amma fairman wrote:Got a chance of VR - received figure from business-
But its caused a storm in the office cause no one knows how it works?
Seniority, age, or what?
Some less experienced postmen have been offered terms before guys with 25 plus years service,aged around 42-45?
Where can i find out difinitive facts about VR?
VR is covered by the Managing the Surplus Framework (MTSF) Agreement and lays down strict rules for dealing with VR's. Full details can be obtained from the CWU website.
Regarding the specific question about who should be offered it - App 5 of MTSF states:
Selection
Release arrangements should initially be from the location and grades affected. These will be agreed locally reflecting business needs (such as the need to reflect an appropriate mix of skills and experience), and take into account age, seniority, costs, and individual preferences and personal circumstances.
In a surplus situation where there is an over subscription of volunteers for redundancy the following sequence for selection will apply. First volunteers will be selected in seniority order from relevant employees aged 55 years and over. If there is still a need for volunteers, offers of voluntary redundancy will then be extended in seniority order to employees aged 54 and below subject to the requirement that Voluntary Redundancy will not be offered in such situations where the total cost (which can include redundancy compensation, immediate payment of pension, and pension enhancement) exceeds two years pay. (Pay is as defined in Annex 2 of VR Compensation Terms, Appendix 6 of the Managing the Surplus Policy.)
Where there is no excess of volunteers for Voluntary Redundancy no cost ceiling will be applied.
In plain english this means that if there are VR's, a preference exercise should take place (this does not mean the DOM asking his/her mates first). The list of those expressing a preference for VR is then used to make offers - these are first made in seniority order (total length of service) to those aged 55 or over, if there is still a need for volunteers after this then offers are made to those aged under 55, again in seniority order.
This means that someone aged 56 with 10 years service will get an offer before someone aged say 49 with 30 years. Strange but true!
The redundancy terms paid are also covered off in MTSF and are different for people aged between 50 and 60 (if in the pension scheme) and those under 50 or over 60. There are also special terms that can apply to people aged between 50 and 54 in certain circumstances.
The moral of this story is always seek advice from someone who knows about MTSF before anything is agreed.
