Catering Reviews

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches




No: 653/11
Ref: 311
Date: 22nd July 2011
To All Postal Branches with Quadrant Members
To Quadrant Area Representatives
To Divisional Representatives


Dear Colleague

Catering Reviews

Further to our meeting at Annual Conference regarding the above subject I can inform Branches that it has become clear that Royal Mail is pursuing an agenda of Catering Reviews in all Mail Centres and Delivery units throughout the country.

The agreed process for units to come under review should always be followed. This is the Programme of Catering Reviews (LTB 609/07 refers) also know as the “the use it or lose it” process which Royal Mail has committed to follow. The specific aim of the Catering Review programme is to improve and sustain the long term provision of catering facilities for the employees of Royal Mail Group.

Due to some issues that had arisen with regard to the review activity that was taking place the department contacted Paul Jobling, Regional Ops Director Midlands Region, who is the lead for Royal Mail on the Catering Reviews. It was agreed that in order that these and any future issues emanating out of the reviews, could be dealt with as speedily as possible that the business would supply contact details for lead Regional Managers. These were forwarded by the department to Divisional Representatives on 6th June 2011.

In order to assist the department in being in an informed position as to the current situation and to deal expediently with any issues that may arise in regard to the review activity it would be of great assistance if divisions could designate a Divisional Representatives contact who will deal with the Catering Review issues on behalf of our Quadrant members. It would also be of assistance if Quadrant could be a permanent item on the Divisional Agenda.

Divisional Representatives are of course aware that they have the right to negotiate on this matter and the IR Framework should be used where necessary to ensure that these reviews are carried out correctly. Of course should any assistance be required Divisional Representatives should contact the department where every assistance will be afforded them.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email dwyatt@cwu.org, quoting reference 311.

Yours sincerely


Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary

[knackeredneedadayoff]

caterers,your avin a laf all we got is a microwave with fungus and a boiler to make a brew.

[DGP1]

caterers,your avin a laf all we got is a microwave with fungus and a boiler to make a brew.

You're lucky, 3 vending machines (80p for a can of Coke ) and the other one spends most of the time empty (because the guy who refills it is throwing so much out) but the tea/coffee machine is normally stocked (although change may be difficult ).

[Lounge Lizard]

caterers,your avin a laf all we got is a microwave with fungus and a boiler to make a brew.

You're lucky, 3 vending machines (80p for a can of Coke ) and the other one spends most of the time empty (because the guy who refills it is throwing so much out) but the tea/coffee machine is normally stocked (although change may be difficult ).

"3 vending machines, tea/coffee machine" - you must be in a bigger office than me.

[post_bitch]

PIZZA AT OUR PLACE YUM YUM BIG QUES HEHE

[demon]

cut the price in the canteen we might then use it untill then cafe round the corner dose me

[scum_opg]

caterers,your avin a laf all we got is a microwave with fungus and a boiler to make a brew.

You're lucky, 3 vending machines (80p for a can of Coke ) and the other one spends most of the time empty (because the guy who refills it is throwing so much out) but the tea/coffee machine is normally stocked (although change may be difficult ).

f*cking hell.. you actually sometimes get change...

5 things every RM employee should know...

1# only use exact change in machines, since you will never get change - especially if you report it to DOM, Line manager, or even the quadrent staff that fill the things up

2# If you are able, buy your own food (ideally sausage rolls that can be eaten cold) and drinks from the supermarket before turning up for work... you will save a bloody fortune

3# the food from the canteen in the MC is always best on a tuesday, since thats when all the managers turn up for meetings...

4# When you buy from the canteen... it never costs the same 2 days on the trot, when your having the exact same thing...

and 5# Never buy food from an MC canteen on a friday late or night shift... since there is not a hope in hells chance of any of it being fresh,


never understood why Quadrent change so much.... i mean i can buy a can of juice and a roll+cheese at my local (pakistani) corner shop for less than a cup of tea and slice of toast from the canteen at work. its a bad day when its cheaper to buy from a pakistani shop than anywhere else

i mean 80p for a van of juice... 75p for a tiny plastic cup of sh*t coffee... who would honestly pay that, unless they were desperate...
its no bloody wonder fewer and fewer folk are willing to use the machines or buy food out of the canteen. bunch of con artists...

[chunk]

Take a cheap jar of coffee to work with you £3.00 ish from aldi (Its still way better than vending coffee)
ii you got only 20 cups out of it! at 40p vending cost you saved £8.00
minus jar cost your £5.00 up
thats achievable weekly on a six day office at 3 small cups a day.

you probably get more than 20 cups out a jar!

[DGP1]

Take a cheap jar of coffee to work with you £3.00 ish from aldi (Its still way better than vending coffee)
ii you got only 20 cups out of it! at 40p vending cost you saved £8.00
minus jar cost your £5.00 up
thats achievable weekly on a six day office at 3 small cups a day.

you probably get more than 20 cups out a jar!

Go to the Pound Shop/Home bargains/Poundland etc. and get the 9/10 cups for £1, then you even get a cup

[keithposty]

everybody must know its a ploy these price hikes to get the canteen closed (staffed canteens) who still serve hot food

local reps need to be questioning why these price rises are happening

if they say its cost of materials then get them to prove it by showing you the figures. its allright saying bring in your own food but that will play into royal mails hands and they will use lack of revenue to close down a staffed canteen.

they say its been agreed with the union the price rises, when i state, show me in black and white, they then back down

ive been such a pain in the rear INCLUDING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS than i have now kept our canteen open for the last 12 months simply by stating, show me the fighres/

remember, its keeping our quadrant staff in a job also

so if you have a staff canteen

USE IT OR LOSE IT

[scum_opg]

everybody must know its a ploy these price hikes to get the canteen closed (staffed canteens) who still serve hot food

local reps need to be questioning why these price rises are happening

if they say its cost of materials then get them to prove it by showing you the figures. its allright saying bring in your own food but that will play into royal mails hands and they will use lack of revenue to close down a staffed canteen.

they say its been agreed with the union the price rises, when i state, show me in black and white, they then back down

ive been such a pain in the rear INCLUDING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS than i have now kept our canteen open for the last 12 months simply by stating, show me the fighres/

remember, its keeping our quadrant staff in a job also

so if you have a staff canteen

USE IT OR LOSE IT

before i started with RM i worked in a cafe/diner....
i did ordering of stock... and even with my employer only running one location the prices were something like £6.00 +VAT (@17.5%) for a tray of 24 cans of juice... so at that time it was costing £0.30 (ish) per can...

food wise iirc there isnt VAT on many food stuffs... juice, biscuits, sweets etc get taxed... but rolls, meat etc isnt (or wasnt) subject to VAT charges

and its not like Quadrent is renting a seperate facility... they are operating (under contract) facilities that have (i would imagine in most cases) been purpose built in DOs and MCs and been in operation for many many years.. and the cost of building and equitment etc will probably have been paid off years ago

and im pretty sure that most of Quandrents staff aint on mega bucks wages... since every ones of them that i have seen has the same "broken" look that all other RM employees have after a few months... so the huge cost increase cant be due to that