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Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

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TrueBlueTerrier
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Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

Letter to Branches






No. 683/13
Ref. 170 and 206A.04
Date: 14th October 2013


To: All Branches with POSTAL Members



Dear Colleagues,

Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Please find attached to this LTB, the national agreement covering the Christmas arrangements 2013 and New Year 2014 which was cleared with the Postal Executive today.

In line with last year the discussions this year have also been very straightforward and the only changes to last year’s wording (Bold Italics) is contained in paragraph 3.5 which now provides clarity around the type of payments, as detailed below.

3.5 In order to comply with the USO, night shifts should normally resume at the scheduled time on 26 December and 1 January (2 January in Scotland). Local Christmas discussions/arrangements should ensure that agreed staffing arrangements are in place to meet these obligations in full while balancing employee aspirations, utilising a full range of resourcing options. Staff who attend within conditioned hours will receive the normal bank holiday premium for hours worked on the bank holidays.  Staff attending out with conditioned hours (on overtime) will receive normal bank holiday pay rates (options A or B) for the hours worked on the bank holiday.

And to paragraph 4 of the Christmas arrangements that covers off the £100 additional payment emanating from the National Joint Statement New Incentive Arrangements issued in June 2013.

There are no USO non service days this year and normal Bank Holiday arrangements will apply.

We have again acknowledged Royal Mail’s requirement to deliver the USO and consequential service requirements, and that there is likely to be a significant number of packets in the system again which will require special attention and adequate arrangements to be in place to cope with increased demand. We believe that the wording of the agreement provides sufficient scope for this to be achieved and where difficulties are encountered then recourse to the IR framework is available.











Branches and Representatives should also note that the dates and times included in paragraph 2 Enhanced Operational Arrangements Christmas 2013 are the standard requirements and improvements to these arrangements can be agreed locally where it is deemed necessary based on local knowledge and previous experience. There is also a criterion that has been used to determine the opening times for Enquiry Offices and these too are the standard requirements and can be altered where locally both parties agree. The document containing this information is expected to be completed this week and will be circulated to Branches as soon as we have received it.

Where general difficulties are encountered regarding Christmas arrangements then these should be progressed as soon as possible to Divisional level.

Any enquiries to Bob Gibson’s Office, quoting reference 170
Email Address: hnutley@cwu.org

Any enquiries to Terry Pullinger’s Office, quoting reference 206A.04
Email Address: dwyatt@cwu.org

Yours sincerely, Yours sincerely,

Bob Gibson Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

Christmas Arrangements 2013

1 Introduction
This document summarises arrangements for Christmas 2013 and New Year 2014 based on the principles agreed for recent years. Robust staffing arrangements will be required during the Christmas period to ensure operational needs and USO obligations are covered in line with workload forecasts taking into account the aspirations of employees. It covers OPGs, OSGs, MGV drivers, Mail Screeners, MDECs, processing engineers scheduled to shift working, LAs whose conditioned hours attract assigned allowances and Network professional drivers as detailed below.
The 2004 Christmas agreement abolished claw back of hours arising from public, bank holidays and no service days and these arrangements remain in place for Christmas 2013/14.

Network professional drivers, Bank Holiday attendance arrangements will be made in line with the terms in the national agreement on the introduction of the professional driver and will be covered off separately.

2 Enhanced Operational Arrangements Christmas 2013

The following enhancements will operate in 2013. These are intended to address customer concerns and provide an improved service.

Extended Enquiry Offices Opening Times

There will be extended opening times from Monday 9 December to Monday 23 December. A national specification has been issued categorising each Delivery Office and the required opening times. Some units’ times will vary depending on experience of previous Christmases and taking fully into account local needs and knowledge.

Supplementary Parcel Delivery Service and Re Delivery

Most Delivery offices will introduce supplementary parcel deliveries where required from Monday 11 November until Tuesday 24 December;

A parcel re delivery service may also operate on Sunday 22 December in addition to the supplementary service.

These supplementary parcel delivery duties will form part of the normal local discussions covering Christmas arrangements and will take full account of local circumstances in ensuring sufficient resource to cover the workload. They will usually take place between 0700 – 1000 and 1500 – 2000 and no later than 2100 subject to the local discussions.

In all circumstances employee safety and the security of mail must be assured. Areas/Addresses identified as high risk e.g. deliveries suspended due to attacks, robberies or problem dogs etc will be excluded from receiving this additional service.

Sunday Collections

Can be made on 24 November 2012 and will be made on 1, 8 and 15 December 2013, although not an advertised service. Staffing will be on a voluntary basis and the operational arrangements agreed locally.

3 Attendance and Resourcing Arrangements

3.1 Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December are the Christmas Day and Boxing Day Bank Holidays. There will be no USO collections or deliveries on these days

3.2 Wednesday 1 January 2014 is the designated New Year Bank Holiday (plus Thursday 2 January in Scotland) There will be no USO collections or deliveries on 1 January (and 2 January in Scotland)

3.3 As agreed in 2004, people will not be required to make up hours they would have worked arising from the bank holidays or non USO days In line with normal bank holiday arrangements people who would normally be scheduled to work on the day of the Bank Holidays in the provision of USO collection and delivery services will not be required to attend (with the exception of some Network Professional Drivers) and not be required to make up the hours. (i.e. there will be no claw back)


3.4 Rest days will apply in line with normal year round arrangements. Attendances may be varied by local agreement to take account of workload forecasts and service requirements. Where workload requires people can volunteer to work their normal rest day in return for a day in lieu or scheduled attendance

Where a rest day falls on a Bank Holiday (i.e. 25, 26 December or 1 January, plus 2 January in Scotland) and it is not operationally sensible to transfer the rest day to another day in the same week people will receive an additional day holiday (including those working ‘a week off in six’ or other variations on this theme) in the form of a day in lieu or alternatively the excess hours can be taken as normal overtime

3.5 In order to comply with the USO, night shifts should normally resume at the scheduled time on 26 December and 1 January (2 January in Scotland). Local Christmas discussions/arrangements should ensure that agreed staffing arrangements are in place to meet these obligations in full, while balancing employee aspirations utilising a full range of resourcing options. Staff who attend within conditioned hours will receive the normal Bank holiday premium for hours worked on the Bank Holidays. Staff attending out with conditioned hours (on overtime) will receive normal Bank Holiday pay rates (options A or B as appropriate) for hours worked on the Bank Holiday.

3.6 Weekend duty holders (notional full timers and people who make three or less attendances each week) will have separate scheduling arrangements based on the same principles as in previous years.

3.7 Local flexibility agreements and the National Pay and Modernisation agreement phase 3 annexes A and B will apply and be utilised during the Christmas period. Both parties will explore opportunities to give people time off where possible consistent with customer and operational requirements.

4 Christmas Bonus Supplement

The Christmas bonus supplement of £100 for full time OPG and OSGs (pro-rated for part timers) will be paid on Friday 20 December. The eligibility criteria for the Christmas bonus payment will be the same as last year, based on the four December weeks (commencing 25 November). In the unlikely event of any industrial action the abatement criteria will be drawn from the PBS agreement.

Also, from this year a separate payment of £100 (pro rata for PT employees) agreed in the National Joint Statement - New Incentive Arrangements, as detailed below will also be paid on Friday 20 December.
(From 2013 onwards, in Royal Mail an underpinning £100 payment will be paid as an ongoing increase to the current Christmas bonus.  For those CWU represented grades in Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide who do not receive the Christmas bonus, the following will apply: they will either receive the ongoing £100 as a payment in December of each year, or alternatively both parties can agree separate arrangements for this ongoing payment)

5 Scheduled Attendances

Scheduled attendance rates can be paid for pre-scheduled overtime worked during the Christmas period. These do not attract paid meal breaks.

6 Local discussions

Discussions with local CWU representatives should ensure Christmas arrangements are concluded in line with national agreements. Details will be negotiated locally to secure reliable staffing, ensuring everyone has a fair and manageable workload, and will consider the following options

People to work their normal rest day in return for a day in lieu or scheduled attendance/overtime.

Pre-scheduling hours against forecast workload.

Scheduled attendance or pressure overtime.

Use of temporary / agency staff as supplementary resource.

Attendance arrangements on Tuesdays 24 and 31 December which are not bank holidays or non USO days.

7 Pay Arrangements

The Christmas Pay Timetable is attached. .



Royal Mail CWU
10 October 2013

Pay dates during Christmas 2013

Pay dates and payroll processes remain the same for weekly paid employees, with current week basic pay, assigned allowances and previous week’s additional hours and ad hoc adjustments paid each Friday. Due to the impact of bank / public holidays on payroll operations, the following arrangements apply:

Weekly-Paid Contracted Employees

w/c 2nd December (pay date Friday 6th December)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed w/c 25th November

w/c 9th December (pay date Friday 13th December)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed w/c 2nd December

w/c 16th December (pay date Friday 20th December)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed w/c 9th December
Christmas Supplement

w/c 23rd December (pay date Friday 27th December)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed 16th – 19th December
Note: PSP will be closed for all changes from 2.00am Friday 20th December

w/c 30th December (pay date Friday 3rd January 2014)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed 20th – 29th December
Note: PSP will be closed for all changes from 2.00am Tuesday 31st.December

w/c 6th January 2014 (pay date Friday 10th January 2014)
Regular Pay (Basic & assigned allowances)
Overtime / SA / Ad hoc allowances performed w/c 30th December

Monthly-Paid Contracted Employees

Cut-off will be Sunday 15th December
Pay date will be Tuesday 24th December
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Cut Off King
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by Cut Off King »

Exactly between which dates does christmas pressure apply or is it on an office by office basis
TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

Cut Off King wrote:Exactly between which dates does christmas pressure apply or is it on an office by office basis
Office
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Cut Off King
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by Cut Off King »

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:
Cut Off King wrote:Exactly between which dates does christmas pressure apply or is it on an office by office basis
Office

Thought so, we always get shafted by not declaring Xmas pressure till the last week or so.....no S.A. rate / no nightshift...etc etc. while others get a flat rate of say 20 hours S.A. whether they work it all or not.
Dogs of War
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by Dogs of War »

£200 Christmas bonus paid on the 20th December have I got this right?
Wild Rover
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by Wild Rover »

100 pro rata. RM can't afford to up the yearly Xmas bonus since it's senior bosses have creamed it in year after year..
TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

Dogs of War wrote:£200 Christmas bonus paid on the 20th December have I got this right?
:thumbup :thumbup
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Godric
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by Godric »

Godric's Christmas arrangements is that he will be cutting off .... I don't do Dark O'clock
"Vi har haft århundraden av kärlek och tillit till varandra."
El-Bandito
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by El-Bandito »

£100 Christmas bonus plus £100 for "phantom share issue" for next 8 christmas' (pro rata)is that still correct? Is the £300 for non-strike been taken off the table, I hope so.
catch22
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by catch22 »

100 for phantom share?
what if i've only been in business for 2 years?
haddie
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by haddie »

most of our p/t are refusing o/t at Christmas as they are not getting supplement in full.
TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

haddie wrote:most of our p/t are refusing o/t at Christmas as they are not getting supplement in full.
If you mean the Delivery Supplement then they have been misinformed - any OT over contract hours up to 39 is paid at an enhanced rate to make up the difference.

If you mean the Christmas Bonus - then good move by them its more likely IMHO for them to paid temp FT over Christmas if they stick to their guns and then they would get the full Christmas Bonus.
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k979aaa
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by k979aaa »

We have 60 Elves employed by angered or at least they will be by Xmas when they don't get paid!
tasam
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Re: Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2013/14

Post by tasam »

Sugar wrote:We've five off with maternity and paternity leave, do they still get the bonus if not completing the full four weeks?
I didn't get bonus when on maternity - off for the whole month of pressure though.