Six month extension to Crown guarantee

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Six month extension to Crown guarantee until September 2012

To support the progress of the Crown Transformation Programme, Post Office has agreed with the CWU and Unite/CMA to extend the current Crown guarantee by a further six months, to 30th September 2012.

In July, through the Post Office Story, we introduced our vision for Crown transformation to get the network back to break-even by the end of 2014/15. Since then teams across Post Office along with CWU and Unite/CMA have been looking at how this can be best achieved. It is encouraging to see that colleagues and managers have already started to personally influence the future by improving income, efficiency and productivity. We have already seen some great examples of this happening this year.

Our discussions continue to focus on what will be right for the customer, colleagues and the business.  Agreed changes will be introduced as part of the wider transformation programme to meet the break-even target by the end of 2014/15. While we work on plans in more detail, the six month extension means colleagues and managers have the security of knowing that the Network will remain broadly as it is today delivering a great service to customers.

The extension to the guarantee means there will be no large scale changes to the structure of Crown branches until at least October 2012. There may, however, be a few instances where, due to a property lease ending, or the opportunity to relocate to better premises where work locations may change. Crucially, there will be no closures during this time.

We would like to say thank you for your efforts and hard work over the last year and we hope that with the New Year approaching you and your families will be pleased with this positive news.

If you have any questions, please speak to your manager or CWU Area Representative, Unite/CMA representative or email communications.team@postoffice.co.uk

[PO1]

For two reasons maybe.

1 They are not going to be able to tie up the separation of RMG from POL by 31st March 2012 (but might have it done by the end of the next 6 month period.
or
2 They would like more time to MUP people so as to avoid paying VR out when 30th September 2012 arrives.

[The BFO]

While we work on plans in more detail, the six month extension means colleagues and managers have the security of knowing that the Network will remain broadly as it is today delivering a great service to customers.
We would like to say thank you for your efforts and hard work over the last year and we hope that with the New Year approaching you and your families will be pleased with this positive news.

Inferring that at the end of the six month period there will be negative news? And how is it reassuring to know that by this time next year our terms and conditions of employment may well be worse than they are now?

[MinisterofCucumber]

This is part of a joint statement issued by POL and the CWU:

"Agreed changes will be introduced as part of the wider transformation programme to meet the break-even target by the end of 2014/15."

The prize for breaking even is mutualisation. The Government have said that they will not consider mutualising the Post Office unless the Post Office is self sufficient.

The CWU's response to the BIS consultation on Post Office mutualisation made it clear that the CWU is opposed to the removal of the Post Office subsidy because the CWU believes that the social value of Post Offices as community hubs cannot be preserved if commercial viability is the bottom line.

The Post office made £21 million profit this year. Does the break-even target mean we have to break-even without including the Network Subsidy so the Government can remove it?

The CWU is opposed to mutualisation and believe that the Post Office should be held accountable to all of the people in the UK. Why has the CWU made a joint statement with POL that supports a target that will bring mutualising the Post Office closer?

[Running Man]

Has it clicked with anybody else that the Crown Office guarantee that POL is giving is getting smaller and smaller?

May I remind everybody that the original 'five2eleven' plan was for five years. Shortly before that period expired, a 12 month extension was announced.

Now, shortly before the 12 month guarantee expires, a six month extension has been announced.

It seems to me like somebody at the top is trying to let staff down gently in the hope that everybody will have reached their own conclusion as to POL's future by the next time a (shorter?) guarantee is announced.

[The BFO]

Has it clicked with anybody else that the Crown Office guarantee that POL is giving is getting smaller and smaller?

May I remind everybody that the original 'five2eleven' plan was for five years. Shortly before that period expired, a 12 month extension was announced.

Now, shortly before the 12 month guarantee expires, a six month extension has been announced.

It seems to me like somebody at the top is trying to let staff down gently in the hope that everybody will have reached their own conclusion as to POL's future by the next time a (shorter?) guarantee is announced.

Interesting point, but is it not the logical extension that though the guarantee periods will continue to reduce, they will never reach zero, and therefore we shall be here for infinity?