Managers Briefing

[Big Daz]

Managers brief – to share with your people

Strike action
The union has taken its fourth national strike – two of which were spread out over four days to ‘maximise the impact on the business’.

It has also notified us of further action, which comprises two more weeks of rolling action taking us up to 17 August. By that time people will have lost six days’ pay – which is around £400 each.

The strikes have now costs us dearly:
Our quality of service has been ruined. We will miss all our targets this year and could be fined up to £350 million, unless we can convince Postcomm not to apply the fine.
Our relationship with our customers is damaged and many of them are moving away from mail altogether because they no longer have confidence in the service.
Our finances are worsening as the customers switch off their mailings or move to downstream access.

After months of negotiations we have been very clear that there is no more money available for pay. The union will not accept this – even though most postmen and women are telling us that they would take the current package on offer - 2.5 per cent on basic pay, £800 ColleagueShare dividend, plus the 50:50 productivity scheme.

It appears that the union is pursuing a political agenda – challenging the decision to open up the market to competition and the role and regulatory regime of Postcomm. These are matters for government and nothing to do with the running of Royal Mail.

Network 2007
We have been inundated with questions about the planned changes to network and the knock-on impact in delivery. Understandably, everyone wants to know what’s going on and what it means for them. We want to end the uncertainty, so we are announcing our proposals.

The Network 2007 project is driven by changes in the law that mean that 7.5 tonne vehicles can’t travel over 56 miles per hour. This will slow down many of our vehicles delaying the network, and in particular the arrival of mail into many of our delivery units. This is why we are introducing later duty start times. Normal duties will start at 0600 – 0630, although some duties may start earlier to receive feeder services, cut tip and start mails preparation and look after the firms’ deliveries.

We need to introduce the network changes well before Christmas and give them time to bed down, so we can be sure to be ready for the new speed legislation in January 2008. That’s why the network changes are scheduled for 1 October 2007. The delivery changes are being done slightly in advance to give us time to iron out any wrinkles and are scheduled to be introduced by 17 September 2007.

Protecting the early start allowance
We have made it very clear that under the current terms of the MTSF agreement, people who have been earning the early start allowance in delivery for six months or more can be certain that it will continue to be paid for up to three years if they move to a later start time.

We agreed with the CWU, as part of last year’s productivity deal, that the combined value of the early start allowance in delivery would be ring-fenced and built into a future pay deal. We have been trying to agree with the CWU how the money will be distributed but have been unable to progress these talks because of the dispute over pay.

In the meantime, we have been listening to the feedback from our people and our managers and it has become clear that, rather than redistributing the cash as part of a wider pay deal, people would prefer it was protected for those people currently earning the money.

Since this will cost the business exactly the same amount of money, we are proposing to the CWU that we give individuals personal rights to the early shift allowance, as long as they stay in this job. Known as ‘grandfather rights’ this would happen once the changes have been deployed successfully in the office. This would apply to people in delivery who have been earning the allowance for six months or more or who have it protected under MTSF.

We will be talking about the impact of the changes in this office – and will consider people’s personal circumstances, such as childcare responsibilities and second jobs before we confirm the new duties.

Sunday collections
We have also decided to stop street box collections on Sundays. Customer demand for Sunday collections is very low - less than one per cent of mail volumes - and the cost of handling the mail collected is disproportionately high. The unit cost of the small volume involved is about four times more than for mail posted at other times.

Making this change will enable us to reduce costs with little impact on customers. We will give notice of the change to customers and those bulk customers who justify and require a Sunday collection as an advance ‘Monday service’ will continue to receive a collection.

Sunday collections are not part of our universal service obligations. Nevertheless, we have consulted with Postcomm and Postwatch on our proposals. We are discussing an implementation date with Postcomm of around the end of October this year.

ESOS
We have also written to the CWU asking for the joint review of a national agreement called ESOS which is due this year. The ESOS agreement has outlived its purpose as we now have other ways to reward people for their contribution to the business, such as local productivity schemes and the newly-launched ColleagueShares.

There is currently £23.5 million in the ESOS pot and we will be discussing how this money is put into pay with the CWU.

We realise that these strikes are having a significant impact on you; but we have to repeat: there is no more money for this year’s pay round.

If people want to work
Many people are working through the strikes. Attendance levels range from five to 60 per cent, with some offices almost untouched by strike action.

We would like you to come to work during the three-day stoppage this week and next.

We will provide a safe environment
We will support you
You can choose to work at another location
You don’t need to wear your uniform (but must have your ID and staff number).

Please speak to one of the managers about the options open to you; call your local IA helpline or the national helpline on 0845 60 60 603.

[Big Daz]

Network 2007 and later starts
Managers Q&A

1. What does ‘grandfather rights’ mean?
At present you get allowances for attendance on shift, such as the early start allowance. If you move to a different duty time the allowance is protected under MTSF and paid for up to three years. After the protection period you lose that allowance. Under this proposal, we are offering to protect the allowance for you – as long as you’ve been earning it for six months or more and for as long as you stay in your current role. The allowance will form a personal addition to pay.

2. When the allowance is ‘grandfathered’ will it be pensionable?
The current early morning allowance is pensionable so yes, the new pay supplement will also be pensionable.

3. What happens if I am a reserve on a rest day cover or rotation so don’t always get the allowance?
You will be guaranteed a pay supplement calculated on the average of the early start allowances that your normally work in a week.

4. What happens if someone is asked to move onto an early start in the future?
We do not envisage moving people back to early starts. Those people who will be receiving the personal addition to pay may be asked to cover an early attendance. In this unlikely event it shouldn’t be a problem as they already receive the pay.

[cruisey]

Shows how RM don't listen. ''Most posties would accept the 2.5% and £800''. Would they feck as like. :cfo :lfo

[somerset]

So many points,so little time.Methinks someone is panicking :cfo :lfo and it's not the union If we give in now we will have lost everything

[evilc]

After months of negotiations we have been very clear that there is no more money available for pay. The union will not accept this – even though most postmen and women are telling us that they would take the current package on offer - 2.5 per cent on basic pay, £800 ColleagueShare dividend, plus the 50:50 productivity scheme

I asked my manager about this, they could not tell me who or when postman/woman were allegedly spoken to.sounds like the normal RM Bull.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

£800 ColleagueShare dividend, plus the 50:50 productivity - get rid of those as well

[axeman]

dare say the ones that told them the deal was o.k are the strike breakers you see passing your picket line !

[Fluke]

What happens to people that move from another function onto deliveries at a later date? Will they be expected to work for less? Will new starters now be treated as poor relations, doing the same work for less money. I joined the Union and became a Rep to fight for equality and fairness for everyone, and if the Union except this, then I am out of it. .

In future. How am I gonna explain to a someone that I'm trying to talk into joining the Union, that he wont be paid the same as me, because we sold him out years ago. If RM can afford it now they can afford it for everyone.

If you are on processing or distribution or any other function then £12.50 from your allowance should be protected exactly the same as those on deliveries. No one would gain anymore nor would anyone lose out, and anyone joining the business should be entitled to earn the same amount for doing the same work as we do.

I was talking to a couple of people this morning that have just started in my office and they are on 8 hour contracts. They were asked to do their 8 hours this Saturday and were on overtime this morning. The poor gits hadn't even been shown how to claim overtime or told about meal breaks ect.... They took the contracts because they thought it was a foot in the door and a chance to get full time employment.

I nearly cried when they asked about joining the Union and were willing to stand on the picket line. I gave them the Union forms to fill in, but felt guilty doing it, because the way things are going, I know its gonna be hard trying to get them a full time job, and now they might not even earn the same as us because they wont have been here 6 months.

Those full time strike breakers planning to come in on Saturday should choke on their own bile.

[baldrick]

Although the Ex-PHG allowance was promised as a 'Grandfather' right, RM keep trying to come back to remove it.
Don't believe any promises they make - they will remove it as soon as they can,
probably when there are a large number of new starters who are not receiving it and then they can say it is unfair.
It's just another tactic to try to undermine the IA.
Stay strong.

[The Sarge]

A few successive crap pay rises will soon remove the 'benefit' of any grandfather rights anyway. The time to get a decent settlement is NOW - we have the advantage. If CWU back down now it will be brken forever as a negotiating force.

[billypants]

Managers brief – to share with your people

The strikes have now costs us dearly:
Our quality of service has been ruined. We will miss all our targets this year and could be fined up to £350 million, unless we can convince Postcomm not to apply the fine.

After months of negotiations we have been very clear that there is no more money available for pay. The union will not accept this – even though most postmen and women are telling us that they would take the current package on offer - 2.5 per cent on basic pay, £800 ColleagueShare dividend, plus the 50:50 productivity scheme.

So, hang on a mo, they tell us that we WILL miss all our targets this year because of our strike action . . . . then go on to tempt us to accept by waving £800 under our noses that we will ONLY get if we achieve our targets this year . .

Not a great incentive if we've already failed, is it

[kalaleq]

So I lost £400 for six days pay, f**k the union I just got a 44% pay rise. Cept I dont believe RM management.

I work at MDEC, what is a 318.

[billypants]

So I lost £400 for six days pay, f**k the union I just got a 44% pay rise. Cept I dont believe RM management.

I work at MDEC, what is a 318.

a 318 is used at delivery offices to list exactly what the content of any given duty is, they are to be followed to the letter

And don't give up on the union yet, they're just doing what they always promised and suspending action whilst talks are in progress. . . . . . let's see what they come up with before we slag them off.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I work at MDEC, what is a 318.

As a DO postie its the documents that says how long I do the different parts of my duty

15 Mins prep
90mins IPS (Sorting)
75 Mins prep
10 Mins D2D
30 Mins Budling up/Throwing Off
15 Mins Travelling
210 Mins Delivery
40 Mins meal relief. etc etc

[kalaleq]

My f**k the union comment was tongue in cheek in case you didn't realise. I have pickettd evrey time we have striked.