Lapsing and 'The Agreement'.

[NewPostieUK]

We have to lapse every day, regardless if you can do it within your duty time. If you can't you simply claim overtime. In theory if you don't want overtime, you bring back (or don't take out) stuff for your own duty, but still do the lapsing.
This makes no sense to me, I'm positive that it's costing more to lapse walks than it would to just pay someone to do them. I'm sure it's to do with staffing, or lack of, rather than savings (and the drop in mail volume).
Holidays and sickness seem to be covered this way as well. I've read a few times on here that lapsing is only meant to be done to fill in hours, where there isn't enough work (usually due to falling volumes). Is this correct and is there anything we can do about being forced to lapse? Was the issue mentioned in the Agreement that we voted on? We'd have a better argument if it's in black and white.
We currently have loads of vans dropping off part timers to do 12 calls, picking them up, dropping them off at their walk, driving miles in the other direction etc etc all wasting time and fuel.
I'm not sure how far along in the revision my office is, but a lot of people are surprised that we are still lapsing, and also doing up to 6 door to doors when no changes have been made yet, no provision to 'taking the weight off our shoulders'. Surely doubling the amount of door to doors is putting weight on our shoulders?
Oh - no I don't know where the rep is in all this...

[TrueBlueTerrier]

We have to lapse every day, regardless if you can do it within your duty time. If you can't you simply claim overtime. In theory if you don't want overtime, you bring back (or don't take out) stuff for your own duty, but still do the lapsing.
This makes no sense to me, I'm positive that it's costing more to lapse walks than it would to just pay someone to do them. I'm sure it's to do with staffing, or lack of, rather than savings (and the drop in mail volume).

It makes no sense to me either and your right it is costing more hence the current reported loss in RM letters, and again IMHO your right its nothing to do with savings or mail volumes - but it has a lot to do with the Politics of privatization.

Holidays and sickness seem to be covered this way as well. I've read a few times on here that lapsing is only meant to be done to fill in hours, where there isn't enough work (usually due to falling volumes). Is this correct and is there anything we can do about being forced to lapse? Was the issue mentioned in the Agreement that we voted on? We'd have a better argument if it's in black and white.

Holidays should not be covered by lapsing unless its immediate compassionate leave or any unplanned absence such as sickness.Can you do anything about being forced to lapse - yes work to time and do what they want in the way they want. Dont inflate their bonus by trying to make lapsing work at your expense, make it work at theirs.

Lapsing is not part of the BT2010 agreement it came about through the previous agreement which lead to the strikes in 2009 and its called "Pay and Modernisation Agreement 2007". BT2010 does have a very small effect on lapsing but it has not been withdrawn when implementing new revisions as some thought.

We currently have loads of vans dropping off part timers to do 12 calls, picking them up, dropping them off at their walk, driving miles in the other direction etc etc all wasting time and fuel.

Yep madness aint it but carry on when QofS, bonuses start to fall and Complaints and fines start to pile up they may "revisit" your offices version of lapsing.

I'm not sure how far along in the revision my office is, but a lot of people are surprised that we are still lapsing, and also doing up to 6 door to doors when no changes have been made yet, no provision to 'taking the weight off our shoulders'. Surely doubling the amount of door to doors is putting weight on our shoulders?
Oh - no I don't know where the rep is in all this...

6 D2Ds - thats not due till Jan and they should have allowed time for you to prep them, if not extend or cut off.

[Phantom]

Work till your time and cut off! Simple

[Exrep]

Under our area lapsing agreement your own walk does not suffer ( Have any bring backs) as lapsing is only done were time exists.

If your bringing back on your own duty its plane to see there's no time in your duty to lapse .

What time does your office plan say you should be out the office this should be displayed for all to see if not why ?

Example :Plan says out the office 09.30 you don't leave until 10.00 this is another clear example time doesn't exists.

I will try and get a copy and put it up for you to read.

[POSTMAN]

In theory if you don't want overtime, you bring back (or don't take out) stuff for your own duty, but still do the lapsing.

I would flag this up to the ADR,who should flag it to the DIV rep who should flag it to HQ that your walks are being wilfull delayed in the name of savings.

[NewPostieUK]

So it's an agreement, but not THE agreement, that lapsing is only done when time allows? Well, this agreement is being broken. Theres been a couple of people spoken to about leaving their lapsing, and now they take it every day, and claim. I've seen a walk split between 5 or 6 people to cover sickness and possibly holiday, and they get paid overtime, just like lapsing, looks like the same thing to me, although it seems to be optional when this occurs.

I may be wrong about the door to doors, I've done 6 once, and that was a mistake, but I've done 5 a couple of times, and 4 every day. But it's still more work and weight.

There's no set time for leaving the office. We have walk logs, and when I've pointed out that it's impossible to fully prep, lapse and get to first delivery point in an hour, it's pointed out that it doesn't take 3 1/2 hours to do the walk (despite saying it does in the walk log).

Yes we can work to our time, but it's so annoying to have to go miles out of our way to deliver one street, and our own duties suffer.

[fishtank]

Absorbing Hours & Covering for One Another
Aims
• To jointly identify/implement genuine opportunities to absorb outdoor and/or
indoor workload where time exists within approved attendance times/normal
paid work hours.
• To provide sensible options for the business to take advantage of
opportunities to increase efficiency when workload declines, or there are
absences.
• To put in place regular and robust consultation/dialogue between managers
and CWU representatives in respect of the resourcing arrangements.
• To ensure quality of service is not adversely affected by any new
arrangements.
• To reduce the reliance on causal and agency staff wherever possible on an
ongoing basis
• To give people the opportunity to cover for one another or swap duties
providing there is no additional cost to the business, to reduce absence and
assist with domestic situations etc.
• To provide the appropriate training so that employees are multi-skilled and
able to work more flexibly.
• To create a working environment where employees, CWU reps and managers
feel valued and motivated.
• To provide a better work life balance for employees

I think that your manager has failed on almost every single aim of the absorbing hours section of P&M2007 but especially the red ones.

[snails48]

if i do lapseing and am over my time on own duty icant claim overtime .is this right

[POSTMAN]

if i do lapseing and am over my time on own duty icant claim overtime .is this right

Of course you can claim,whether you are doing lapsing or not.
And welcome to the mad house.

[taurus88]

if i do lapseing and am over my time on own duty icant claim overtime .is this right

You can either claim or cut off. If they tell you you can't claim then you tell them you're cutting off - simple. Then see if their flat earth version of reality is amenable to any kind of (positive) change.

[bazboy166]

Lapsing should only be taking place were time allows ie on a Tuesday etc If you have enough mail on your duty for a days work no lapsng should be taking place. NO STREAM LINING of mail should be taking place, were you concentrate on first class and pull other letters .Royal Mail is not allowed to be gaining an unfair advantage by discriminating against other companies mail.if this is happening get onto your rep straight away.

[NewPostieUK]

Lapsing should only be taking place were time allows ie on a Tuesday .

Because tuesdays are less busy, we get an hour less.

[coxie]

You don't have to take the lapsed walk out, it was meant that if you have time to do it you go back to the office and get it then go out and do it, I take mine if I know I will have time but if I am unsure I tell my manager I am within my rights to come back at the end and get it and so leave it there.