National Talks to Commence

[POSTMAN]

29th July 2011

TO: ALL CWU MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

National Talks to Commence

We wrote to you recently to explain the Union’s key policy for dealing with the major internal and external developments affecting the future of the company and the workforce, including the government’s plans to privatise Royal Mail and separate Post Office Limited.

The following Joint Statement has now been agreed which confirms that the company will now commence wide ranging talks with the Union.

“ROYAL MAIL/CWU JOINT STATEMENT – NATIONAL TALKS

Our respective senior teams, led by Moya Greene and Dave Ward, held a review day on 19 July to look at the impact of recent internal and external developments affecting the future of the company. It was a constructive meeting which identified the key challenges facing the company and its employees and agreed the importance of working together to address these challenges and the concerns of the workforce. We agreed on a programme of national talks which will be wide ranging and structured around three key areas.

- Issues associated with the Postal Services Act.
- Issues affecting employees across Royal Mail, Parcelforce Worldwide and Post Office Limited including ColleagueShare and pensions.
- Issues in the deployment of the Business Transformation Agreement, identifying any problems and agreeing appropriate actions to get transformation back on track.

To support this constructive dialogue, Royal Mail has confirmed that the new Business Plan and details of the company’s financial situation will be shared with the Union, including the opportunity for independent assessment, within normal commercial confidentiality protocols.

Both parties recognise that the nature of these talks are likely to take place over a prolonged period, although there will be the opportunity to make progress on specific issues as discussions evolve.”

The Union is also involved in ongoing discussions with the government to address the concerns of the workforce.

With the support of CWU members these talks will now provide a platform to move our policy forward. We will keep you informed of developments.

Yours sincerely


Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)

[trouble]

Why have those at CWU HQ not realised that nothing has changed!

The BT2010 AGREEMENT was all about working together (RM & CWU) and everything being open, honest, and transpirant but yet RM can go and make a new agreement with the government and not involve the CWU. Now they say we will let you see it months later if we continue to talk. How does this help to build new relationships and help us to move forward and get over all the shaftings we have recieved in the past when they do not want to recognise us.

What's the odds that next years pay rise is no longer sustainable and will be scrapped to help find the money for the college shares?

[fishtank]

Both parties recognise that the nature of these talks are likely to take place over a prolonged period,

Wonderful...prolonged talks..that's what we need.

[RTP]

Both parties recognise that the nature of these talks are likely to take place over a prolonged period,

Wonderful...prolonged talks..that's what we need.

The longer they take, the closer we get to christmas

[postietaz]

so how long till we get ia ballot papers

[RTP]

If anything is going to happen along those lines then it would make more sense to coincide with any other unions autumn strikes, rather than in the quiet summer period as some seemed to have prefered.

[fishtank]

If anything is going to happen along those lines then it would make more sense to coincide with any other unions autumn strikes, rather than in the quiet summer period as some seemed to have prefered.

Do you mean like the 2 days in October 2009 followed by the interim agreement?
The point is RTP members are getting screwed over now,in deliveries,in the mailcentres,in Network...everywhere.
This isn't a game,the membership deserves better than "we're f***ing off for some prolonged talks...see you later. ".
While they talk...we suffer.

[Body Beyond Repair]

Here we go again more bullshit.........

[sareknees]

Talk til we,re blue in the face ffs .. Grow some - union & get the fkin ballot papers out .. been SHAFTED long enough by these numpties

[Geezer]

LTB No. 668/11

29th July 2011

To: All Branches with Postal Members


Dear Colleague

RMG/CWU JOINT STATEMENT – NATIONAL TALKS TO COMMENCE

In recent weeks the Union has held a number of meetings with the company to discuss the main CWU Policy (Emergency Motion E3), which addresses the major internal and external issues affecting the future of the company and the workforce, including the Government’s plans to privatise Royal Mail and separate Post Office Limited.

As a result the following Joint Statement has been agreed which confirms that the company are now willing to engage in wide ranging national talks to address the Union’s agenda.

“ROYAL MAIL/CWU JOINT STATEMENT – NATIONAL TALKS

Our respective senior teams, led by Moya Greene and Dave Ward, held a review day on 19 July to look at the impact of recent internal and external developments affecting the future of the company. It was a constructive meeting which identified the key challenges facing the company and its employees and agreed the importance of working together to address these challenges and the concerns of the workforce. We agreed on a programme of national talks which will be wide ranging and structured around three key areas.

- Issues associated with the Postal Services Act.
- Issues affecting employees across Royal Mail, Parcelforce Worldwide and Post Office Limited including ColleagueShare and pensions.
- Issues in the deployment of the Business Transformation Agreement, identifying any problems and agreeing appropriate actions to get transformation back on track.

To support this constructive dialogue, Royal Mail has confirmed that the new Business Plan and details of the company’s financial situation will be shared with the Union, including the opportunity for independent assessment, within normal commercial confidentiality protocols.

Both parties recognise that the nature of these talks are likely to take place over a prolonged period, although there will be the opportunity to make progress on specific issues as discussions evolve.”

Given that the Union is committed to improving communications with the membership, Postal Branches should ensure that the attached letter is circulated in the workplace.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)

[Martin Walsh]

I really wonder if people do read what the CWU has put out ? The three things which the joint statement state that talks are going to be about are all different and whilst I think everyone will groan at the word prolonged talks , you have to also read the next sentance in the joint statement which states " there will be the opportunity to make progress on specific issues as discussions envolve. "

Some of the talks are not about BTA but the new postal services act. Now the issues which need to be tackled on this issue is the following. Under the act Post Office Limtted and Royal Mail have to be seperated in terms of pensions etc by October this year and the employee changes will take place from March 2012. In addition discussions have to take place on the new remit of Off com and how these changes will help Royal Mail have a fairer playing field. Part of this improved playing field is to bottom out what the act describes as that Royal Mail should get a commercial rate for carrying out the USO.

In addition perhaps the biggest issue of the lot is that for the Government to take over the Pension Fund defcit they have to get European State Aid approval. This is by no means certain. There are basically 3 types of approval for European State aid , one is investment n restruction of the company , 2 is for assistance in modernisation and third is a rescue package. The last thing we want is that the European State approval is based on a resuce package which can mean that they can insist on the profitable sale of EPS ( European Parcels service ) which Royal Mail owned , or close the pension scheme down completely and or break up the company in particular selling off the up stream part of the operation.

The talks on the European state aid are not going to be quick , they are complicated by a number of issues. But probably the most complex and protential have the very future of Royal Mail as a company at risk.

Unless State aid is granted Royal Mail do not have in their new business plan any money to pay the pension deficit ( 300 million ) after March 2012.

[Martin Walsh]

Furthermore the new business plan is based on the following and Royal Mail believe that without this the company will fail.

1. Delievering the BTA agreement with changes
2, Restructuring on centre office reorganisation.
3. New products and new services.

The New Business plan requires the Government to write of the commercial loan , that the Government gets European state aid and takes on the pension defcit and does not budget for any more pension defcit payments after March 2012 and is based on by 2015/16 that Royal Mail are achieving a profit margin of 6.6% rather than the current profit margin of 1.4 %. Of course it has to keep EPS.

Now on the second bullet point they will open their book to the union to look at colleague share and pensions to assist in finding a way forward.

Thridly there will be talks on the BTA agreement which should be the thing which does not need long and drawn out talks. Royal Mail`s intial thoughts on delivery is that they now want to shift the focus on indoor revisons rather than outdoor revsions. Their rationale is that providing you get the walks out on time they will finish. Royal Mail want to set up a national team of 20 planners who would work in offices in addition to the local planners. Royal Mail are also accpeting that attendance calls are not accurate and do not take into account the growth in packets and oversized packtes. New revision process is also up for discussion. Equally the amount of Door to Door is reducing the Swindon walk bundling centre was handling 14 to 15 million items per week and was expected to grow but has now dropped to just over 5 million.

Over the last couple of days the PEC and Divisonal Reps have discussed the problems with the BTA agreement and the solutions. Further consultations will take place with Branch`s and members and the idea is that there will be an improved agreement in place.

So you can see the issues which are to be discussed are complex and not without threat to the very future of the company and whlist I think the BTA agreement issues can be moved on fairly quickly the other issues are going to take more time.

[Body Beyond Repair]

Take ur point dingo although outwith many of the workforces control,back to reality dingo on the ground the union should have set aside senior figures as soon as BT10 was not being adheared to either get RM to abide what they agreed or ballot,talk is just stalling on issues that nobody has the slightest clue as to what to do next.To many incompetant chiefs and not enough listening to suffering indians.............as we just go round in circles.......ffs make a decision!!!!!!

[Body Beyond Repair]

At last out on time finish on time.............simple its no rocket science and he ho you don't need aplanner for that!!

[steven100]

Joke!!!!!