LTB - 268/2012 - Quadrant Pay 2011/12

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Letter to Branches




No. 268/2012
Ref: 301.02
Date: 12th April 2012


To All Postal Branches with Quadrant Members
Quadrant Area Representatives


Dear Colleague

Quadrant Pay 2011/12

Branches and representatives are informed that following protracted negotiations an agreement on pay has now been concluded for CWU represented grades employed by Quadrant, which responds to the current reality and enables the Union to concentrate on its immediate priority regarding ‘The Future of Quadrant’ talks. The agreement was endorsed by the Postal Executive at its recent meeting and will be put before the Quadrant membership for their ratification via an individual member’s ballot once the ballot arrangements are finalised.

The department is currently working in conjunction with the SDGS department to produce a ballot timetable. However Branches will be aware that there has been significant change taking place across the whole of Royal Mail and our Quadrant members have not remained unaffected. Therefore your assistance would be appreciated in ensuring that the Union membership and address records are as accurate as possible, in order that all those members entitled to vote have an opportunity to take part in the forthcoming ballot.

The SDGS’ department will be dispatching the current membership records held at CWU HQ to Branches with a request that they be checked and confirmed as accurate, or where necessary amendments advised to CWU HQ. This information is required by Thursday 19th April 2012.

Once this information has been collated the timetable for the ballot and the details of the agreement will then be circulated to Branches and field representatives.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Branch representatives for their prompt attention in this matter.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference number: 301.02

Yours sincerely



Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary

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LTB 277/12 - Quadrant Pay 2011

No. 277/2012
Ref: 301.02
Date: 13th April 2012
To All Postal Branches with Quadrant Members
Quadrant Area Representatives
Dear Colleague
Quadrant Pay 2011
Further to LTB 268/12 and having taken into account that many representatives who provide assistance to our Quadrant colleagues may be attending Annual Conference as part of their Branch delegation, it is recognised that Branches and representatives may wish to commence their member's briefings in preparation of the pay ballot with their Quadrant members as soon as possible.

Summarised below is the position from the Union's perspective of the challenges that were faced and overcome in achievement of this settlement, which may provide you with assistance in regard to any member's briefings that are arranged:

Ø The negotiations were held in an environment of substantial pressure being placed on Quadrant by both Compass and Royal Mail to reduce costs, with any increase in pay having to be justified in effect to both these Boards.

Ø Royal Mail in particular are applying huge pressure on Quadrant to reduce its costs with the added concerns that any increase in the terms and conditions of our members in Quadrant added further complications to the wider discussion taking place within the business on the future of catering provision within Royal Mail.

Ø Added to this was the view of the Compass Board, supported by Quadrant, that external analysis had shown that CWU Quadrant members were very well rewarded when compared to others in the catering industry.

Ø Reference was made by the Quadrant negotiating team to the freeze in pay and bonus payment to managerial grades, as well as the 5% pay cut members of the company's executive had taken, which added even more pressure in regard to arguments from the Union for an increase in our member's pay.
It was made absolutely clear to management from the outset of the negotiations that a pay cut or pay freeze would be totally unacceptable to the CWU, but it was recognised at an early stage in the negotiations that given the growing pressure on our members jobs and standard of living an agreement which maximised an increase in basic pay should be the Union's priority.

Against that backdrop below are the details of the Quadrant Pay Agreement which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive:

Ø The pay offer is a 2.75% increase in the basic pay for all CWU Represented Grades employed in Quadrant. This includes the consolidation of the current guaranteed elements of the Bonus arrangements.

Ø The pay offer will be backed dated to 1st October 2011

Given the current situation regarding the future of Quadrant and the other priorities and challenges facing the Union and its Quadrant members the department's negotiating team, the Postal Executive and I believe that this offer is the best that can be achieved via negotiation at this time and as such would recommend our members accept the offer.
We are still in the process of finalising the ballot arrangements and these will be published as soon as they are available.
In addition to the above the Union did during these negotiations secure an agreement to amend the appropriate annex to Quadrant Security Procedures relating to Till Checks and in doing so achieved the policy set by Conference 2011 in Motion 77:
'This Conference instructs the Postal Executive to negotiate an agreed security code of practice with Quadrant which provides protection for our members when till checks are carried out during service. This should include the ability of those subject to the check being present along with a CWU Representative/friend whilst the check in carried out.'
The policy has been endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached as an annex to this LTB.
I hope that the above information will be of assistance.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference number: 301.02
Yours sincerely
Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary