CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR ARRANGEMENTS 2015/16

[wannabeek]

So just a question to put out there - have many reserves with the usual random days off (but never a Saturday) actually been given next Sat as their day off? Not seen rota up yet here so can't say much about our place.

[rogersh]

LTB 769/15 - Christmas & New Year Arrangements 2015/16


No. 769/15
Ref: 170 & 706A.06
Date: 2nd December 2015




For the immediate attention of:


All Postal Branches


Dear Colleagues


CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR ARRANGEMENTS 2015/16


Please find attached for the information of Branches the agreement in respect of Christmas and New Year arrangements for 2015/16 which was endorsed by the Postal Executive at its meeting on the 1st December.


Branches will be aware that discussions this year have been extremely difficult and have led to significant delay in reaching an agreed position. Given the unusual nature of this year's arrangements a number of issues have had to be addressed.


In relation to Enquiry Offices it has been agreed that on Christmas Eve closing times will be no later than 17:00 and on New Year's Eve offices will close at normal times except those who are normally open later than 18:30 who will close no later than 18:30, unless locally both parties agree to remain open until normal closing times.


Branches will also wish to note that Saturday 26th December has been sanctioned as a Non USO/Non Service day for Royal Mail by Ofcom. This means that there will be no deliveries or collections on that day.


However, it is not deemed to be a Bank or Public Holiday. The Bank Holidays fall on Friday, 25th and Monday, 28th December. There will be no days in lieu granted for staff not due to attend on the 26th.


The decisions to move Bank Holidays are made by the Government not Royal Mail or the CWU hence the 26th is not a Bank Holiday the Government have moved it to the Monday. This can be seen on the following link http://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.


Under the terms of the Postal Services Act and Royal Mails license obligation (USO) they are due to deliver and collect 6 days a week excluding Sundays and Bank or Public Holidays, which would have meant that as the 26th is not the Bank Holiday Royal Mail would normally be obliged to deliver and collect on the 26th. This is the reason why Royal Mail supported by the CWU made an application to Ofcom for a Non USO/Non Service day. The application was then put out to public consultation and at the end of the consultation Ofcom made a decision to grant the non USO/non service day. They also agreed that this would continue in future when the 26th falls on a Saturday.


With regard to the 26th December, non Service/USO day Para 3.2 confirms the joint commitment that for Inland operations where staff are required to attend it is on a voluntary basis with any shortfall made up by use of other resourcing options. It should be noted however that the expectation is that the requirement to attend will be very low and staff who do attend will be paid at SA rate for all hours worked on the 26th December.


The exception to this is HWDC where the nightshift is required to attend in order to meet service requirements and Bank Holiday Premium will be paid for the hours worked up till Midnight.


By far the most difficult aspect to resolve has been the arrangements for night workers for week commencing 28th December, due to the unusual circumstances where there are non consecutive bank holidays as the second Christmas Bank Holiday and the New Years Day Bank Holiday fall within the same working week.


This led to an impasse on the requirement for conditioned hours in that week, with the business asserting that as the Sunday night was a rest day staff would be awarded a Bank Holiday Credit for the rest day and would therefore have to attend on both the evenings of the 28th December and the 1st January (excluding Scotland) on conditioned hours. We were unwilling to accept this and argued that the business was attempting to balance conditioned hours over more than one working week.


The final agreed position on this matter is contained in revised paragraphs 3.7, 3.8 and 3.10. Within these we have now achieved:


Ø Improved wording on maximising employee aspirations for time off by utilising the full range of resourcing options (Para 3.7)
Ø Acceptance that where agreed resourcing arrangements result in attendance beyond conditioned hours, staff may either elect to receive a lieu day or the appropriate overtime rate for the additional hours (Para 3.8)
Ø That any resultant overtime on either Bank Holiday will attract normal Bank Holiday rates (option A or B) (Para 3.10)


Branches should note that the pay rates quoted in the agreement, i.e. SA rates, are for OPG grades and that for other grades the reciprocal amount will be paid.


Additionally we have amended the previous wording that night operations will commence at the normal time which has been included in past years, which should allow discussions on a later start time where that is locally desirable.


Finally the wording in relation to Scotland recognises that similar arrangements to in effect move the Bank Holiday entitlements from Monday, 4th January to Saturday, 2nd were agreed in Scotland 2009/10. The new wording outlines that attendance and remuneration arrangements should mirror those agreed in 2009.


Branches should note that as in 2014 arrangements for Network Drivers have been concluded in a separate agreement and are contained in LTB 766/15.

Branches are requested to ensure that our representatives and members are made aware of this LTB and the attached arrangements.


Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:


Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 706A.06.

Bob Gibson, Assistant Secretary email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org. Quoting reference number 170.



Yours sincerely




Davie Robertson Bob Gibson
CWU Assistant Secretary CWU Assistant Secretary

"With regard to the 26th December, non Service/USO day Para 3.2 confirms the joint commitment that for Inland operations where staff are required to attend it is on a voluntary basis with any shortfall made up by use of other resourcing options. It should be noted however that the expectation is that the requirement to attend will be very low and staff who do attend will be paid at SA rate for all hours worked on the 26th December."

At our RDC staff who would normally work on a Saturday (mainly Tues to Sat shifts) have been detailed to attend (IN ATTENDANCE) Saturday 26 December as normal, in agreement with the cwu area distribution rep. Apparently they (ARE UNLIKELY) to resource enough agency staff to cover. So much for "...It is on a voluntary basis".

NOTE; Bracketed capitals have been edited in to clarify exact terminology used.

When the LTB was posted earlier this month, in conjunction with the notice "in attendance", the premise must have been that enough agency staff could not be resourced, as opposed to UNLIKELY.
Staff whose duty is on the Saturday 26th would be paid regardless if they worked or not, so it may suit not to resource enough agency staff!. So our hopes (ASPIRATIONS) have been dashed - we are working Saturday 26th.

Since the LTB Christmas arrangements was posted on the CWU notice board two (UNSIGNED) supplementary notices have appeared.
The first notice:
" It is a fact that we have explored the aspiration of using volunteers on Saturday 26th but the reality is that there is not enough volunteers to clear the expected work on site - the only option left to the business is to use a mix of volunteers, duty holders & agency "
The second notice indicated that the LTB only applied to delivery offices !!.

I believe a contradiction is apparent by one notice explaining why duty holders had to work by implication that if they COULD resource enough others,(Agency/volunteers), that we would NOT be required to attend.
The second notice says the LTB did not apply to us - So why bother to justify the reason we have to work if the LTB does not apply to our RDC ?

I conclude that these two supplementary notices were UNSIGNED so therefore assume they would be UNOFFICIAL.

[mrgund]

I'm wondering if this is the correct section for asking a question regarding pay over the Christmas period.

Is it normal at this time of year to have 'missing' overtime payments? I only ask because matching up the pay dates and Christmas Eve's pay for the w/c 14th December I am missing an entire Sunday shift (11 hrs). Also for today's payment for w/c 21st Dec I am missing all overtime I did that week, some 15 hours. That's quite a big chunk of hours/money!

Is there a chance that this will be caught up with, i.e it is lost in the fog of the system so to speak or am I going to have to chase this up?

Has anybody else encountered problems with pay during the Christmas pressure weeks?

Thanks in advance.