UPDATE

[lovejoy]

RE: Update on Progress with the Interim Agreement

The purpose of this LTB is to give branches, representatives and members a comprehensive update on progress with the interim agreement following yesterday’s Postal Executive meeting.

This report is broken down into the following sections:

- Resolution to local disputes
- National negotiations
- The independent review meetings
- Summary

The afore-mentioned sections are designed to fully reflect all the activities covered by the interim agreement.

The PEC also had the opportunity to take stock of the overall situation and this LTB includes helpful correspondence which will re-assure branches over Royal Mail’s regional plans and 2010 budget / local revision activity.

Resolution to Local Disputes

The interim agreement included the ability for all offices to either review or re-negotiate 2009 local change – dependent on whether change had been introduced by agreement or imposed by Royal Mail executive action. The agreement also included the terms of re-engagement at local level covering all the contentious issues that normally arise from a national dispute.

In order to track local progress, CWU divisional representatives and Royal Mail regional managers were jointly tasked with holding regular meetings with a common agenda that highlighted key elements of the interim agreement. This was then cross referenced with the actual progress being made at local level. Reports from these divisional / regional meetings have been fed back to the national parties and are then reviewed through the independent process.

Initially, in some areas, there were major problems in implementing the local aspects of the agreement. However, recent reports demonstrate we are now making progress in all regions.

We have developed a detailed summary report covering all local offices and this shows positive engagement is now taking place in over 95% of local units and agreement has been reached in approximately 70 units. The summary report is being shared with divisional representatives and it has been agreed that confirmation of local agreements requires joint sign off by the local parties.

In terms of the overall situation regarding the local elements of the interim agreement it can be seen that things are now moving forward although we want to see evidence of more agreements being reached in the next week or so.

National Negotiations

To take forward the national key principles of the interim agreement a negotiating structure was agreed covering operational change, job security issues, reward and relationships. This structure is supplemented by plenary sessions every Thursday where progress is reviewed on all the negotiations with the independent chair and ACAS.

The Postal Executive were given an update on the various strands of the negotiations by the relevant national officers. This can be summarised by saying that in the operational change meetings covering delivery, mail centres and the network, although draft proposals had been exchanged, negotiations were proving difficult particularly in delivery. However, it was felt that the review meeting of the 3rd December had given fresh impetus to the talks and the officers were hopeful that real progress could be made this week.

On the other elements of the talks covering reward, job security issues and relationships, it was reported that negotiations were moving forward, albeit, it was recognised that we had not yet reached a pivotal stage.

The Independent Review Meetings

There have now been three independent review meetings facilitated by Roger Poole, the independent chair, and ACAS. At the 3rd December review meeting we received an in-commercial confidence presentation from Mark Higson, the Managing Director, and his team. The presentation contained some new and helpful information in the context of the impact of Royal Mail’s transformation programme on jobs, full time to part time ratios and mail centre rationalisation.

In the question and answer session that followed the union received strong assurances from the Managing Director that the company’s plans would be shaped by any final agreement. Furthermore, the independent chair also made it clear to both parties that his expectation was that the agreement would shape the future of the business. Overall, this was seen as a helpful session for the union.

The review meeting then received reports on the state of play in all the negotiations. This was followed by suggestions from ACAS and Roger Poole on how we could remove barriers that were preventing progress in some areas. As a result of the 3rd December review meeting there have been some helpful developments:

• ACAS will now directly assist delivery talks.
• Royal Mail has clarified their negotiating teams to ensure key players are always in attendance.
• There has been an important exchange of correspondence (attached) which provides the union with strong assurances over the status of the company’s regional plans and 2010 planned budget / local revision activity. It is important that branches convey the content of this exchange of correspondence to all local representatives.
• The independent chair explained that he would be sending out a communication (attached to LTB 1070/09) outlining his views on the current situation.

Summary

It can be seen from the afore-mentioned that, at this stage, the decision to engage external support is proving beneficial.

In taking stock of the overall situation, including the assurances given by Royal Mail over planned 2010 change, the Postal Executive yesterday accepted two very important points:

- The union must continue to put our faith in the independent process as the only realistic way of securing a full and final agreement.
- A return to strike action will be a last resort and will only be triggered if there is a breakdown in negotiations.

We are now focusing all our efforts on trying to finalise an agreement before Christmas. The Postal Executive has agreed to meet again on the 16th December to review the situation. A further report will be issued in due course.

Yours sincerely


Dave Ward Martin Collins
Deputy General Secretary (P) Assistant Secretary

Ray Ellis Bob Gibson
Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary

Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary



Our Ref : DW/NC/24209

4th December 2009

Mr Dale Haddon
HR Director
Royal Mail Letters
HR Director
35 Rathbone Place
London W1P 1HQ


Dear Dale

At yesterday’s review meeting, I explained that speculation about the status of Royal Mail’s regional plans and 2010 local budget / revision activity is damaging confidence in the negotiating process.

In response, you provided the meeting with assurances that Royal Mail’s regional plans did not necessarily reflect Royal Mail policy, had not been finalised and were at a very early stage of the drafting process.

You also gave assurances to the meeting that 2010 budgets / local revision activity had not been finalised and you stated that it would be premature for managers to discuss these matters with local reps.

You did recognise the potential for the afore-mentioned issues to damage confidence and you gave the meeting assurances that both the regional plans and 2010 local revision activity would ultimately be shaped by the outcome of our national negotiations and any final agreement.

The independent chair, Roger Poole, and ACAS also confirmed that your assurances were in line with their expectations, their understanding of the interim agreement and status of our national negotiations.

In the circumstances, it would be helpful if you could now confirm the assurances you gave yesterday in correspondence.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)


Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary
Communication Workers Union
150 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
Royal Mail Centre
35 Rathbone Place
London
W1T 1HQ

Tel: 020 7016 2801
Fax: 020 7016 2955
dale.haddon@royalmail.com
http://www.royalmail.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Dear Dave

In response to your letter of earlier today, and the questions you raised at yesterdays’ review meeting, I am happy to confirm the position regarding Regional Plans and our planning process, which is, as you appreciate, something that all businesses do each year.

The plans being drawn up by regions currently are very much at an early drafting stage; they do not necessarily reflect Royal Mail’s policy. They are a first cut and will be subject to considerable refinement before they are finalised. Budget planning is part of this process and it would be premature for this to be the subject of discussion with local representatives at this stage.

I can also confirm that the 2010 Regional Plans and revision activity will ultimately be shaped to reflect the outcome of our National negotiations and any final agreement.

Yours sincerely


Yours sincerely

Dale Haddon
HR Director

[Glenno]

Thankyou Lovejoy for the Comprehensive Update bit more meat on this one
Whaaatsssaammaaaaattttaaaa cat got your tongues!!!!!!!

[Big Daz]

A very interesting update.


Just a matter of if we end up voting yes or no and then the very important question from dvbuk 55 which was what happens in a no vote situation?

[Cut Off King]

Whaaatsssaammaaaaattttaaaa cat got your tongues!!!!!!!

The point is that after a month of negotiations, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED, I still have a S**T duty impossed by EA.

[ldsposti]

well done at least we now have something to show the members instead of saying "no news", not sure if i should show this to the dim he seems to think all the changes he has planned for next year are going ahead, the way i read it only if we get a national agreement am i right or wrong ?

[fishtank]

Dave Ward
"would ultimately be shaped by the outcome of our national negotiations and any final agreement. "
Dale Haddon
"will ultimately be shaped to reflect the outcome of our National negotiations and any final agreement"


It's all in the fine detail.

[dvbuk55]

Whaaatsssaammaaaaattttaaaa cat got your tongues!!!!!!!

The point is that after a month of negotiations, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED, I still have a S**T duty impossed by EA.

Actually hardly anything will change until the final agreement and even then it will be a long programme. There was never any chance that the interim agreement was going to change things. It was a vehicle to call off the strikes with the implied suggestion that things could be re-negotiated and that was disingenuous. It would not be possible to reverse the changes in an office of any size, by returning duties to their EA imposition for obvious reasons, cut in hours to part time duties, EVR, Park and Loop, loss of duties, redeployment of existing transport and the hiring of extra vehicles. Realistically the interim agreement was a pipedream.

That has now gone by the board what needs to be addressed now is the new agreement, that has yet to be unveiled

[dvbuk55]

Dave Ward
"would ultimately be shaped by the outcome of our national negotiations and any final agreement. "
Dale Haddon
"will ultimately be shaped to reflect the outcome of our National negotiations and any final agreement"


It's all in the fine detail.

I just wonder how many will notice the difference in the fine detail fishtank? Well spotted, maybe that is an indication of things to come.

[Danelectro]

Hey id really like to say this update answered all my questions and filled me with hope but i dont see the meat on the bones just more padding on the spin.If its in the fine detail then ive never been any bloody good at cryptic crosswords anyway,so why after over 4 weeks they are still only agreeing 'negotiating structures' and that royal mail have gave 'strong assurances' (Mark Higsons secretary has knocked up a letter and sent it to Dave Ward) and Roger Poole has said 'nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed' meaning they cant really tell us anything until the s**t and the fan are firmly in place.Bingos explanation for this in another thread didnt do it for me either.But hey ho leave it to the experts im sure they know what they are doing...

[shrew1]

Dave Ward
"would ultimately be shaped by the outcome of our national negotiations and any final agreement. "
Dale Haddon
"will ultimately be shaped to reflect the outcome of our National negotiations and any final agreement"


It's all in the fine detail.

I just wonder how many will notice the difference in the fine detail fishtank? Well spotted, maybe that is an indication of things to come.

Don't know if this is it.....but the word "reflect" looks suspicious to me. Is that another word for ....we'll inturpret the agreement the way we see fit?

[Lincox]

I hope that once an agreement has been achieved and ratified by us the members, ACAS and Roger Poole will continue to oversee the agreement, because as we all know a reflection isn,t always an image of what the mirror is looking at, especially if the mirror is distorted in any way. Not to say that Royal Mail management is distorted in any way Cough Cough.........

[Ahebban]

It would appear all the parties are clear on one thing ... no industrial action before christmas. Other than that I see little in the way of progress being made, hence the spin to convince that all will be well come christmas day!

[POSTMAN]

You also gave assurances to the meeting that 2010 budgets / local revision activity had not been finalised and you stated that it would be premature for managers to discuss these matters with local reps.

But this bit is bollox as many of you have already stated that your managers have talked about 2010 revisions and cuts!

I would suggest this LTB especially the 2 letters be sent to all reps asap.

[dpb]

"There have now been three independent review meetings facilitated by Roger Poole, the independent chair, and ACAS. At the 3rd December review meeting we received an in-commercial confidence presentation from Mark Higson, the Managing Director, and his team. The presentation contained some new and helpful information in the context of the impact of Royal Mail’s transformation programme on jobs, full time to part time ratios and mail centre rationalisation. "

for In-commercial confidence read gagging order. Jobs, part time ratios and mailcentre closures are something we need to know about. There are hundreds of staff in limbo in Mail centres up and down the country. RM should be honest with these people and just publish the closure program so staff can at least make plans for their futures. I think they are afraid to come clean untill an agreement is voted on and signed up.

[Ahebban]

My DIM DOM is so desperate to have his bespoke budget plan for 2010-2011 deployed at our DO .. but he has had orders from on high to hold off ... for now