LTB 2010 AND BEYOND : DEPLOYMENT ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

[Geezer]

Letter to Branches


No. 641/2010 Date: 23rd July 2010

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS


Dear Colleague

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION 2010 AND BEYOND – DEPLOYMENT ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

In recent weeks the Union and Royal Mail have been working on an Engagement Framework to support consistent deployment of the Business Transformation Agreement.

A copy of the finalised document is attached.

The document consists of a series of standard meeting structures and detailed Terms of Reference for the various groups, due to be set up as part of the agreement.

The Engagement Framework is designed to improve the operation of the Industrial Relations Framework and also to link the various levels in both Royal Mail and CWU organisations.

All Royal Mail managers and CWU representatives participating in this Framework have a joint responsibility, for transforming and improving relationships in a way that is visible to all employees.

The Engagement Framework will be supported by a standardised reporting process that will enable both parties to gain factual information of all local revision activity.

All CWU Branches should immediately ensure that CWU representatives are made aware of the terms of this document.

In addition, Royal Mail and CWU will be discussing the operation of the Framework with Regional managers and CWU Divisional Representatives.

Any enquiries on the above should be directed to the DGS (P) Department.

Yours sincerely


Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)




BUSINESS

TRANSFORMATION

AGREEMENT:

2010 AND BEYOND


DEPLOYMENT ENGAGEMENT

FRAMEWORK


Introduction

This is an agreed summary of the approach to reviewing the preparation for and deployment of changes set out in the Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond National Agreement.

The approach consists of a series of standard meeting structures/ schedules alongside consistent reporting processes. The intention is to encourage a consistent approach to review, with the aim of keeping deployment on track whilst supporting the creation of a culture of mutual interests, by identifying common objectives and always seeking mutually acceptable solutions.

The agreement provides for a review process at all levels, and this summary sets out how this will be done. This approach will be jointly reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant and supportive of the process of deploying the agreement. Naturally, information on deployment activity will be more detailed the closer the process operates to local level. The quality and content of the information will evolve through the process.

This approach is designed to facilitate joint engagement and review during the period of the deployment of the agreement and in doing so to improve the operation of the Industrial Relations Framework. Joint problem solving will be utilised to help resolve any issues at the lowest possible level.

Taking this structured approach is also intended to support consistent deployment with continuity of service in a way that means unilateral action by either party is unnecessary.

This Framework covers in detail the main operational areas of delivery, processing and network. Similar engagement deployment principles will be applied in the specialist areas of engineering fleet services and MDECs as appropriate.

All Royal Mail managers and CWU Representatives participating in this Framework are responsible for transforming and improving relationships in a way that is visible at all employees.



TABLE OF CONTENTS


National Deployment Group page 4

Deployment Engagement Framework diagram page 5

New Strategic Involvement Framework page 6

National Relationships Group page 7

National Process Group page 8

National Delivery & Collection Group page 9

Logistics National Network Steering Group page 10

Regional/Divisional Level meetings page 11


NATIONAL DEPLOYMENT GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• To ensure all aspects of the Business Transformation Agreement are delivered in both spirit and content
• Review together overall progress on implementing the Business Transformation Agreement across the functions and within the Regions
• Review together data that demonstrates progress of deployment
• Review together progress of World Class Mail
• Jointly identify examples of best practice, together with reasons for any delays in overall modernisation rollout and agree action as appropriate
• Jointly identify how issues arising from deployment are best dealt with.
• Resolve any points of principle arising from the agreement


WAY OF WORKING

• Meetings chaired by Roger Poole Independent Facilitator, with support from Peter Harwood ACAS Chief Conciliator
• Core attendees HR Director, IR Director, Deputy General Secretary and CWU National Assistant Secretary Outdoor
• Meetings fortnightly initially - with all relevant functional directors and all relevant CWU national assistant secretaries attending alternate meetings or as required.
• Standard Agenda as follows
o Data based review of deployment and any recovery steps required
o Operational functional reports
o Generic operational reports including World Class Mail
o Relationships progress report
o In principle issues arising from deployment
o Key priorities for next period
o Sharing examples of best practice
o Communications issues



STRATEGIC INVOLVEMENT

DEPLOYING THE AGREEMENT

ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK


NEW STRATEGIC INVOLVEMENT FRAMEWORK


TERMS OF REFERENCE

• To provide opportunity to discuss strategic issues across the business agenda including business performance, commercial context and initiatives, trades union priorities and external environment
• To provide opportunity for CWU input and influence at the early development stages of relevant future business policy/plans
• To provide the high level framework for all engagement activity
• To determine any other joint policy development work required between meetings

WAY OF WORKING

• Meetings will be scheduled twice a year at business and regional level, in the Autumn and the Spring to link into the annual planning cycle.
• National meetings will be between the Managing Director, the Deputy General Secretary (Postal) and their senior teams
• Regional meetings will be between the Regional Operations Director, the Divisional Representatives and their senior teams
• The agenda will include
o Overview of business/region financial and operational performance
o Commercial context
o Union priorities and initiatives
o Employee and engagement activity and plans
o Overview of joint engagement forums and groups
o Policy development and future issues facing the business/union and plans to address these
• Appropriate confidentiality principles will apply to meetings to enable the full sharing and discussion of sensitive data.


NATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS GROUP


TERMS OF REFERENCE

• To prioritise and oversee agreed programme of work on transforming relationships
• To identify further opportunities to develop an improvement in relationships
• To ensure activity on improving relationships is delivered in a timely and quality way
• To oversee improvements to industrial and employee relations

WAY OF WORKING

• Group will meet monthly (linked to alternate National Deployment Group meetings)
• Sub groups to progress particular programmes/initiatives will be established as necessary, reporting to this group.
• Core attendees will be HR Director, IR Director, Deputy General Secretary (Postal) and CWU Assistant Secretary Outdoor with programme leads and others invited as required.
• Agenda will include:
o Data on industrial and employee relations measures
o Review planned programme of activity
o Reports from individual relationships programmes
o Relationships issues arising from deployment of agreement
o Communications




NATIONAL PROCESS GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• ensure ongoing strategic involvement in mail centre transformation plans and associated property impacts
• provide the opportunity for the union to influence these plans/objectives from an informed position.
• ensure shared understanding of the overall processing strategy as it develops
• discuss the forecast timetable for any proposed future mail centre network reviews/changes
• guide these reviews/changes in line with the agreed process
• review progress of regional reviews
• oversee appropriate communications that need to be circulated from national level on the programme
• ensure the Aims and Objectives of the Agreement are met

PROPOSED WAY OF WORKING

• The group will meet on a regular basis and as a minimum quarterly.
• Attendees will be the Process Director and Programme Managers from the business and the National Officer and appropriate CWU Postal Executive members
• Agenda will include
o An update on the progress of current reviews including whether success measures are being met in line with the Agreement
o Forthcoming review plans
o World Class Mail initiatives and plans
o Examples of best practice
o Issues arising from deployment of plans
o Key priorities for next period
o Communications




NATIONAL DELIVERY & COLLECTION GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Jointly review and monitor transformation progress in delivery
• Work together to ensure learning points are picked up and shared on a regional and national basis.
• Provide support and guidance in advance of revisions
• Ensure as far as possible a smooth transition through deployment of change, including delivery methods, attendance patterns, walk sequencing and shorter working week
• Review together the operational challenges, commercial opportunities and future plans for door to door and other commercial initiatives, with a view to capturing viable opportunities for both Royal Mail and employees and dealing with any workload issues.

PROPOSED WAY OF WORKING

• Group will meet quarterly and more often if required
• Attendees will be Collection & Delivery Director, Managing Director, Door to Door, National Officer, and members of their respective teams.
• The agenda will include
o Data based review of deployment
o Forthcoming operational plans
o Commercial initiatives/opportunities and Door to door plans
o World Class Mail initiatives and plans
o Examples of best practice
o Issues arising from revisions and deployment
o Key priorities for next period
o Communications




LOGISTICS NATIONAL NETWORK STEERING GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Ensure ongoing strategic involvement across Logistics including Network.
• Provide the opportunity for the union to influence plans from an informed position
• Ensure shared understanding of the overall Logistics/Network strategy as it develops
• Discuss the forecast timetable for any proposed future Network hub/unit review/changes
• Guide these reviews/changes in line with agreed processes.
• Clear any appropriate communications that need to be circulated from national level on the programme
• Sponsor the work of Network Working Groups (NWGs) that can investigate and review specific issues or areas of concern as identified by Royal Mail or CWU as appropriate

PROPOSED WAY OF WORKING

• Group will meet quarterly and more often if required
• Attendees will include the Logistics Director, the National Officer and respective teams
• Sub groups – Network Working Groups – will be established as required on specific issues and will report to the NSSG
• The agenda will include
o Data based review of deployment
o Forthcoming network plans
o Network Working Group reports and plans
o World Class Mail initiatives and plans
o Examples of best practice
o Issues arising from deployment
o Key priorities for next period
o Communications





REGIONAL/DIVISIONAL LEVEL MEETINGS


All regions/divisions will be expected to meet and operate in line with the following:-

STANDARD TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Review together progress within each function in implementing the Business Transformation Agreement
• Review together data that demonstrates progress of deployment in each function
• Review together progress on World Class mail within each function
• Jointly identify examples of best practice and ways of sharing them
• Jointly identify improvement opportunities and actions to address them
• Agree on any necessary communications relating to group discussions and decisions
• Consider how any issues arising from deployment will be resolved, using the IR framework if necessary and flag up to the NDG any points of principle
• Identify and agree appropriate meeting structures/standards for sector/area level and unit level to ensure they operate effectively and deliver a fresh approach to local change.
• Ensure that relationships are improved at regional, sector/area and unit level.

STANDARD WAY OF WORKING

• Meetings held at least monthly or more frequently if necessary.
• All relevant regional directors and divisional reps will attend, with others as invited
• Agenda to include
o Data based review of deployment
o Overview of all revision/change activity
o Review progress on relationship issues
o World Class Mail initiatives in hand and proposed
o Issues arising from deployment
o Share examples of best practice
o Key priorities for next period
o Communications.

[dvbuk55]

My word that IS a lot of meetings and discussions, that really will keep some people busy for the next three years, pity it won't be anyone who actually works

[fishtank]

My word that IS a lot of meetings and discussions, that really will keep some people busy for the next three years, pity it won't be anyone who actually works

Very much the chattering classes dvb.
I can't see any of us plebs getting an invite to such exalted gatherings.
All very noble in intention i'm sure but the question is how will they find out what is happening on the shop floor?...the same lines of information they have been using up to now?
The words "pointless waste of members contributions" spring to mind.

[clashcityrocker]

I don't see the terms of reference for the:

Why are our managers still cnuts ? meeting

[mr deeds]

whoopee all those protected on f/t release will be over the moon...meanwhile back at planet earth were still getting bullied and f*cked over

[andy2007]

My word that IS a lot of meetings and discussions, that really will keep some people busy for the next three years, pity it won't be anyone who actually works

Very much the chattering classes dvb.
I can't see any of us plebs getting an invite to such exalted gatherings.
All very noble in intention i'm sure but the question is how will they find out what is happening on the shop floor?...the same lines of information they have been using up to now?
The words "pointless waste of members contributions" spring to mind.

I disagree. I know that they've made some pretty major f**k ups recently, but this type of thing needs to be sorted out. I just hope they do a better job of it this time.

[fishtank]

I disagree. I know that they've made some pretty major f**k ups recently, but this type of thing needs to be sorted out. I just hope they do a better job of it this time.

I don't disagree with you Andy it's just that i don't have any confidence that they have learned from their mistakes.
Or even that they believe they have made any mistakes to start with.

[dvbuk55]

Well Andy I would have to ask what, in the last 5 years, gives you the impression that these talks are going to improve your terms and conditions by one iota? Like the agreement, they speak in generalities and the specifics are left to the local reps who are NOT privy to the discussions, merely informed of the outcome.

[andy2007]

If they're done effectively, then they will reduce the amount of ambiguity, which as we all know, is used by Managers to make things worse than they need to be for us. But I do agree, that over the last few years, they've been causing problems, instead of solving them. But that's a problem with the Reps at the meetings, rather than the concept of having the meetings.

I just hope that they realise that they've been making mistakes, and learn from them. But I can't say that I'm confident of that happening.

[dvbuk55]

Andy,the management are past masters at ambiguity, only today I had a stark example of what was supposed to be a reassuring statement to the staff - no I won't explain, I will give you the statement and then you tell me what YOU think it meant:

Duties will be fair and the systems applied equally

Well there it is, I queried the statement for two reasons and once you have said what you think it means - I'll give you the explanation I received.

[Cut Off King]

RE: first post

What a buch of Bullshit that bares no resemblance to whats happening on the front line

[pickaname]

RE: first post

What a buch of Bullshit that bares no resemblance to whats happening on the front line

I agree with this.

The crazy situation at my offfice is that there is nowhere RM can park 60 vans needed for park and loop. Nowhere except an NCP car park that charges over £1000 per annum per van.

The only site other than this is some industrial land 5 miles from the office.

One option being touted is that we would prep our deliveries and place it into trolley pouches, load these into one of the huge artic lorries which would take it to the car park.

We would then be shuttled via mini bus to the car park where we would unload the trolleys and load our CDVs. We would then return to the car park after delivery and be shuttled back to the office.

An absolute shocking nonsense and waste of time/resources. No wonder the company is screwed when you have plans like this on the table.

[fishtank]

The only site other than this is some industrial land 5 miles from the office.

I think this may be the final solution.....not just for the vans but the whole office...or some other industrial estate nearby.
There are plenty of empty units in every industrial estate up and down the country and how long would it take to move,a couple of days at most.
Everybody has to get away from the idea that their D.O. is somehow immovable just because it's been there a long time.
Now that the delivery methods are moving to a more mobile workforce it allows Royal Mail far more scope to get rid of awkward town centre D.O.s with limited parking,high rates and slow inefficient road links.

[Lincox]

Andie, having been a manager in a past life in a FT top 100 company, I am well versed in the practices that Royal Mail and the CWU are deploying. I am afraid that holding all of these meetings will provide as much outcome as the select committees that are held within parliament produce. Absolutely naff all. It is just a load of desk bound tie wearing people earning megga bucks and trying to justify their existence. Until the CWU and Royal Mail come down to the shop floor and hold their meetings in front of the folk that are doing the job at the coalface and discuss with them the daily problems they face and the problems local managers are facing trying to run a business without the skilled man power to operate efficiently and supply a professional service to the people of the UK, then we are heading for the bottom. The reason I got out of my past life was due to the lack of support from Senior Management who have one purpose in life and that is to create profit at any expense and unfortunately they are so blinkered in their thinking that their only way of making profit is reducing costs, which means decimate terms and conditions and make the workforce work harder. It seems that the harder Senior Managers work the richer they become, whereas the harder the manual workforce are made to work the poorer they become. They cannot see that a well paid, motivated workforce is the most important factor in making a business successful. A well paid and motivated workforce does not go off sick unless it is absolutely necessary. They are prepared to go the extra mile for the company. Cutting off would be the last thing on their minds. Meeting after useless meeting will not change anything, until the mindset of management changes, and it is the same with the union top dogs. They need to get out in the battlegrounds and that is not just the big mail centres of London and the large cities. They need to get out to the rurals and the smaller towns and villages and see what is happening to this once great company. Unfortunately I think the funeral march will be sounding shortly, as I cannot see anything change within RM or the CWU.

[jessicarabbit]

The final solution......wasn't that what the nazis called the gas chambers....is that where we are headed????????