The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has announced that Post Office workers will be voting on a 9% pay offer after a "lengthy dispute" with their employers. The proposed deal has

received the backing of the postal executive and offers a range of benefits, including lump sum payments for all workers between £1,925 ($2,354) and £3,000. The dispute has been ongoing since early last year, with eight strikes and other forms of industrial action being taken by thousands of Post Office workers.

According to the CWU's acting deputy general secretary, Andy Furey, the proposed pay increase represents a significant step forward from the initial offer presented by the employer. The ballot will take place over the next two weeks, with voting beginning early next week and ending on April 11.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said: "We are pleased that the CWU agree that the offer we have put forward provides a fair deal for their members and that they will be recommending a yes vote. We hope to get a positive response from their members so we can get the new pay rates in colleagues' pockets as soon as possible."

It is important to note that this dispute is separate from the unresolved Royal Mail Group workers' dispute. In recent months, there have been waves of disruptive labor strikes across the UK, with hundreds of thousands of workers in various sectors demanding better wages to keep up with surging inflation and the increasing cost of living. As UK inflation rose to 10.4% in February, the Bank of England is monitoring pay settlements closely as it considers any further interest rate rises. Photo by Betty Longbottom, Wikimedia commons.