LTB 350/21 - Royal Mail: Customer Experience - Pathway to Change - Agreement for Extended Opening Hours & Resourcing Arrangements

Post by **POSTMAN** » 20 Aug 2021, 14:45

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-350-21-roya ... angements/

LTB 350/21 – Royal Mail: Customer Experience – Pathway to Change – Agreement for Extended Opening Hours & Resourcing Arrangements
No. 350/2021

20th August 2021

Dear Colleagues

ROYAL MAIL: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – PATHWAY TO CHANGE – AGREEMENT FOR EXTENDED OPENING HOURS & RESOURCING ARRANGEMENTS

Branches will be aware that as part of delivering the Shorter Working Week in Customer Experience, we agreed to the concept of extended opening hours in order to provide an enhanced customer offer.

We have now agreed with CE management that the introduction of extended opening hours will be undertaken on a trial basis, with a pilot running until the end of January. Attendance for the extended hours is on a purely voluntary basis and nobody will be forced to work longer hours or be required to change their attendance patterns.

In this regard, I am pleased that the take-up of volunteers has been more than enough to cover the period of the pilot. Initially, CE will provide Telephony services to the public for three of the largest campaigns (Account Helpline, Non-Account Helpline and Complaints) and from 6th September, Redirections will be added to the pilot. The opening times are as follows:

Monday – Friday 7am until 8pm

Saturday – 8am until 4pm

Sunday* – 9am until 4pm

*all Sunday working is performed on overtime and this has been the case for a considerable period of time.

Attached is a Joint Statement to our members confirming the above arrangements. To support this pilot, we have also agreed with CE management the following resourcing arrangements:

15 permanent contracts to the longest serving Fixed Term Temporary Contract people so they are able to support the extended opening hours

The extension of another 69 Fixed Term Contracts until mid-January 2022.

I would like to thank the “Resourcing and Opening Hours” Joint Working Group for their efforts and specifically Sue Owen, Plymouth Rep and Sara Wright, Doxford Rep.

In keeping with the need for regular engagement with our Reps, I’m pleased to report there has been a joint CE Reps/Management briefing this morning during which we reviewed the progress of the six Joint Working Groups and discussed next steps, which will include further Joint Statements.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

Attachment: JS – Customer Experience Extended hours pilot