Union pledges to ‘fight’ Royal Mail after 135 Hatfield jobs

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/union_ple ... _1_3214952" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Union officials are braced for “an uphill struggle” after 135 jobs were put at risk at a Hatfield Royal Mail site.

"The trade union is up to the challenge and will work long and hard for the benefit of our members." - Tom Walker, Northern Home Counties branch secretary for the CWU

The firm is consulting workers at its Northern Home Counties Distribution Centre, in Frobisher Way, as part of an “ongoing transformation programme” – which could see it closed.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), and CMA Unite, are involved in discussions and have pledged to fight for members’ jobs.

Tom Walker, Northern Home Counties branch secretary for the CWU, said all bar one of the Business Park site’s staff are unionised.

He said: ”At the end of the day when you fight for things it never turns out to be easy, it’s going to be incredibly difficult.

[dvbuk55]

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/union_ple ... _1_3214952

Union officials are braced for “an uphill struggle” after 135 jobs were put at risk at a Hatfield Royal Mail site.

"The trade union is up to the challenge and will work long and hard for the benefit of our members." - Tom Walker, Northern Home Counties branch secretary for the CWU

The firm is consulting workers at its Northern Home Counties Distribution Centre, in Frobisher Way, as part of an “ongoing transformation programme” – which could see it closed.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), and CMA Unite, are involved in discussions and have pledged to fight for members’ jobs.

Tom Walker, Northern Home Counties branch secretary for the CWU, said all bar one of the Business Park site’s staff are unionised.

He said: ”At the end of the day when you fight for things it never turns out to be easy, it’s going to be incredibly difficult.

Well that'll be a first then

[silly suffolk]

if they get as much help as Ipswich, their f###ed.

[theshrew]

Never mind Ipswich, if they get as much help as ANY mail centre that has closed in the last 5 years they are f****d, I cannot think of any mail centre that has been under REVISION, that has stayed open,( CREWE,LIVERPOOL,LEICESTER,DERBY,COVENTRY,SHREWSBURY,GLOUCESTER ETC) So you are BOLLOCKEDS, Just like every-one else.
Just because your down south doesn't mean your safe, If they want to close you THEY WILL

[dvbuk55]

Never mind Ipswich, if they get as much help as ANY mail centre that has closed in the last 5 years they are f****d, I cannot think of any mail centre that has been under REVISION, that has stayed open,( CREWE,LIVERPOOL,LEICESTER,DERBY,COVENTRY,SHREWSBURY,GLOUCESTER ETC) So you are BOLLOCKEDS, Just like every-one else.
Just because your down south doesn't mean your safe, If they want to close you THEY WILL

I've never quite got my head round the "we've managed a no compulsory redundancy clause" because as you have pointed out if you are being closed and the work is moving a considerable distance then redundancy is the only option. It may not be compulsory in the true sense but any other option isn't available.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Never mind Ipswich, if they get as much help as ANY mail centre that has closed in the last 5 years they are f****d, I cannot think of any mail centre that has been under REVISION, that has stayed open,( CREWE,LIVERPOOL,LEICESTER,DERBY,COVENTRY,SHREWSBURY,GLOUCESTER ETC) So you are BOLLOCKEDS, Just like every-one else.
Just because your down south doesn't mean your safe, If they want to close you THEY WILL

I've never quite got my head round the "we've managed a no compulsory redundancy clause" because as you have pointed out if you are being closed and the work is moving a considerable distance then redundancy is the only option. It may not be compulsory in the true sense but any other option isn't available.

There is usually the option of going to deliveries, when Bradford closed we had only a few swap over, some went to Leeds MC but most went VR, that's just the ones living in an around Huddersfield, not Bradford.

[dvbuk55]

Never mind Ipswich, if they get as much help as ANY mail centre that has closed in the last 5 years they are f****d, I cannot think of any mail centre that has been under REVISION, that has stayed open,( CREWE,LIVERPOOL,LEICESTER,DERBY,COVENTRY,SHREWSBURY,GLOUCESTER ETC) So you are BOLLOCKEDS, Just like every-one else.
Just because your down south doesn't mean your safe, If they want to close you THEY WILL

I've never quite got my head round the "we've managed a no compulsory redundancy clause" because as you have pointed out if you are being closed and the work is moving a considerable distance then redundancy is the only option. It may not be compulsory in the true sense but any other option isn't available.

There is usually the option of going to deliveries, when Bradford closed we had only a few swap over, some went to Leeds MC but most went VR, that's just the ones living in an around Huddersfield, not Bradford.

TBH teebs the option of going to deliveries would be extremely limited, for example if you had say 300 at an MC where would you find DOs in a relatively close area having vacancies in sufficient quantity to take those wanting a delivery job? If you make the pot to leave attractive enough it's going to attract, it isn't compulsory but it fulfils the criteria of shedding staff without appearing to be compulsory. I've seen it before in another industry and yet oddly enough within 6 months was contacting people to go back and still keep the money!!

[fishtank]

The problem with transferring from processing into deliveries is your contracted hours.

DOs generally do have vacancies but with automation and the transformation revisions what they often don't have is the ability to absorb full-time vacancies. There just isn't the indoor work to justify it.

You can get around that with "bumping" but despite everybody saying they would bite your hand off for VR the reality is the actual genuine appetite for redundancy in delivery offices is very low. The removal of the default retirement age and general economic conditions have both played a part in that.

If there continues to be the kind of large scale redundancies in Royal Mail that there has been for the last few years both the CWU and the business will find it harder and harder to maintain a position that those redundancies are genuinely 100% voluntary and not simply people left with little realistic choice.

[wandle]

The most likely outcome, is to accept VR, or have to transfer to Princess Royal Distribution Centre (PRDC).
The latter choice is not attractive, because of the journey times. The AA website reckons it's just shy of 19 miles by road, and guesstimates a journey time of 40 minutes. But the A406 North Circular Road, on which PRDC is located, is notorious for it's traffic jams.
The other fly in the ointment is the travel money aspect. We are supposed to receive TWICE the difference between old / new travel costs, for a period of 3 years, then excess cost in year 4 , then half the excess cost in year 5. BUT... this is subject to a maximum (cap) payout of £20000. That's a lot of money, you might think. "I'd be happy with that"...
However, the annual season ticket from Hatfield to Stonebridge Park, is £3832. Five years of that, even assuming no annual increase (as if!) would be £19160. So someone who currently has NO travel cost at all, will barely have their travel costs covered, and a much longer working day!
When the 5 years is up, how the heck can people afford £320/month in travel costs???

[dvbuk55]

The most likely outcome, is to accept VR, or have to transfer to Princess Royal Distribution Centre (PRDC).
The latter choice is not attractive, because of the journey times. The AA website reckons it's just shy of 19 miles by road, and guesstimates a journey time of 40 minutes. But the A406 North Circular Road, on which PRDC is located, is notorious for it's traffic jams.
The other fly in the ointment is the travel money aspect. We are supposed to receive TWICE the difference between old / new travel costs, for a period of 3 years, then excess cost in year 4 , then half the excess cost in year 5. BUT... this is subject to a maximum (cap) payout of £20000. That's a lot of money, you might think. "I'd be happy with that"...
However, the annual season ticket from Hatfield to Stonebridge Park, is £3832. Five years of that, even assuming no annual increase (as if!) would be £19160. So someone who currently has NO travel cost at all, will barely have their travel costs covered, and a much longer working day!
When the 5 years is up, how the heck can people afford £320/month in travel costs???

Well looking on the bright side the PRDC probably won't be there in 5 years and if it is it will probably belong to another company within a very short time after the 5 year review.........................if it gets that far and judging from the success of BT2010 that's hardly likely.