LTB 205/23 Mail Centre Supernumerary/Surplus Issues Update

[POSTMAN]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-205-23-mail ... es-update/

LTB 205/23 Mail Centre Supernumerary/Surplus Issues Update
No: 205/23

4th August 2023



For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches

Divisional Representatives

Area Processing Representatives



Dear Colleagues

Mail Centre Supernumerary/Surplus Issues Update

Further to the contents of LTB 167/23 on Mail Centre Revision PIR Activity issued on the 29th June 2023 and the updates given at the National Briefing in Leeds on the 25th July 2023, Branches will be aware of the continuing widespread concern and uncertainty resulting from Royal Mails unacceptable approach to managing surplus situations and the adoption of an unagreed Redeployment Process.

As discussed at the National briefing the CWU believe that the approach adopted by the company represents a breach of the agreed MTSF processes and indeed the reaffirmed commitments in the Business Recovery Transformation and Growth (BRT&G) agreement to adhere to the MTSF agreement.

Of particular concern has been the unagreed methodology for identifying surplus employees, the proposed creation of Redeployment Pools, including the removal of employees from the workplace, the engagement of a third party company to manage redeployment or outplacement, the non-adherence to MTSF compensation terms and the treatment of part time employees with regard to the options available to them.

While this is not a Mail Centre specific issue, as it does affect members in other functions, we are well aware of the pressure the actions of the business have placed on our members in Mail Centres. Given this, resolution of these issues was one of two priority matters pursued during two days of high level talks this week. During those talks focus was placed on the areas where the Union believe that Royal Mail is in fundamental breach of the BRT&G, MTSF and Section 2.5 Joint statement.

Some progress was made in those discussions and a further high level meeting has been arranged for Monday, 7th August 2023 with a view to resolving the outstanding issues. A further update will be provided following that session and we remain committed to ensuring that the terms of our National agreements and commitments in relation to managing surpluses hold the field and that our members are treated with respect and are afforded the protections that those agreements provide.

Until such time as a resolution is achieved, Branches and Representatives should continue to refer matters to the IR Framework, where they believe that the terms of MTSF or the Section 2.5 Joint Statement have been breached

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 733.02.



Yours sincerely



Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary

Andy Furey – Acting Deputy General Secretary Postal

[Bazbuz]

Any further update on this?

[rabbo_star]

That meeting must have gone on for ages.... .. ....

[SpacePhoenix]

Union rep was going around last night chatting to people who I believe are supernumerary. Only place I can see them going is being bumped onto deliveries as that's going to be the only place for them as we have AFAIK supernumeraries on every shift

[marty99]

looks like royal mail management are forcing people out of door at manchester mail centre redeployment team coming in next week

[Surfpostie]

Sounds ominous!Good luck to all in M/C’s

[billycat]

We are desperate in delivery the office i work at 5 have left in the last six weeks.

[jmcg]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

[2chorizon]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

A significant number of these people have had multiple chances to pick new duties and refused, so how is this "stressing people out" ?

I think it is good that an external company are being brought in to run the redeployment teams in MC's, this way there will be no favortism etc.

[Postee2]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

A significant number of these people have had multiple chances to pick new duties and refused, so how is this "stressing people out" ?

I think it is good that an external company are being brought in to run the redeployment teams in MC's, this way there will be no favouritism etc.

I think it's because people in mail centres had so much conflicting advice. I've heard that some people were encouraged by some people not to choose a duty and just stay as they were. I don't know if this advice from certain quarters was consistent in every affected mail centre or not.
But clearly, (it appears anyway) the term supernumerary meant more than people were led to believe.

[denhamhoop]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

A significant number of these people have had multiple chances to pick new duties and refused, so how is this "stressing people out" ?

I think it is good that an external company are being brought in to run the redeployment teams in MC's, this way there will be no favortism etc.

That might be true in some MC's I have been at my MC 10 years we have never had a Resign/Repick in that time and I personally was sat down after everyone else on the shift and told I had 2 options either sign into a Rotate which includes a Sunday day which being a non driver I have no way of actually getting into work on time without paying for a very expensive cab or stay as I am and be a Supernumerary so basically not having a duty but remaining on a Monday to Friday night shift I chose the latter. There were people who transferred into the office after me who had been part time at their previous office and now have a full time Monday to Friday job in spite of having been in the business less than half my time. Then throw in they had an option to stay at their previous MC whereas I had no choice mine shut. There are people who came onto the shift from Deliveries with the agreement they would be on a Rotate who mysteriously have "flowed through" onto a Monday to Friday. If the external company are the same clowns that were used in the closing down of my previous MC then I despair because they tried to tell me that instead of a 20 minute bus ride to work that a 2 hours 3 buses with 2 changes ride was for my benefit

[2chorizon]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

A significant number of these people have had multiple chances to pick new duties and refused, so how is this "stressing people out" ?

I think it is good that an external company are being brought in to run the redeployment teams in MC's, this way there will be no favouritism etc.

I think it's because people in mail centres had so much conflicting advice. I've heard that some people were encouraged by some people not to choose a duty and just stay as they were. I don't know if this advice from certain quarters was consistent in every affected mail centre or not.
But clearly, (it appears anyway) the term supernumerary meant more than people were led to believe.

Yes, spot on, we had people being told they could remain supernumerary on their old duties for up to 2 years.
i guess they are about to test that out!

[2chorizon]

This appears to be happening at all the mc’s , stressing people out…

A significant number of these people have had multiple chances to pick new duties and refused, so how is this "stressing people out" ?

I think it is good that an external company are being brought in to run the redeployment teams in MC's, this way there will be no favortism etc.

That might be true in some MC's I have been at my MC 10 years we have never had a Resign/Repick in that time and I personally was sat down after everyone else on the shift and told I had 2 options either sign into a Rotate which includes a Sunday day which being a non driver I have no way of actually getting into work on time without paying for a very expensive cab or stay as I am and be a Supernumerary so basically not having a duty but remaining on a Monday to Friday night shift I chose the latter. There were people who transferred into the office after me who had been part time at their previous office and now have a full time Monday to Friday job in spite of having been in the business less than half my time. Then throw in they had an option to stay at their previous MC whereas I had no choice mine shut. There are people who came onto the shift from Deliveries with the agreement they would be on a Rotate who mysteriously have "flowed through" onto a Monday to Friday. If the external company are the same clowns that were used in the closing down of my previous MC then I despair because they tried to tell me that instead of a 20 minute bus ride to work that a 2 hours 3 buses with 2 changes ride was for my benefit

Yes, there was alot of cloak ‘n dagger with “flow through’s” at my MC’s realignment too, People who had their uniform 5 mins getting flowed through over people with 30-40yrs service purely because they were on a non standard mon-fri shift pattern & were forced into the repick pool.

[Postee2]

I can't help but feel that while the top tier of management knew about the HR legal ramifications of voluntarily become supernumerary, everyone else was left in the dark.
Left with a mixture of conjecture and guess work. No better than Chinese whispers or guess work to try to get to the true meaning and consequence of decisions one way or the other.
Still true now I believe.
Very difficult with conflicting advice.

[SpacePhoenix]

Yes, spot on, we had people being told they could remain supernumerary on their old duties for up to 2 years.

That was never going to happen as their old duties don't exist anymore