CWU Wins New Deal for Hard-Working Post Office Members

[Big Daz]

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/cwu-win ... mbers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2nd February 2010



CWU members working for Post Office Limited (POL) will have the opportunity to elect new reps, or stand for election themselves, if they approve a draft industrial relations (IR) framework which will "promote and enhance the role of the union at work."

Assistant secretary Andy Furey explained that under the current arrangements - which date back to 1996 - the union has nine territorial reps (TRs) and section secretaries in post, most of whom have ad-hoc or part-time release and, in many instances, also combine their IR responsibilities with a health and safety (H&S) role.

"Obviously, I've got nothing but the greatest praise for the hard work and dedication of these reps, who are the backbone of our organisation at POL," insisted Andy.

But the reps' fairly limited facility time, heavy caseloads and a consequent inconsistent level of representation has meant poor accessibility for some members.

The proposed new agreement - which has been agreed in negotiations with POL and was endorsed by the union's postal executive today - vastly improves this situation, providing for a total of 33 fully recognised and full-time CWU reps - adding 20 area and four H&S lay officials to the existing, and now also wholly full-time, TR team.

This is expected to help ease the quite heavy caseload of the TCRs, while complementing and supporting the work that they do and allowing them to be involved with national policy issues.
If the plan is endorsed by members, then elections will take place for these new positions over the following couple of months, with the new set up scheduled for launch in April.

Describing the plan as a "win-win" deal, Andy said: "Under the proposed new arrangements, our members will be assured of more consistent union representation as and when they need it, from specialist reps who can dedicate all their time to dealing with these issues.

"But POL staff - and the new area reps - will still be able to call on the expertise of our more senior territorial reps as and when more serious issues arise," he added.

And the introduction of four dedicated regional health and safety reps has been warmly welcomed by the union's national health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce, who "fully endorses the health and safety aspect to this agreement, which is in keeping with arrangements that apply in Royal Mail.
"These dedicated representatives will, in time, will develop professionalism, expertise and experience," he predicted, adding that the agreement reached with POL proved that industrial relations with the company are "relatively good" at present.

Looking ahead to the next stage, Andy Furey said: "Now that the postal executive has scrutinised our draft agreement and given it the 'thumbs up', we go forward to a national briefing and then we'll send the agreement for a branch ballot.".
Subject to approval, an individual members' ballot will then take place to elect the new reps once nominations have been received from the branches.

Summing up his views on the draft agreement, Andy said: "We need to modernise and professionalise our CWU representational structure in a way that will best serve our members and will stand the test of time."
The new agreement ( Industrial Relations Framework Agreement Jan 2010), if approved, will apply to members in crown offices as well as in admin and cash centres, but not to our cash-in-transit people, who will continue to operate under the Royal Mail Industrial Relations Framework Agreement.

[billyhayes]

LESS REPS VISITING MORE OFFICES. How is this a good thing for the membership? There are CWU areas of about a dozen or so offices. The new 'cam areas' will add many more. All this means is LESS TIME TO VISIT MORE MEMBERS.

[The BFO]

Billyhayes please explain – I am genuinely ignorant of this. The CWU release says there will be more representatives, but you say there will be less. How so?

[billyhayes]

When I go to Territory meetings there are around a dozen or more reps.

There are 2 other territories, (there are a different number of reps in each I think).

Now there will only be 20 reps NATIONALLY. Don't be fooled by the other numbers (33 according to CWU propaganda) as they are used up with 4 H&S reps and the other 9 are going to be based in HQ etc.

Now the CWU, (read Furey ), is playing puppy to POL ideas and having 1 rep per CAM area. Whereas now there may be 2 reps crossing over the same CAM area.

There are 20 Cam areas.

This means that we will now have to cover MORE offices than before... ie from 12 to 20ish and so on.

Even though it will be FULL release for all 20 reps, they will also have to go to regular CAM and BM meetings.

When do we get a chance during our 35hr release to see the people who are paying their subs? I work it out to be maybe 2 or 3 days a week average.

AND... the change to the Deputy role now means that only in 'emergency' situations will there be cover for the normal rep when they are on leave.

Another rep from a different area is expected to cover for the 5/6 weeks annual leave and vice-versa.

I can assure you that there will be mass areas of offices that will be unrepresented during the summer leave weeks! How is someone expected to cover their own new and larger area plus another who is on A/L????

The best way is to judge for yourselves. If you have a rep that is ALREADY on full release, how often do you get a visit, and for how long?

If after the changes on 5th April it is MORE often and for a LONGER time, then you as a membership have gained. If not, as many of us suspect, it won't be, you have been SOLD OUT.. AGAIN!

From the mouth of our great leader himself: "We need to modernise and professionalise our CWU representational structure in a way that will best serve our members and will stand the test of time."

Spot the keywords there? MODERNISE and PROFESSIONALISE, (is that a word?), this means CUTS people! And is only serving POL..

VOTE NO! THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED TO OUR MEMBERS ACROSS MOST OF THIS REGION

[The BFO]

Thanks for the explanation. Where did this idea originate?

[billyhayes]

If I had to guess, POL put forward the motion and the National Officer took the bait; hook, line and sinker.

[The BFO]

I suspect you are right! I've never understood why the Union need to organise along the same lines as Management - particularly since they change so often.

It looks like we will lose our current Rep., and I for one am not happy about it.

[MinisterofCucumber]

"Subject to approval, an individual members' ballot will then take place to elect the new reps once nominations have been received from the branches."

Does anyone know what the rules will be governing nominations?

Will this be a fair election in which any member can stand, or will only 'branch-approved' candidates be allowed to stand?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

"Subject to approval, an individual members' ballot will then take place to elect the new reps once nominations have been received from the branches."

Does anyone know what the rules will be governing nominations?

Will this be a fair election in which any member can stand, or will only 'branch-approved' candidates be allowed to stand?

The answers will be the same as for us in "Letters" but as this will be a "Counters" election not sure any of us could stand.

[MinisterofCucumber]

We ignore what happens in Counters at our peril.

Management use Counters as a testing ground. If you want to see the future, look at POL.

A lot of CWU are dismissive of Counters and see them as weak because they work in an office-type environment. There is a belief that Counters get 'the representation they deserve'. I do not hold these views.

Counters staff are on the front line. They work in isolated groups of between 8 and 20 under close managerial supervision. This 'family' set-up gives management a huge advantage. These workers pay the same subs and are entitled to effective representation. As a union we should be sending in our best to support these beleagered people.

[velocity]

When do we get a chance during our 35hr release to see the people who are paying their subs? I work it out to be maybe 2 or 3 days a week average.

That's a lot more than the vast majority have at the moment. Only 2 POL Reps on full time release of IR, there are 29 Branches, covering 122 offices (approx a third of the UK) without any pre scheduled release at the moment, and only 13 where it reached double figures.

When do most our Reps get the time to visit offices at the moment? Quite simple - they don't. The new agreement means 20 Area Reps, plus 9 Territorial Reps (NOT based in HQ at all) plus 2 PEC members (based in HQ). It doubles the facility time out there for IR.

As for the Territories, there may be 12 Branches in the Eastern Territory, but how often do they all turn up for a Territorial meeting? Likewise with the 20 in the North and the 16 in the West?

It's all right saying it ain't broke so why fix it. Unfortunately, it's been broke for some time now, and it needs fixing urgently.

Vote No? Don't be daft! Tell POL to stuff their 700 hours for Area Reps, we'll keep our 349 for Section Secretaries? keep their 9 full time TRs, we'll keep our 8 and a half? Nah, I don't think so!

[billyhayes]

I see that is the only thing you picked up on with that quote.

So you do not deny that from 35-40 reps nationally down to 20 is LESS then?

Could you also clarify how I am supposed to cover for my neighbouring reps annual leave for two weeks plus visit my own offices, without an ACTUAL deputy?
As the DAR role can only be used in emergencies with authorisation by the cam.

I have found that just going out to an office, or sending the deputy out, (just because, no real reason), how appreciative the members are of the visit.

Now when I am on annual leave and members might like just to see someone, well tough, its not an EMERGENCY

[velocity]

The number of Reps getting the time to actually visit their offices will be more. As for neighbouring Reps covering leave, well if an Area Reps is doing their job, you're right. they won't have the time to be available to do that, so it means the deputy will need to be released to deal with things.

I know what you mean about members being appreciative of seeing their rep in their office. If the deal goes through, I suspect that many offices will be seeing a CWU Rep for the first time in years. If it deosn't go through, then what do they do when they want to see a Rep, not just for two weeks, but at any time of the year?

[billyhayes]

Some good points there. What does happen if a no vote goes through, (which I doubt, as the 'political' game has been played quite well), what is the union going to do to address the issue of un-represented areas? Will HQ throw the dummy out the pram and sulk or will they ensure that these areas do not go without.. As they have for a long while...

[The BFO]

You’re losing me a bit with the facts and figures, but as an ordinary simple sole working on the counter there are a couple of things that occur to me;
1. Our current, and probably outgoing, Rep. lives over 80 miles away from our office, as does the probable replacement.
2. When they come to the office they have 10 minutes or so to speak to individuals in their tea break. If we want to talk as a group we have to have a meeting after working hours which I think asks a lot of the person concerned, given the distances involved, and the thankless task they do.
3. How will the new arrangements improve upon this?
4. Should we not be considering more modern and effective ways of communicating, perhaps by using this Forum for example?
I note that in his weekly message Mr Richard Barker, Head of the Crown Network, after telling us that we will ‘tax more cars at the end of the month’, says that the new CWU arrangements will; ‘provide better trained Reps. who are more able to support our teams’.
Some recommendation…