LTB 312/24 – SISO Overtime Management – Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth Agreement (Appendix 5 – Data Use and Performance Management)

[POSTMAN]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-312-24-siso ... anagement/

LTB 312/24 – SISO Overtime Management – Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth Agreement (Appendix 5 – Data Use and Performance Management)
No. 312/24

18 September 2024

Dear Colleagues,

SISO Overtime Management – Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth Agreement (Appendix 5 – Data Use and Performance Management)

Branches and Representatives will be aware of the details as set out in the Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth (BRT&G) Agreement, Appendix 5, Data Use And Performance Management, and paragraph 4, which sets out the following: –

Opportunities to streamline pay administration

• A joint trial will be initiated to evaluate how the attendance time data arising from the deployment of Scan In Scan Out technology could support a streamlined feed to attendance data and payroll to simplify and reduce the amount of back-office activity involved in pay administration.

• Any changes will only be via local management intervention and there will be no auto deduction of contractual pay, allowances, Scheduled Attendance, overtime (e.g., where a (verbal) contract for overtime pay has been agreed with the manager prior to commencement).

Accordingly, in June we were approached by Royal Mail to meet in order to discuss this aspect of the Agreement. Unfortunately, and from the outset, it became very clear that the company wanted to go beyond what was set out in the BRT&G Agreement.

Indeed, the first few meetings were held against the background of Royal Mail seemingly setting out a position whereby SISO data would be the process to validate all overtime and Scheduled Attendance pay based on ‘recorded/scanned’ times, thereby removing the clear commitment outlined in the BRT&G Agreement and the 2021 Pathway to Change Agreement, that such data will not be used to automatically deduct pay.

Alongside this, Royal Mail further set out the position that it wanted to pilot the use and application of SISO for recording overtime worked and do so within a very short timescale and then move quickly to a full national rollout in October.

This unsurprisingly led to several challenging meetings, which also included further representation to the company at a very senior managerial level via the DGSP.

However, following a further period of discussions, we have now reached an agreed position with Royal Mail in terms of a joint trial on SISO Overtime Management, confirmed in an exchange in correspondence and which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive.

A summary of the trial is outlined here:-

Key Principles

• All overtime will be paid in line with current arrangements and agreements

• All verbally agreed overtime will be paid as per that agreement between the manager and the OPG

• P552s will be retained throughout the trial, whilst we explore an aspiration to replace this with an equivalent digital solution

Arrangements

• Managers will be required to enter all overtime on the Attendance Schedular

• Managers will be required to enter all overtime in the overtime sheet

• Employees will continue to scan in and out in line with the current SISO process

• For the period of the trial all sites will retain P552s to parallel run with the new digital solution

• All verbally agreed OT will continue to be paid as per today

Deployment

• The trial period will run through to the 7th October

The trial sites will be:

• Sheepscar Delivery Office
  Pudsey Delivery Office
  Sheffield South DO
  Sheffield South East

• There will be a Joint Working Group that meets weekly to review progress and any feedback, consisting of the RM Project managers, National union Representative, Local Unit Manager(s), Unit CWU representatives, and Unit CMA representatives.

• The trial will be extended beyond the above 4 sites to the whole ROD area, for a further 4 weeks, to test its impact on a larger scale.

• A “Go/No -Go” for the broader National rollout will commence on the 7th October, to inform the National go live decision, including consideration for a resolution pathway for a replacement of the P552 process.

• The CWU would be fully involved in this “Go/No-Go” process.

While the initial trial activity is Delivery based subsequent extension and potential Go/No-Go roll out would include Processing Units where SISO is in use.

Alongside the above, another aspect of the trial that Royal Mail has been keen to highlight is how moving away from the current paper-based recording system to a digital application, via SISO, will considerably improve the current high level of problems in terms of delayed or missed overtime payments.

We have secured full union involvement in the trial along with wording that ‘the CWU would be fully involved in this “Go/No-Go” process’, and have equally fulfilled our commitments within the BRT&G Agreement, however it is recognised that this will likely remain a potentially difficult issue for the CWU and our members given the nature of this subject and our longstanding concerns in this area.

However, we strongly believe that we simply cannot, nor should we, face away from dealing with this issue despite its potential consequences, as all such an approach would do is offer the company a free hand on all aspects of SISO along with the impact on our members’ pay.

Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department reference 540, email address: Pharacz@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch
Assistant Secretary

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

[toonshola]

I absolutely f***ing love these union letters in reply to every s**t thing Royal Mail wants to introduce they are actually hilarious

They ALWAYS without fail go something like this:

1.we had a written agreement on (insert issue) with Royal Mail but Royal Mail immediately overstepped the mark and wanted to go beyond the agreement to screw our members
2. We got very cross in various high level meetings and made our feelings known, many a biscuit was thrown in anger across the meeting table. Some hobnobs were regrettably broken, both sides agreed to reflect on the serious nature of wasted snacks and agreed to a period of calm(see sub section 176 appendix 24 of the pathway to change agreement)
3. We have agreed to a trial where we will maintain the illusion of our relevance where our field officials and some reps will oversee the new shafting Royal Mail want to introduce
4. In 6 months time most of what Royal Mail wanted on this issue will be rolled out nationally anyway. Dave Ward may write a letter in protest if he can be arsed, and Martin Walsh will hold a Facebook live gaslighting session in the coming weeks.

BACK YOUR UNION

[Deadly]

So basically after the trial Royal Mail will state "Look how many hours we are paying after the OPGs have scanned out and gone home" and bring in what they wanted originally.

[R5001]

Wouldn't mind so much if the damn system didn't drop clock scans so damn often. The frequency with which people are told they didn't clock in or out is insane.

Also battery powered, what. They're flat half the time people start in the morning, people will lose time from that.

[SpacePhoenix]

Wouldn't mind so much if the damn system didn't drop clock scans so damn often. The frequency with which people are told they didn't clock in or out is insane.

Also battery powered, what. They're flat half the time people start in the morning, people will lose time from that.

Maybe RM will eventually move to having DOs using the same SISO units that are used in MCs, which run off the mains

[Barnacle]

In a nutshell, stop ghosting. Take your breaks and finish at your contracted time, THEN take your overtime out.

[Valentina@1]

I absolutely f***ing love these union letters in reply to every s**t thing Royal Mail wants to introduce they are actually hilarious

They ALWAYS without fail go something like this:

1.we had a written agreement on (insert issue) with Royal Mail but Royal Mail immediately overstepped the mark and wanted to go beyond the agreement to screw our members
2. We got very cross in various high level meetings and made our feelings known, many a biscuit was thrown in anger across the meeting table. Some hobnobs were regrettably broken, both sides agreed to reflect on the serious nature of wasted snacks and agreed to a period of calm(see sub section 176 appendix 24 of the pathway to change agreement)
3. We have agreed to a trial where we will maintain the illusion of our relevance where our field officials and some reps will oversee the new shafting Royal Mail want to introduce
4. In 6 months time most of what Royal Mail wanted on this issue will be rolled out nationally anyway. Dave Ward may write a letter in protest if he can be arsed, and Martin Walsh will hold a Facebook live gaslighting session in the coming weeks.

BACK YOUR UNION

[Valentina@1]

This union are shameless,they really think we believe Royal Mail listen to anything they say

[Duesouth]

There won't be any auto deduction YET, but mark my words they will implement it in the next agreement. What ever trials that are being rolled out in a handful of offices will happen nationally.

The business will say it's a success just like moving our hours forward but we all know deep down that it will be a disaster.

Let them bring in SISO to monitor overtime right down to the last minute. The business better be careful what they wish for because any overtime that folk did in the past for 3hrs and only worked for 2 will be a thing of the past. The people only done that sort of ot is because the incentive was there even if it was peeing down with rain.

The business wouldn't run properly if people just worked there hours.

[funkflex55]

If this is used like other companies do. Any few minutes here and there extra will be manually removed so you're not paid. Any few minutes you're late will be logged and will lead to meetings and disciplinary action. I'm not too bothered about action against lateness but it's always one way on these systems.

[Hyrrokkin]

I absolutely f***ing love these union letters in reply to every s**t thing Royal Mail wants to introduce they are actually hilarious

They ALWAYS without fail go something like this:

1.we had a written agreement on (insert issue) with Royal Mail but Royal Mail immediately overstepped the mark and wanted to go beyond the agreement to screw our members
2. We got very cross in various high level meetings and made our feelings known, many a biscuit was thrown in anger across the meeting table. Some hobnobs were regrettably broken, both sides agreed to reflect on the serious nature of wasted snacks and agreed to a period of calm(see sub section 176 appendix 24 of the pathway to change agreement)
3. We have agreed to a trial where we will maintain the illusion of our relevance where our field officials and some reps will oversee the new shafting Royal Mail want to introduce
4. In 6 months time most of what Royal Mail wanted on this issue will be rolled out nationally anyway. Dave Ward may write a letter in protest if he can be arsed, and Martin Walsh will hold a Facebook live gaslighting session in the coming weeks.

BACK YOUR UNION

CWU useless muppets

[Edward Hunter]

As long as the system is accurate and works properly it totally makes sense to the company. Ghosting was meant to be a thing of the past many moons ago. Managers trying to get walks covered will find it very hard without any carrot.In my office people can finish early on their duty to get back for OT but they are at warp speed as a rule to do it.Luckily im past the stage where i need overtime, but as has been said, without the incentive RM may find it a lot harder to get willing posties to do it. At the same time it may make people slow down to a normal level, to avoid being made to take out the uncovered deliveries when they get back. Royal Mail, be careful what you wish for

[SpacePhoenix]

At the same time it may make people slow down to a normal level, to avoid being made to take out the uncovered deliveries when they get back. Royal Mail, be careful what you wish for

It'll only be a matter of time before they start monitoring work rates.

[Mr Rush]

Also battery powered, what. They're flat half the time people start in the morning, people will lose time from that.

I cannot believe they didn't just plop charging docks on the old sign-in desks, but instead invented some iron maiden to hold it upside down. And for the money they get, you'd hope management could spare a moment to check they PDAs are charged before seventy people try to sign out. Running batteries flat constantly leads to dead batteries being disposed, which can't be good for our dreamy environmental rating.

I'm not too bothered about action against lateness but it's always one way on these systems.

I belive the industry term for that is 'flexibility'.

[toonshola]

At the same time it may make people slow down to a normal level, to avoid being made to take out the uncovered deliveries when they get back. Royal Mail, be careful what you wish for

It'll only be a matter of time before they start monitoring work rates.

In a weird way I hope they do. None of the delivery’s in our office are achievable if you start on time, take your break and walk round at a normal pace.
A lot of people finish early in ours but it’s all smoke and mirrors, starting early skipping breaks and running round like twats. None of it is based in reality and the managers pretend they don’t see it.