Deployment of Pay and Modernisation Agreement

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No: 044/08
Ref: L.140.00(j)
Date: 24th January 2008


TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS
For immediate circulation to all appropriate Area/Unit Representatives
Postal Divisional Representatives


Dear Colleague

Deployment of Pay and Modernisation Agreement

The purpose of this LTB is to provide branches with a comprehensive update on how we are moving forward the deployment of the Pay and Modernisation Agreement. The document covers the following key areas:-

A Report on the meetings that have taken place with Royal Mail including a joint Area General Managers/Divisional Representatives meeting held on the 11th January 2008.

A Report on Phases 1 – 4 of the agreement.

Associated attachments for Phase 2 - General advice for Representatives to reach agreement, Model Local Agreement documents, Joint Guidance and Monitoring Process.


Meetings with Royal Mail

The National officers have met Royal Mail on a number of occasions to talk about the best way to jointly deploy the agreement and also to overcome some initial problems that have been flagged up. Arising from these meetings is some jointly agreed documentation, which is attached.

The union has also met our divisional representatives and we have discussed and agreed their role in supporting all representatives in their relevant divisions. This was followed by a joint AGM/Divisional Reps meeting on the 11th January 2008. This proved to be a very successful meeting in launching a fresh start in our relationship with Royal Mail. In addition to commitments given by the national parties – the Divisional Reps and AGM’s agreed to draw up joint working plans that would assist in the successful deployment of the deal. These action plans will focus on how the working relationship must improve at area and local level, and how everybody needs to take a pragmatic and fair approach to deployment. It is crucial that branches recognise the key role that our Divisional Reps will now play in both deployment and resolving problems flagged from area and local level.
All Divisional Reps should have by now cascaded the work that is jointly being undertaken and the structures that will be put in place to support our representatives. It is the intention of the national parties to reconvene the joint meeting of Divisional Reps and AGM’s in a few weeks time to ensure that genuine progress is being made.


A Report on Phases 1 – 4

Phase 1 – Immediate Operational Changes

Issues included under Phase 1 were the Early Starts in Delivery (with the acceptance that Saturday attendances could be reverted to their previous start times and overall length of attendance), a reduction of Night Working in DO’s, the revised Transport Network, removal of Sunday Collections and review of Weekend Working.

The changes proposed under this initial Phase have in the majority of cases been implemented; any difficulties are being dealt with either through the I.R. Framework and/or by the appropriate National Officers.

Phase 2 – Local Flexibility Plans

Clearly the recent focus for our discussion has been on the deployment of the Phase 2 - Local Flexibility Plans and both parties accepted that there should be a local Model Agreement (which included an agreed brief interpretation of each of the enablers for consideration) issued to units to assist them and provide a standard approach to deployment. These have been attached and you will see there is a different model for each of the functions i.e. Delivery, Mail Centres and Network due to the different operations and a further separate model will be sent to MDEC’s for their specific use.

All of the interpretations contained within these Model Agreements have been jointly cleared at National Level with the exception of the last one in the Delivery Model. The Unions position on this one is that the flexibility for consideration should be restricted to Indoor work i.e. within the office (Outdoor elements are due to be dealt with under the Phase 3 trials). The Business position is that this should also be extended to Outdoor duties i.e. Deliveries etc. (PLEASE NOTE REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD ADHERE TO THE UNIONS INTERPRETATION OF THIS ENABLER).

In addition to the Model Agreements we have agreed a document providing some Joint Guidance and a Monitoring Process for the Phase 2 deployment which is also attached to this LTB. We are however aware that in addition to the joint guidance the Business will also be sending out separate information for their Managers (How To Do guides) that has not been cleared by the Union. We have therefore advised them that it will be our intention to do the same for our Representatives. A brief for this purpose will be sent out by the Indoor and Outdoor Department and a joint meeting has been arranged for Network Representatives next week.



Phase 3 – Transforming the way we work (covering for one another)

The Phase 3 trial offices have already been subject to discussions between the AGM’s and Divisional Representatives to ensure the offices that have been selected and agreed are appropriate and that employees/members wish to be involved. An Implementation Process/Joint Monitoring Programme for Phase 3 to ensure any problems are identified and resolved as soon as possible is still currently subject to joint discussions because of the need to set a realistic timetable and completion date for the achievement of the 1.5% pay increase. Further guidance to Branches/Representatives in respect of the Phase 3 deployment of the trials will be issued in due course.

Phase 4 – Joint Working Groups

Initial consultation regarding the arrangements and format for the Joint Working Groups contained in Phase 4 of the agreement has taken place. It has been agreed that there should be 8 members from Royal Mail and the CWU on each group to ensure sufficient resource is always available. Both parties have also accepted that where necessary the joint working groups can be supplemented by separate negotiating forums on specific subjects and that a realistic view must be taken of what can be achieved by April 2008.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be directed to the appropriate National Officers responsible for Delivery, Processing and Network.



Yours sincerely


Dave Ward Martin Collins
DGS(P) Assistant Secretary

Bob Gibson Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary

The whole LTB is 18 pages long so best to log in to cwu site if you want to read it

[POSTMAN]

I've uploaded it onto the server for those who are not registered on the OS.

www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/images/08LTB044.doc

[k979aaa]

Well haveing read that and every office to have an agreement by the end of january is pie in the sky, and even if it get's off the ground by then we should hear something in early febuary and prepair ourself's for a long struggle for this is not over by a long shot!.