LTB 075/25 - Update on USO Pilot Sites

[ted_e_bear]

The union should just come out and say that they’re going to throw non-drivers under the bus

Some union reps don’t drive

Do you mean 'some union reps dont drive because they're full time release and avoid working for a living?'.

No they're the ones with the shortest HCT duty in the office.

[tramssirhc]

The whole thing is just cobbled together on the back of a fag packet.
The truth is pretty blunt, non-drivers don't particularly fit into this new model and the union is pretty much willing to throw them under a bus to get this version of USO reform over the line

The narrative is there, Martin keeps telling the same story, there are only 6,000 non drivers, 60% without a license however obviously the non-drivers in London will need special consideration....

I get what you're saying but there's got to be a lot of densely populated areas where delivering mail via HCT is the better option, obviously these 6,000 nondrivers aren't all going to live in those areas but I bet a large proportion do hence why they don't need to drive.

The geography of the work across the operation certainly allows the creation of walking duties within a mile as the crow flies. When the planning was taking place workers with no contractual obligation to drive or with amended duties should should have been considered and accommodated accordingly. The CWU has looked after the singleton duties but chose to ignore and abandon those with different contracts. That's because the CWU is collaborating in forcing workers out of the industry whose circumstances dont fit Martin Walsh's delivery model.

[tramssirhc]

The union should just come out and say that they’re going to throw non-drivers under the bus

Some union reps don’t drive

Do you mean 'some union reps dont drive because they're full time release and avoid working for a living?'.

No they're the ones with the shortest HCT duty in the office.

Nice work if you can get it. That doesn't mean they shouldn't but it does mean all workers should be looked after just like them.

[Perseus]

Quoting from the original post:

Newton Mearns have also found a further solution to fatigue where the combined route takes 50% of the core route and the core route takes 50% of the combined route. Feedback received from the Rep suggests this option seems be well received within the unit. Further work needs to be carried out to see if this is an option that can work in other units as Newton Mearns have singleton driving routes.


This was the first office to start the trial, and it looks like they have 20 walks that are all single vans. Can anyone confirm this?
If this is the case, of course it was always going to work there with minimal restructuring.

[tramssirhc]

Is it just me or are two of the statements not compatible; only way to reduce non driver fatigue is having them prep d2ds on a Saturday, but in the next breath, looking at giving them some outdoor work to support the drivers ....???

Got to be something planned if there are no D2D to prep which is happening a lot recently

The whole thing is just cobbled together on the back of a fag packet.
The truth is pretty blunt, non-drivers don't particularly fit into this new model and the union is pretty much willing to throw them under a bus to get this version of USO reform over the line

The narrative is there, Martin keeps telling the same story, there are only 6,000 non drivers, 60% without a license however obviously the non-drivers in London will need special consideration....

They do fit.

Monday - Friday

I know you say you wouldnt want it and be careful what you wish for but ive not spoken to a non driver who wouldnt want Mon - Fri

Its seems to be about placating the drivers under the guise of fairness rather than simply getting the USO reform over the line.

RM would agree to non drivers doing Monday-Friday as they know its the logical shift pattern

Anything else is simply trying to fit round pegs in square holes

Martin Walsh started the Monday to Friday debate because he had no other answer when workers with different contracts quite rightly kicked off about what they would be doing under Martin's delivery method. Then those who drive kicked off because it was looking like they were suffering a detriment. Martin panicked and started making up random nonsense like 'van assistants'. Now Martin is on the verge of naming every individual with a contract variation that doesn't fit his delivery model.

The long and short is that this is a CWU f**k up. The CWU has signed up to a model that never considered workers with contractual variations. Martin claimed everything had to be right before the CWU would agree to deploying a pilot. One of the those things that had to be right was accommodating workers with different contracts. As we can all see the CWU obviously didn't think these workers were one of the things that 'had to be right'.

[tramssirhc]

Is it just me or are two of the statements not compatible; only way to reduce non driver fatigue is having them prep d2ds on a Saturday, but in the next breath, looking at giving them some outdoor work to support the drivers ....???

Got to be something planned if there are no D2D to prep which is happening a lot recently

The whole thing is just cobbled together on the back of a fag packet.
The truth is pretty blunt, non-drivers don't particularly fit into this new model and the union is pretty much willing to throw them under a bus to get this version of USO reform over the line

The narrative is there, Martin keeps telling the same story, there are only 6,000 non drivers, 60% without a license however obviously the non-drivers in London will need special consideration....

I think you do a disservice to plans on the back of fag packets....some of the best revisions I have seen in RM over my 30 years have been on the back of a cage card. I'm looking forward to when the planners get hold of it and start telling us about call rates and attendance call rates and replenishment times and show without question that John Jess Joe and Janet can all do the work of 10 people and we can remove all the vans and everyone can have every other day off.

I'm selling tickets to the s**t show and they are going like hot cakes!

The CWU are the owner of that s**t show. It's easily sorted. Those with contract variations are planned for. If that means more singleton walking duties so be it. If that means more HCT's so be it. If that means more assistance for these duties so be it. However that's not what Martin signed up to. Martin signed up for less of us doing more. Profit before workers.

[tramssirhc]

The union should just come out and say that they’re going to throw non-drivers under the bus.

If the only way to reduce fatigue for them is to be indoors on a Saturday ( which will never ever happen ) then why are they suggesting that they could be outdoors on Saturdays also ? Absolutely gormless .

The CWU has categorically failed to protect all workers with a contractual variation which includes those with amended duties. It's easily sorted by planning for these workers through more singleton duties. That's not what the CWU signed up for though.

[tramssirhc]

Is it just me or are two of the statements not compatible; only way to reduce non driver fatigue is having them prep d2ds on a Saturday, but in the next breath, looking at giving them some outdoor work to support the drivers ....???

Got to be something planned if there are no D2D to prep which is happening a lot recently

The whole thing is just cobbled together on the back of a fag packet.
The truth is pretty blunt, non-drivers don't particularly fit into this new model and the union is pretty much willing to throw them under a bus to get this version of USO reform over the line

The narrative is there, Martin keeps telling the same story, there are only 6,000 non drivers, 60% without a license however obviously the non-drivers in London will need special consideration....

They do fit.

Monday - Friday

I know you say you wouldnt want it and be careful what you wish for but ive not spoken to a non driver who wouldnt want Mon - Fri

Its seems to be about placating the drivers under the guise of fairness rather than simply getting the USO reform over the line.

RM would agree to non drivers doing Monday-Friday as they know its the logical shift pattern

Anything else is simply trying to fit round pegs in square holes

Exactly this , despite a few non drivers on here saying they don’t want mon to fri, that is the solution and everyone knows it.

The 'solution' is to plan the changes properly taking into account the contractual status of every workers. The CWU's solution is to collaborate in the destruction of workers jobs

[tramssirhc]

1000s of legacy contracts will then simply refuse to do the 6 monthly checks on their licence to get the Mon-Fri attendance and the whole business will collapse like a flan in cupboard.

There would be the risk that should it ever transpire that thousands of people suddenly stopped doing something they were doing for years on a 'custom and practise' basis it could be argued by Royal Mail to be a form of industrial action.

Maybe not. But I dont think theyd make it easy.

No it couldn't. These are workers who have a contractual variation. They are under no obligation to do anything other than they are contractually obliged to.

[Perseus]

Less people doing more work, but not all over though.
The squeeze will be disproportionately put on offices that can be squeezed more due to how they are set up.
Offices that are mostly van share suburbia? Work til you drop.
Offices with a majority firms/rural duties? As you were.

[tramssirhc]

Its what they are not telling you
How much otime is being used in the pilot offices
The extra numbers of staff are not displaced so are also being used to supplement the workload
On the mon and tue call rates are over 90%
Not including d2ds

It absolutely is 'what they are not telling you'. Spot on.

[tramssirhc]

You can see how exactly how it's going to work from the trials.

In some cases it works and some it doesn't.

It will be down to local offices , managers and Reps to find a 'local' solution and that will be the end of that.

SNAFU. Just like it's always been. Workers who suffer.

[tramssirhc]

It would be nice for the union if they actually asked non drivers what option they would like to do on a Saturday if they are required to work rather than looking into Electric Trikes Bikes and HCTs, there are no HCT duties in my office and as I use a LWT on my delivery I won't be wanting to use a Bike or a Trike either.

The CWU should have planned what workers with contract variation would do. If that means more singleton duties with walking then thats what should have been planned.

[tramssirhc]

Less people doing more work, but not all over though.
The squeeze will be disproportionately put on offices that can be squeezed more due to how they are set up.
Offices that are mostly van share suburbia? Work til you drop.
Offices with a majority firms/rural duties? As you were.

It doesn't have to be like that and hopefully a local rep out there will see that it doesn't and will make the changes take contract variations into account.

[Perseus]

Less people doing more work, but not all over though.
The squeeze will be disproportionately put on offices that can be squeezed more due to how they are set up.
Offices that are mostly van share suburbia? Work til you drop.
Offices with a majority firms/rural duties? As you were.

It doesn't have to be like that and hopefully a local rep out there will see that it doesn't and will make the changes take contract variations into account.

It will be like that though - that is the very savings they are looking at. They won't be going easy on an office just because a rural office down the road a few miles stays as it is.
A medium sized mostly all suburban office, shared vans with say 60 walks in it is going to have 45 people doing the work that 60 people used to. Day in, day out. 30 full walks out each day, 15 parcel/1C only walks.