TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS
For immediate circulation to all appropriate Area/Unit Representatives
Postal Divisional Representatives
Dear Colleague
Christmas and New Year Arrangements 2007/08
Please find attached for your information a copy of the National Agreement for Christmas and New Year Arrangements for the 2007/08 period, Planning Summary and Pay Timetable. The Union only finally received confirmation of the Agreement yesterday despite the fact that we wrote to the business 10 days ago requesting that they needed to urgently advise us of any changes they wished to make for this year to the agreed standard terms. It will be noted that apart from the normal calendar changes it is identical to the 2006 Agreement and those agreed in 2005.
Unfortunately however the day before the Union received the Agreement Representatives were contacting Union Headquarters regarding proposals they had received Locally for Clawback of hours following unagreed advice purported to have been given by Dale Lang and Glyn Rees. In view of this and the confusion this misleading advice was causing we requested a meeting with Gillian Alford, Head of Industrial Relations and Dale Lang, IR Manager last night to seek an explanation and clarify the position.
It was pointed out to the business that the advice that had been circulated was in direct conflict with the National Agreement established in 2004 on clawback and the terms of the National Agreement for Christmas 2007 which had been sent to the Union that very morning in particular Paragraphs 2.1 and 5. We made it clear to the business that the Union would not accept the business backtracking on National Agreements and sought their confirmation that they would honour the terms in full. After a lengthy discussion the Head of Industrial Relations did finally give us her assurance that the terms of the Agreement would not be abrogated by the business.
Branches should therefore ensure that local negotiations proceed and are concluded in line with the terms of the attached National Agreement and the principals/Local Agreements that have been applied since 2004. Any Executive Action proposed in respect of implementing staffing arrangements that conflict with the National Agreement e.g. compulsory movement of rest days, enforced Annual Leave etc should be progressed through the IR Framework. The status quo being the operational/attendance arrangements that applied for the Christmas and New Year period 2006/07.
Any enquiries on the above should be directed to the appropriate Occupational Officer.
Yours sincerely
Bob Gibson Martin Collins Terry Pullinger Ray Ellis
Ass Secretary Ass Secretary Ass Secretary Ass Secretary
Christmas Arrangements 2007
1. Introduction
This document sets out the arrangements for Christmas 2007and New Year 2008 based on the principles agreed for recent yeas. Robust staffing arrangements will be required during the Christmas period to ensure operational needs are covered in line with workload forecasts while taking into account the aspirations of employees. The agreement applies to OPG and OSG, Processing Engineering grades who are scheduled to shift working (fixed or rotating excluding fixed day jobs) together with those LAs whose current conditioned hours attract assigned shift allowances.
2. Attendances
2.1Throughout the Christmas and New Year Period, rest days will apply in line
with normal year round arrangements. Attendances may be varied by local agreement to take account of workload forecasts and service requirements. People who volunteer to work their normal rest day, or are required to work an additional attendance on a Bank Holiday, will be paid as overtime or credited a day’s holiday in lieu. When someone’s rest day falls on a Bank Holiday, they will receive an additional day’s holiday in lieu. (including people working a week off in six)
2.2The detailed scheduling of these arrangements will be subject to negotiation at local level.
2.3Weekend duty holders will have separate scheduling arrangements based on the same principles adopted in 2006.
2.4Any additional days of holiday arising from these arrangements will be taken by 15 March 2008.
3. Christmas Bonus Supplement
The Christmas bonus supplement will be £100 for full time OPG and OSGs (pro-rated for part timers). The eligibility criteria for the Christmas bonus payment will be the same as last year, based on the four December weeks and with same abatement criteria for industrial action as used previously, drawn from the PBS agreement. Payments in 2006 will be made on Friday 21 December.
4. Scheduled Attendance
Scheduled attendance rates can be paid for pre-scheduled overtime worked during the Christmas period but these will not attract paid meal breaks.
5. Local Negotiations
In order to secure sufficient and reliable staffing and so deliver quality services to our customers throughout the Christmas period, local negotiations will consider the following options:
People to work their normal rest day in return for a day in lieu or scheduled attendance/overtime.
Pre-scheduling hours against forecast workload.
Scheduled attendance or pressure overtime.
Use of temporary / casual staff to supplement other resource.
Local negotiations will ensure that everyone has a fair and manageable workload.
6. Pay arrangements
Revised pay arrangements are attached. The improved systems now in place for processing overtime claims means there is no longer any need for advances in overtime pay.
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Mike Eady Royal Mail Letters Martin Collins, CWU
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Bob Gibson, CWU
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Terry Pullinger, CWU
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Ray Ellis, CWU
November 2007
it.
But what is a fair and manageable workload exactley?10 bags?20bags?1 H.C.T.Trolley or 2?Its a question ive asked Management and the union for a few years now but no one seems to know the answer 
Lets start with a 3.5 hour delivery,yet ive heard people on this site say they have a 4 or 4.5 hour delivery 
Even with a 3.5 you could still end up with160kg+ of mail 
Maybe even more.So what is a fair and manageable workload?Anyone got the answer 
