RESOURCING JOBS DURING MAJOR CHANGE
16.1 The new standard resourcing procedures covered in the previous two sections of this agreement benefit employees by giving them regular opportunities to apply for a change of job, both within their unit and their resourcing area. These incorporate and standardise the current practises of rolling re-signs, based on seniority.
This section deals with the only other circumstance where people change jobs. This is where jobs alter significantly as a result of the introduction of major change. The overriding aims for managing all such exercises must be to minimise customer disruption and avoid unnecessary displacement of employees in a way that conforms to equal opportunities legislation. This will be ensured by timely planning and full CWU involvement at all stages of the exercise.
16.2 Major change is defined as:
• The relocation or merger of units;
• A significant process alteration arising from automated working or reshaping of the pipeline;
• Delivery revisions, which involve significant re-plotting of walks or significant restructuring of attendance patterns (e.g. full-time/part-time mix, five-day weeks, ‘longs and shorts’ or ‘night plus a first delivery’, where they are agreed).
16.3 Major change is not defined as:
• Revisions of staffing arrangements, using the procedures agreed in the Performance Bonus Scheme, to implement the Performance Bonus Scheme, Shorter Working Week, Meal Relief Harmonisation and Work Time Learning or to improve alignment of staffing to workload in order to make performance improvements, unless they fall into the categories of major change defined in paragraph 2 above.
• Delivery revisions which do not involve significant re-plotting of first delivery walks.
Where such a revision displaces an individual, or where an individual’s earnings are affected, local discussions shall take place in line with the principles contained in Sections 14 and 15, which may vary the order to protect the individuals displaced. Timely planning will reduce the number of people affected in this way by the revision.
16.4 Where there is a major change as defined above, the key principles for dealing with the re-sign are:
• Employees whose jobs remain unaffected by the major change will retain them;
• These employees will have the option of applying for any of the jobs involved in the re-sign resulting from the major change, provided they have completed a minimum of twelve months on their existing duty (see Section 14 and 15). If this creates a resultant vacancy that would be filled using the normal resourcing procedures in Section 14 or 15;
• Employees taking part in the re-sign will be given the opportunity to advise of any personal circumstances, which necessitate a particular duty type or attendance pattern and, where practical, this will be accommodated. Where this happens, there will be prior discussion with the local CWU rep;
• The re-sign and all consequential training must be planned into the revision process;
• Specialist jobs that are reselected against are filled using the procedure in Section 15;
• The re-sign will be run using a national standard procedure based on seniority, and not take more than four weeks to complete. In very large units, agreement to an extension to this deadline must be given by the Head if Performance following local discussion between management and CWU. At the end of the exercise all jobs and reserve posts must have been signed for.
16.5 All major change schemes (as defined above) must be planned so as to have in place an agreement covering selection, placement and training, minimising and then managing surpluses and all other employee issues at least 13 weeks before the Ready for Service (RFS) date, or dates if the project is in phases. (Planning and discussions through Strategic Involvement and the IR Framework should start at least 12 months in advance of any planned major change). This agreement must conform to existing national agreements. In the event of any failure to reach agreement by this date, the points of difference will be referred to Service Delivery Headquarters and CWU Headquarters for resolution.
, do they have any "rights"which allows them to remain on the round?
