Delivery Direct Traffic Re-Engineering (Mail Centres)

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Letter to Branches




No. 532/2013
Ref: 714.04
Date: 1st August 2013

To All: Postal Branches
Divisional Representatives
Area Processing Representatives

Dear Colleague

Delivery Direct Traffic Re-Engineering (Mail Centres) - Joint Statement Between Royal Mail And The CWU For Strengthening Our Operational Traffic Structures

Branches will be aware from LTB 050/12, that in conjunction with the Outdoor department discussions took place with the business in 2012 and a Joint Statement was agreed regarding an initiative to improve the volume of Delivery Direct Mail dispatched from Mail Centres into Delivery Offices.

Further to the previously agreed Joint Statement the business recently contacted the department as they wished to discuss making further improvements to the Traffic Measurement and Sampling activity in Mail Centres and in doing so increase the OPG resource currently employed on Traffic Measurements/Sampling activity.

Against this backdrop negotiations have taken place with the business, which have culminated in a Joint Statement being agreed to cover the deployment of the revised Traffic Measurement and Sampling arrangements in Mail Centres. A copy of the Joint Statement is attached for your information.

Mahmood Ali, NEC, has led on negotiations in regard to this issue on behalf of the department and he will be monitoring the deployment of the agreement and participating in the Post Implementation Review

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

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or lwright@cwu.org quoting reference number: 714.04

Yours sincerely

Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU FOR
STRENGTHENING OUR OPERATIONAL TRAFFIC STRUCTURES


INTRODUCTION

The National Business Transformation Agreement established the commitment to a culture of working together on a far wider set of business issues. This document represents an actual example of such joint working, equally it also supports the commitment to integrate the interests of all parties and compliment the mutual interest based culture.

BACKGROUND

Royal Mail and the CWU signed a joint statement in January 2012 regarding the Delivery Direct Traffic (Dtre) initiative designed to improve the volume recording, visibility and presentation of Delivery Direct mail being dispatched from Mail Centres to Delivery Offices.

Since the introduction of Delivery Direct Traffic process further discussions have been taking place to support the aforementioned initiative and improve traffic measurement and sampling performance in regard to mail traffic sampling at Mail Centres.

CURRENT STATE

The current structure in place has:

1 x Traffic Measurement Manager (TMM) + 1 x OPG Sampler in each plant
or
1 x TMM in our singleton plants (based on volume)

Attendance coverage is predominately Outward (Late) Shift Monday to Friday, with a Saturday attendance each period for the TMM and Twilight (into Night) for the OPG.

Core work is:

Mails Characteristics Survey (MCS)
Average Container Fill sampling (ACF)
Machine Accuracy Checks (MAC)
Unit Compliance Review (UCR) and Unit Compliance Admin Review (UCAR)
Operational Traffic support

MCS and ACF Sampling are carried out by both the Manager and OPG. MCS follows a Diary which is the core driver of the attendance pattern.

The MCS Diary limits the TMM ability to cover Audit across the full operational and production environment. The TMM lacks the headroom to support operational improvement activity. This constraint also restricts the ability to cover ACF Sampling across the full environment. Both TMMs and OPGs are focussed on Sampling.

THE PLAN

Against that backdrop and to improve the process at the larger sites (List of sites is attached) the TMM roles will become Traffic Audit and Improvement Managers (TAIM), Sampling will no longer form part of the Manager role, therefore removing the attendance constraints.

At the same time we will increase the OPG resource to 60 hours, a week. Absence cover introduced as standard for all sampling. These measures will:

Provide improved audit and compliance via a refreshed approach
Raise the audit profile within Operations
Enable improved flexibility in providing Traffic Measurement expertise and support to the Operational team on counter measure and fix activity
Provide increased focus on supporting Delivery
Up-skill and mentor Operational teams
Drive improved compliance to Traffic Measurement standards
Improve sampling performance and quality, including cover across all operational shifts to improve sample profile and consistency

Sampling will be carried out by OPG’s allowing the TAIM to focus on carrying out the audits and working with the operational line to drive compliance, implement agreed recommendations, provide additional training and support, and as a result drive up the accuracy and the integrity of traffic measurement across the business.

Traffic Measurement Managers (MS5) will be retained in our Singleton plants.

The revised structure which is underpinned by a more detailed audit process, will improve traffic measurement and sampling performance across all shifts in all our plants.

AGREED TERMS

The proposed change will be implemented in all Mail Centres, where currently one manager (TMM) and one OPG are performing the task of Sampling.
A new manager role is introduced in these Mail Centres, Traffic Audit and Improvement Managers (TAIM).
The sampling task in these Mail Centres will be OPG work. Managers will be responsible for the task of Audit and Improvement, along with the management of Sampling.
Total OPG hours in each relevant Mail Centre will increase from 39 to 60 per week. The preferred option is to have one full time (39 hours) as there currently is, and one part time (21 hours OPG’s) to cover the task of sampling. However, locally the CWU and Management may add other work to make the second, part time OPG role, up to full time. In such cases, the Sampling role and its associated attendance requirement will always be the priority.
Full time duty attendance and patterns will be determined jointly between the current Full time samplers (OPG’s) and their manager, with full involvement of the local CWU Representative, before the formation of part time 21 hours duties. The attendance times will factor in the continued requirement for flexibility that exists now, in accordance with the sampling diary.

Once the full time duty attendance and pattern is agreed, the part time duty will be formed to cover the remaining requirement of sampling, which will be determined by the sampling diary.

Once the full time duty attendance times are agreed between the individuals, any loss of earning due to new attendance times, in relation to assigned allowances, will be protected under MTSF.

If the revised attendance times and its impacts are unsuitable for OPG’s currently in post, Royal Mail and CWU will work with the individual concerned, and agree a suitable solution, including the possibility of alignment against another suitable job in their current Mail Centre.

Whenever the attendance includes times which qualify for a shift premium or on a Sunday it will attract the appropriate rates of pay.

The new jobs (full time or part time) will be resourced in line with the resourcing criteria outlined in the Way Forward Agreement. Reserves for both jobs will also be aligned, which will improve the annual sampling performance.
Appropriate training will be provided to OPG’s.
In accordance with the sampling diary, the attendance patterns will be made available to OPG’s, by TAIM, one month in advance.
We will jointly review the arrangements after three months as part of a Post Implementation Review (PIR).

It has been accepted, given the importance of this task, that individuals assigned to these roles will be fully trained Royal Mail employees and that the Mail Centre resourcing process must ensure these roles are covered at all times. Mail Centres will also be expected to keep a ‘Skills Register’ of trained individuals to ensure there is an adequately skilled resource available for periods of sick/annual leave etc.

Any question of interpretation, implementation or application should be referred to the respective Headquarters for resolution.



Signed Signed

 

Alan Mackenzie Terry Pullinger
Business Process Lead – Traffic Assistant Secretary
Royal Mail CWU


Date: 29th July 2013







LIST OF SITES




Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Chelmsford
Chester
Croydon
Dorset
Edinburgh
Exeter
Gatwick
Glasgow
Greenford
Home Counties North
Jubilee
Leeds
London Central
Manchester
Medway
N. Ireland
Peterborough
Preston
Nottingham
Romford
Sheffield
S. Midlands
Southampton
Swindon
Tyneside
Warrington
Wolverhampton




Note: Southampton and Dorset will share a TAIM