Joint Statement on Progress of Sunday Working Discussions

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 390/14 - Parcelforce Worldwide and CWU Joint Statement on Progress of Sunday Working Discussions


No. 390/14
Ref: 102.11
Date: 17th June 2014




To All: Postal Branches with Parcelforce Representatives
Parcelforce Regional Organisers
Parcelforce Representatives


Dear Colleague


Parcelforce Worldwide and CWU Joint Statement on Progress of Sunday Working Discussions


Further to previous LTB's and the Parcelforce Representatives National Briefing that took place on the 5th June 2014.


Branches and representatives will be aware that following the aforementioned briefing the department engaged in a week of intensive negotiations with senior Parcelforce management. Colleagues will recall that the aim of these negotiations was to address a number of serious issues associated with the expansion programme, intense competitor activity in the parcel business, the CWU/PFW relationship and the pending introduction of Sunday Deliveries/Seven Day Working.


As reported in LTB 389/14 progress was made in a number of key areas including a joint commitment to renewed joint focus in respect of management and CWU relationships, involvement and developing mutual interest solutions, issues that are at and will remain at the very core of the PFW Business and Operational Model going forward.


As reported a series of Joint Statements will be published to support the aspirations detailed above and which will support the operation in the field to rise and meet the challenges we all now face from increased competition and the changes to the market place in general following the online retail revolution.


It is against this back drop that a Joint Statement has now been concluded to cover the initial introduction of the new PFW Sunday Product and which also clarifies the interim operational/resourcing arrangements that will be deployed to support its introduction on 29th June, which includes clarification of the minimum attendance hours.


We consider the Joint Statement as a positive start point for this initiative and would ask you to note from the attached that once the scale and nature of the Sunday product offering has more clarity, more detailed national discussions will take place. The aim of these negotiations will be to agree sustainable mutual interest resourcing options/solutions that will cover the entire PFW operational model.


Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our members working in all PFW units are made aware of the content of this LTB and the attached Joint Statement.


Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 102.11.


Yours sincerely




Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Parcelforce Worldwide and CWU Joint Statement
Progress of Sunday Working Discussions

Further to the previous joint statement on 29th May and following our joint working session this week, we can now provide a further update on our discussions regarding the forthcoming start of Parcelforce Worldwide’s Sunday delivery service which commences on Sunday, 29th June 2014.

Agreement on the arrangements for the launch of this service is reaffirmed on the following principles:

The principle resourcing approach across all functions of the operational pipeline, Hub, Network and Depot will be the creation of an in-house solution through voluntary overtime at our existing rates with initial duty spans of a minimum four hour attendance span. Local discussions in each function will determine the actual required attendance times appropriate to them and be encouraged to look at a range of potential arrangements designed to meet the above aspiration.

Only where this is not achieved will alternative options, for example, the use of owner drivers or agency or courier resource be deployed.

Initial volumes are unclear at present but once known then volunteers will be sourced to cover off the operational requirements for the hub, depots and network. It is accepted and understood that early volumes are likely to be low and that pragmatic and creative solutions will be required in the short term until volumes ramp up.

Against this backdrop, whilst we recognise the extremely challenging time scales attached to the launch of this service, in order to facilitate a successful deployment, proposed operational parameters and arrangements including any arrangements to cluster Depots will be shared with the CWU both nationally and locally at the earliest possible juncture. This should allow meaningful discussions to take place and ensure that in-house volunteers can be sourced in a timely manner. Where ‘Cluster Depot’ arrangements are deployed it is agreed that volunteers for the resourcing needs will be offered to all Depots/Parcelforce operational sites within reasonable travelling distance. Again the details of identifying resourcing potential will be the subject of more detailed regional discussions.

In the medium term, once the scale and nature of the service is clearer, our joint aspiration will be to establish and agree more sustainable mutual interest, attractive resourcing options/solutions through joint national discussions.



It cannot be underestimated that the introduction of a Sunday service by PFW represents a bold response to the market, extending our product offer to 97% of the UK population. We both recognise the importance of this step and have a mutual interest in ensuring its success.


Terry Pullinger Peter Fuller
Assistant Secretary Operations Director
CWU Parcelforce Worldwide


Date: 17th June 2014

[wannabeek]

That's what I guessed. Sunday pay rate no higher than standard. I think that really sucks. Does this mean the company will charge no extra premium for a Sunday delivery?

[smok3y666]

That's what I guessed. Sunday pay rate no higher than standard. I think that really sucks. Does this mean the company will charge no extra premium for a Sunday delivery?

LOL. Don't be stupid, of course they will.

[wannabeek]

It was one of them, y'know, rhetorical questions. Because the answer was so bleeding obvious. Don't be stupid. Nobody's that stupid.