REPS BRIEF ON PENSIONS

[lovejoy]

A CWU REPRESENTATIVES’ BRIEF

PENSION REFORM/CWU CONSULTATIVE BALLOT


Introduction

In recent weeks the Union has issued two key documents providing comprehensive information on Pensions and the Government Review of competition in the postal sector. (Branches were asked to circulate these documents to all representatives. We have included them again as part of this pack for ease of reference).

Prior to these documents being circulated a letter was sent to members’ home addresses explaining how important both of these issues are to the future and why the two issues are linked.

The two documents were then presented to a National Briefing of all Branches and Senior Reps. Subsequently, the Postal Executive agreed to hold a Consultative ballot with a recommendation to reject the company’s pension plans.

Against this background – where Royal Mail fear a further dispute on pensions is looming - it is inevitable that Royal Mail will seek to undermine and divide the Union. This will involve Royal Mail trying to resurrect old arguments on pay and modernisation that have already been dealt with. The company want to shift the focus away from what they told our members about the pension’s consultation.

Our key task over the next two weeks is to stay focused on securing an overwhelming rejection of the company’s pension plans in the Consultative ballot. This will allow the Union to discredit the company’s claim that the consultation has been valid and launch a major industrial and political campaign to secure further improvements.

The purpose of this brief is to provide you with further information and give you the facts that will counter Royal Mail’s workplace propaganda. A further letter has already been sent to CWU members’ home addresses.

1. Pay and Modernisation is decoupled from pensions

• The National Agreement on Pay and Modernisation is totally separate from the Pensions Consultation Joint Statement. Royal Mail accepted this when the dispute was settled and agreed that the membership would be balloted separately.

• The National Agreement on Pay and Modernisation is explicit on what the remaining 1.5% and £800 lump sums are linked to.

The agreement contains no reference to these monies being linked, in any shape or form, to pensions.

Moreover, the agreement contains no reference whatsoever to pensions. Royal Mail cannot unilaterally change the terms of our agreement.

• All parties accepted that a letter from TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, would act as the mechanism that allowed the two issues to be separated.

This letter was published in full to the Postal Executive before any decisions were made. The reference in Brendan Barber’s letter to “the two stand or fall togetherâ€

[dvbuk55]

It is important that you make our members aware of this development by raising the issue in workplace briefings.

6. What do we hope to achieve from the Consultative ballot?

• Unlike Royal Mail the Union is giving its members the right to have their say in a Workplace Consultative Ballot.

• Overwhelming rejection of the company’s plans will discredit their claim that the legal consultation has been valid.

• It will also strength our campaign to call upon Royal Mail, the Trustees and the Government not to act with undue haste and find alternative and more acceptable solutions.

Any changes introduced by Royal Mail are reversible. The retirement age does not take affect until 2010. The impact of closing the Final Salary Scheme, according to Royal Mail, will not affect people’s benefits until April 2009. Whatever happens on April 1st it is important we convey a strong message that the debate is far from over.

I feel that there is a little duplicity here. These proposals have been on the table for close on a year so there isn't much of a case for undue haste, especially as the Government was probably involved in the first instance.

It would appear that the only people who can actually influence the outcome, in three weeks time, is the Trustees.

[Night Tonic]

Absolutely and there is a VERY high probability they will accept RM's proposal. RM are very good at dealing with the small print and despite Hayes's optimism I don't think the CWU really closed the back door here when they thrashed out the last deal. I'll bet any money that RM is watertight on this and all the CWU can do is bleat a little to pacify the members. It seems to hinge far more on what Royal Mail 'said' than anything concrete.

[dvbuk55]

Absolutely and there is a VERY high probability they will accept RM's proposal. RM are very good at dealing with the small print and despite Hayes's optimism I don't think the CWU really closed the back door here when they thrashed out the last deal. I'll bet any money that RM is watertight on this and all the CWU can do is bleat a little to pacify the members. It seems to hinge far more on what Royal Mail 'said' than anything concrete.

I agree the trustees are unlikely to rock the boat - if they procrastinated and the pension fund did another nose dive they would feel doubly responsible. Like you I think the stance taken by HQ is merely tub thumping and there isn't any substance whatsoever to the half hearted ballot and final say bullsh*t they have been propounding.