Medway Mail Centre - Is what we're being told right.

[CTPostiemk2]

I am currently based at Canterbury mail centre and we are currently awaiting meetings with clear choice teams to decide our futures.

At the present time we are being told that any shift allowances you have are not protected if you show a preference of wanting to work on deliveries. A couple of Union people have said that this isn't right but as yet we have nothing in black and white other than Royal Mails take on things.

When i went through a closure before everyone had their pay protected even if if they chose to go from nights/driving too deliveries.

The lines on this seem somewhat blurry but as we are expected to make our decisions in the next couple of weeks, i thought i would look for some guidance on here.

Also secondly what's your opinion on this statement;

'Once everyone has had their independant career discussion they will be matched to either a role within Royal mail or be offered a voluntary redundancy. The outcome will be told to you face to face by a Royal Mail manager at a decision 121'

Does this mean they can offer you a redundacy even if you don't show that you want one. Somewhat open to interpretation but I just don't like the way it reads at all, especially looking as though there is going to be a big surplus of staff.

[Straight4ward]

It does say "offered" a voluntary redundancy.
So, presumably, you can tell them no thanks and then they will have to go back to the drawing board to find you an alternative job within RM.

That would be my reading of it. Fingers crossed for you.

[fishtank]

Voluntary still means voluntary doesn't it?

[CTPostiemk2]

Thanks guys any idea on pay protection front?? I want to stay on nights but with how they're doing seniority related to shift allowance I've only got a few years in. Worried that I won't get nights, get offered lates which is impossible with family commitments so turn down but then get deliveries but losing most of my NDA. It's all just one big stress-pot. Clear choice will have all the answers apparently. Yeah right!!!

[Straight4ward]

I don't know and I'm not qualified to answer that, sorry.

Might be worth contacting your CWU branch office. I would imagine that they will know where you stand.

[POSTMAN]

I was always under the impression that when a MC closes and you move to deliveries you kept your allowances for at least a while.
I've worked with delivery posties who worked in London MC's and they got paid it.

But that is the old London MC's years ago,has it changed then.

[Talell]

section 5.1.2 of MTSF, it's as clear as mud as you can imagine, "Eligibility for pay protection will only occur where an employee is displaced and loses a level of pay as a consequence of a business driven change. Employees will not be eligible where they elect to change shift as part of a normal resourcing process or where individuals elect to participate in a resign voluntarily"

could swing either way to be honest, start talking to your rep about it. Can't remember how they did it at my place.

[human1]

Keep the petrol / traveling money for 3 years and I think you keep shift and night allowance too ( unles there is re-sign ) but not sure .....

[Martin Walsh]

In terms of pay protection mail centre closures are classed as complusory changes and therefore if an indivdual cannot sign for a duty on the shift they currently work on in the new mail centre than they will recieve pay protection.

Equally if you move from inner London or outer London to the national rate you recieve comphensation £7000 from inner to outer ( £9000 to HWDC ) and you mantain your inner London weighting until such time as the national rate catches up.

MTSF is a first class agreement and not many other employers off any where near the term that Royal Mail do . Oh by the way the union achieved it.

In terms of MTSF 2 I do think its need changing as it was never designed to deal with mail centre clousres on the scale of what we are seeing. We were fortunate to achieve a change on the Mount.

However I think a new mail centre not medway are arguing for a full resign on senoririty but no one gets pay protection if they get knocked off their shift. I am not sure how popular this proposal will be.

[davy k]

Hi folks
another thing people should be aware of is if you are claiming child tax credits then the travelling allowance you get impacts on your tax credits.Liverpool mlo closed and we transferred to Warrington,my travel allowance is paid 6 monthly which works out to about £1200 AFTER tax .My tax credits have now been reduced by £600every 6months because of this payment .Make sure your reps and clear choice get you some clear information on this because up hear they didnt tell us a thing ,the first we knew was when everyone,s tax credits were disappearing!
cheers Davy

[CTPostiemk2]

Clear choice centre now open at CT. Promised they will have all the answers, but surprise surprise they'll have to get back to you. Currently just have a common seniority list on display and info that was given out in our glossy medway mail centre brochure.

Seniority is being done on receipt of shift allowance e.g a 20 year man with only 3 years night service would only carry 3 years seniority against a five year man who had done 5 years of nights. The 5 year man would get the job first.
Personally i don't agree with this as everything has always been linked to seniority but now things aren't looking so rosy for some who have done a lot of years.
Shift seniority was surely the sensible way of dealing with duties.

Also been told no family friendly unless it is in place already. e.g currently do nights, you cannot keep these under family friendly if you fall foul of shift allowance seniority ruling. But if your shift fitted around your homelife why would you have needed it before?? e.g nights works now, but lates is impossible - can i now get family friendly? Answer = No.#

Also if put nights as first option and deliveries as second we are being told that you will not get your 3 years pay protection of allowances if they can't give you nights ????? As you are showing a willingness to do them. Surely all of this comes under a business driven change and thus should be pay protected.

It's a right Royal stink!!

[Wild Cat]

Shift seniority only applies to your specific role eg night TPM holders get priority for night TPM jobs according to the lenth of time they have been in receipt of a night TPM allowance and after that it is seniority. The 8 groups on processing are 1.Night TPM 2.Night Manual 3.Late TPM 4.Evening TPM 5.Late Manual 6.Evening Manual. 7.Early TPM 8.Early manual(Shifts holding no allowance). It is only people in receipt of the specific allowance ie early TPM that get first preference for those roles based on how long they have been in receipt of the allowance, if there are any jobs left it goes to straight seniority.

[postietaz]

WILD CAT FAMILY FRIENDLY RULES ALL

[CTPostiemk2]

Shift seniority only applies to your specific role eg night TPM holders get priority for night TPM jobs according to the lenth of time they have been in receipt of a night TPM allowance and after that it is seniority. The 8 groups on processing are 1.Night TPM 2.Night Manual 3.Late TPM 4.Evening TPM 5.Late Manual 6.Evening Manual. 7.Early TPM 8.Early manual(Shifts holding no allowance). It is only people in receipt of the specific allowance ie early TPM that get first preference for those roles based on how long they have been in receipt of the allowance, if there are any jobs left it goes to straight seniority.

Is this normal MTSF rules??? They are using MTSF 2 and quoting TPM allowance first like you but then receivership of shift allowance over seniority. Does anyone have a link to copy of MTSF 2??

[Wild Cat]

As far as I am aware to receive preference for a Night TPM duty you have to have both Night allowance and TPM allowance, and then it will be based on how long you have been in receipt of both allowances. Anyone who has a Night allowance only or any other allowance can be matched to a Night TPM job based on seniority. When you have specialist jobs like iLSM or CSS on nights those getting Night allowance and TPM get first priority based on lenth of time in receipt of the allowances and after that it is seniority from any shift.