LTB 255/22 - North West Hub - Inward Mail Centre - Indicative Workload Impacts

[POSTMAN]

LTB 255/22 – North West Hub – Inward Mail Centre – Indicative Workload Impacts
No: 255/22

13th June 2022



For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches

Divisional Representatives

Area Processing Representatives



Dear Colleagues

NORTH WEST HUB – INWARD MAIL CENTRE – INDICATIVE WORKLOAD IMPACTS

Branches and representatives are advised that an update was provided last week at a joint Postal Executive/Field Official briefing. Further to that meeting the department has been pressing the business for the release of the indicative workload impacts at the Non-Catchment Area, Inward Mail Centres.

As you will be aware that the North West Hub has the capability to provide Direct to Delivery Office (D2DO) selections. Once deployed this will mean that although all parcel traffic will continue to flow through the Inward Mail Centre, the pre-sorted D2DO volume will only require cross docking prior to despatch to DO’s, as such the change will have an impact on workload. The extent of the impact is dependent on the number of D2DO Selections within the Mail Centre Catchment Area.

Given the renewed debate around Royal Mail proposals to concentrate Format 3&4 items onto circa 350 Delivery Offices the department had sought to confirm with Royal Mail that as previously agreed, the D2DO selections would be based on the DOSL selection model currently utilised in Mail Centres for Inward sortation. This model would ensure that all DO’s including those receiving D2DO traffic, continue to receive the same selection profile currently delivered by Mail Centres and that each DO receives all Parcel Traffic associated to its catchment area.

For absolute clarity, the information/data that has been provided by the business is indicative and is not agreed. Data is based on end state volumes assuming that the Hub is at capacity, however the data should provide the start point for discussion at Local Level in line with the terms of the National Framework Agreement and the IR Framework. The National Framework Agreement utilises a Catchment Area Working Group Approach to ensure that the impact is understood and can be progressed on a cross functional basis and the principles of that agreement should flow through to guide these discussions.

Royal Mail have confirmed that the latest workload assessments remain based on the DOSL model. It had previously been agreed that the information would be jointly launched however it has become clear that Royal Mail has released the information.

As such attached for the information of Branches and representatives is the documentation that provides the projected indicative Inward Workload Impacts for the 29 Non NW Catchment Area Mail Centres (Annex A). Also attached is a copy of the Comms originally intended to support the launch of the information NW Hub (Annex B) and the National Framework Agreement, which is referred to in the document (Annex C).

It is of course extremely disappointing that Royal Mail have jumped the gun on releasing the information. However, representatives should now use the attached indicative information as the basis for progressing discussions on the projected Inward workload changes on the basis of the minimum disruption principle contained in National agreements.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 505.21



Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary


A: https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/ ... .1-002.pdf
B: https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/ ... 22-003.pdf
C: https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/ ... .11.21.pdf

[SpacePhoenix]

Looking at that it doesn't have any net affect on us at all the hours can be taken out by not having so many casuals

[Lockardian]

Do we know which mail centres will be affected by this? Only the NW centres or is the hub handling parcels for a wider area?

For info, the NW centres are Carlisle, Preston, Manchester, Warrington and Chester. Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are also linked to the NWH/WRT in some way. Perhaps they are also processing items for Northern Ireland?

I’ve seen York sleeves of small Tracked packets for sorting come through to our Mail Centre with unfamiliar labels, suggesting the NWH is sorting Heavy and Large parcels and sending any smaller ones to the MCs for processing.

[SpacePhoenix]

Is there a list somewhere of all the DOs that'll be getting direct selections from the hubs?

[NW11851]

Down at Gatwick MC We are starting to see the occasional york carrying sn unfamiliar label.

As far as I am aware, to date, we have seen only items that will go through our own PSM.

[SpacePhoenix]

We've been getting them through for a couple of weeks now. For small Tracked it's been just Primary and Secondary sort (which all goes to the same place anyway as it still currently all has to be scanned) and for large Tracked it's all together

[wallan]

Do we know which mail centres will be affected by this? Only the NW centres or is the hub handling parcels for a wider area?

For info, the NW centres are Carlisle, Preston, Manchester, Warrington and Chester. Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are also linked to the NWH/WRT in some way. Perhaps they are also processing items for Northern Ireland?

I’ve seen York sleeves of small Tracked packets for sorting come through to our Mail Centre with unfamiliar labels, suggesting the NWH is sorting Heavy and Large parcels and sending any smaller ones to the MCs for processing.

I think you will find Warrington will also take in items from The North East M C,s plus Wolverhampton

[Steve_claret]

I think you will find Warrington will also take in items from The North East M C,s plus Wolverhampton

Correct - Newcastle, Leeds & Sheffield are also included in this.

[Lockardian]

So is Birmingham, Scotland and Belfast and possibly others.

Does anyone know which items go to the NWH for processing? Recently I have sent two small T48 packets to addresses in the neighbouring MC area (so close all the 1C goes direct), yet both these packets went to NWH. Neither MC concerned is anywhere near Warrington, the packets definitely taking the long way round! Are MCs processing less and less outward T48s?

[postman1979]

I am at one of the MC that supply NWH with Tracked 24 & 48. We don't process any outward T24/48 at the MC anymore only inward. We only process T24/48 oversize items that are not suitable for the machine. Also 2nd class oversize is currently being shipped to Atherstone for processing.

[SpacePhoenix]

We don't seem to be getting much from the NWH at all. Been a while since I've seen any being cross-docked. AFAIK no 2C or T48 goes there from us

[Lockardian]

I am at one of the MC that supply NWH with Tracked 24 & 48. We don't process any outward T24/48 at the MC anymore only inward. We only process T24/48 oversize items that are not suitable for the machine. Also 2nd class oversize is currently being shipped to Atherstone for processing.

They must be confident that the T24 can be sorted and dispatched from the NWH in time to connect with flights, trains and onward road journeys. 1C deadlines at the MCs I’ve worked at have been 9pm and 10pm, with some collections not arriving until 8ish. If all T24 including these late collections are sent to NWH at 9ish the sort may not start until after 10pm or later, depending on the distance between the feeder MC and NWH. I assume all collections are still tipped and segged at the MC first.

[SpacePhoenix]

I am at one of the MC that supply NWH with Tracked 24 & 48. We don't process any outward T24/48 at the MC anymore only inward. We only process T24/48 oversize items that are not suitable for the machine. Also 2nd class oversize is currently being shipped to Atherstone for processing.

They must be confident that the T24 can be sorted and dispatched from the NWH in time to connect with flights, trains and onward road journeys. 1C deadlines at the MCs I’ve worked at have been 9pm and 10pm, with some collections not arriving until 8ish. If all T24 including these late collections are sent to NWH at 9ish the sort may not start until after 10pm or later, depending on the distance between the feeder MC and NWH. I assume all collections are still tipped and segged at the MC first.

More likely they'll push back all the times of the flights, trains and onward road journeys, MC night shift start and finish times, all MC>DO dispatch times and DO start and finish times to make it work

[Lockardian]

Separate issue from the NWH - recently I’ve noticed quite a few T48s taking unusual routes. An item sent from Newcastle to Aberdeen went via Warrington Mail Centre, and one sent from Kendal (LA) to Carlisle (CA) went via Manchester. Not sure if this is just missorts/human error or whether something else is going on and more and more 2C/T48 is being diverted.