CWU said it was "extremely disappointed" at the ruling and described it as "a desperate delaying tactic from a board who are increasingly out of touch with the views of its workforce". | |
| 'Unaffordable' scheme | 'Unaffordable' scheme |
| Mr Justice Supperstone, who granted the injunction, said: "I consider the strike call to be unlawful and the defendant is obliged to withdraw its strike call until the external mediation process has been exhausted." | Mr Justice Supperstone, who granted the injunction, said: "I consider the strike call to be unlawful and the defendant is obliged to withdraw its strike call until the external mediation process has been exhausted." |
| The CWU has said that Royal Mail's move to reform workers' pensions means that its members will lose up to a third of their retirement entitlements. | The CWU has said that Royal Mail's move to reform workers' pensions means that its members will lose up to a third of their retirement entitlements. |
| The company said pension scheme members would indeed build up smaller benefits in future, but that was because the plan in its current form was unaffordable. | The company said pension scheme members would indeed build up smaller benefits in future, but that was because the plan in its current form was unaffordable. |
| Earlier this year, the Royal Mail announced that it would close its current defined benefit scheme in March 2018. | Earlier this year, the Royal Mail announced that it would close its current defined benefit scheme in March 2018. |
| Although the pension fund is in surplus, Royal Mail, which was privatised in 2013, claims that its current annual contribution of £400m a year would swell to £1.26bn. | |
| The company also said it was one of the few firms offering to replace one defined-benefit scheme with another. | |
| CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "The company are deluded if they believe their courtroom politics will resolve this dispute. Instead, the company's actions will have the complete opposite effect. | |
| "Postal workers' attitude towards the company will harden and it makes us more determined than ever to defend our members' pensions, jobs, service and achieve our objectives." | |
| Shares in Royal Mail closed 0.7% higher at 388.3p. |