Indoor Mail Flow Improvement Process:LTB

[POSTMAN]

No. 1030/11
Ref. 230.03
Date: 5th December 2011


To: Branches with POSTAL Members, CWU Divisional Reps and Area Reps


Dear Colleague

Indoor Mail Flow Improvement Process

Following a number of queries and complaints from branches and representatives regarding the above the attached letter has today been sent to Rob Jenson, Collection and Delivery Director explaining the CWU position regarding Indoor Flow.

We will be seeking an urgent meeting with Royal Mail to try and resolve a number of differences that currently exist between us. Branches will be informed of any outcome to those discussions as soon as possible. In the meantime branches are asked to adhere to the policy contained in the letter, utilising the Industrial Relations Framework where necessary.

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Our Ref : BG/230.03/11/MS

Date: 5nd December 2011

Rob Jenson
Collection & Delivery Director
Royal Mail
1st Floor
35-50 Rathbone Place
London, W1T 1HQ

Dear Rob,

Indoor Mail Flow Process

I am writing to you regarding what I consider to be a misrepresentation of the joint statement we recently agreed and signed.

It would appear that what we have agreed and what is actually happening are two completely different things. CWU ASRs are not being fully involved and in many cases are being presented with plans as a fait accompli. St Leonard’s is a prime example of the CWU being ignored and equipment being introduced into an office that based upon the plans from NDC is space deficient. This is occurring in other units simply because ASR’s are being excluded or managers are paying lip service. This not what we have agreed.

It would also help if NDC were made aware of Royal Mail safety standards and space requirements.

Changes are being introduced into units despite the CWU disagreeing and in some cases actually registering disagreement. This is executive action and a clear breach of the IR framework. The joint statement places any operational change under the umbrella of the 6 phase process and the IR Framework and this is being ignored. I don’t think I could have been clearer on this point; that CWU reps have the right to disagree. The flow concept is not something that we have agreed can be introduced regardless of the CWU position. The whole thing is negotiable, and has to go through the IR Process where a disagreement exists.

We have not agreed to Porters or ‘muda men’ (which means wasteful) as they are being called, or super sorters or dedicated preppers but this is how it is being portrayed to our representatives and members. The approach from Royal Mail is wholly removed from what we have discussed and agreed. In fact it is being portrayed as WCM and that is reason alone to put the brakes on this until we have made things absolutely clear.

This dedication to one task conflicts with the wellbeing and health and Safety of our members in that it increases repetition, monotony and stress. Porters are walking unacceptable distances indoors even before they have commenced their delivery which compounds problems with fatigue and can’t be good for anyone that has to walk the street for 4 hours or more on a daily basis.

All the equipment that has been implemented, in many cases without agreement, does not have any safety concurrence and is being introduced regardless. I know this because meetings have been arranged to sort this out yet the equipment is still being introduced in their absence. Any further introduction of the equipment should be ceased until we have agreed health & safety documents and procedures in place. I believe there is a legal obligation on the employer to ensure that this has been done.

Another other disappointing aspect of this is the fact that thousands of the backless frames have already been ordered from Romec which infers that they are coming in at a cost of £500 per frame regardless of the CWU position.

A whole host of WCM initiatives are being introduced on the back of flow which was not discussed, is not agreed and does not form part of the joint statement. Japanese terminology is being used, measurement and display and managers are telling people it is part of WCM. This was never mentioned as being part of flow. Add to this the fact that an unagreed version of the IWT has been introduced and it starts to look like deception from my point of view.

We have a situation where the local people are being over ruled by a central flow team who are dictating the pace of change. This was not discussed and it is completely against the concept of local ownership which we are constantly told is what change is all about.

To sum up we have a situation where a version of flow is being introduced regardless of the views of CWU IR reps, Safety reps and our members and that is not what has been agreed. We have been told by representatives in some areas that managers are denying the existence of the joint statement and that they have been told to get flow in.

To be clear none of the above is agreed with the CWU which has created a situation that we are no longer prepared to tolerate. We need to meet urgently to sort things out before they get worse and I would suggest that you contact Hayley ASAP to arrange a meeting.

The CWU is not prepared to continue with any support or involvement in flow whilst this type of behaviour exists and that is what I will be advising our Branches to do. In the meantime I would suggest that all ‘flow’ activity is ceased until we have reached a satisfactory position. It is disappointing that it has come to this so soon after the joint statement but quite frankly it seems to be a case of saying one thing and doing another.




Bob Gibson
CWU Assistant Secretary – Outdoor

c.c. Dave Ward, Dale Haddon, Peter Harwood

[clashcityrocker]

Dear Bob

they say one thing. They do another.
Welcome to our world.

[Glenno]

Already Posted Divisional/Area/DSM meeting thread thingy

[POSTMAN]

Already Posted

I know,got it from the thread you posted it in,would of got lost.

[vigilante]

Disagreement written and and ready to upset obsessed 'WCM/Flow' Dim with it.
Listen and you might hear a jaw hit the floor.

[Glenno]

Go for it Vigilante

[AnnexeB]

Well that really ... erm ... told him eh ??
So he,ll take a few weeks to reply, by which time more of these frames will have been installed
Sorry to say, but from what i see, even within my own DO, the CWU has become a shambolic toothless hag !
And where has the £500 for each frame come from ?? I thought an independent audit had taken place regards the missing `shares` money. ?? If the company is soooo skint, where has this extra £500 a frame been found ????

Im sure a meeting about this will be called, but first we need a meeting about that meeting that was supposed to have happened regarding that meeting the wotsitsname wanted in relation to that meeting that was called to discuss that meeting ..........

Getting fed up with reading about local agreements and local reps and local this n that. RM love it of course, cos its the best way to divide and conquer.
This Union needs to sit down (at another meeting) and have a one size fits all approach to EVERYTHING.
We must be the only major company that has different practices for different offices. Marks & Spencers in Luton will have exactly the same terms & conditions for its employees, as those in Glasgow and Leeds. Their unions will easily be able to stop any reneging on agreements in one locale, because it will effect every locale.
What a crazy way to run a Union.

[woofwoof]

Disagreement written and and ready to upset obsessed 'WCM/Flow' Dim with it.
Listen and you might hear a jaw hit the floor.

how many offices are they trying to sneak this into

[vigilante]

Go for it Vigilante

Thanks mate, just doing my job!

[vigilante]

Disagreement written and and ready to upset obsessed 'WCM/Flow' Dim with it.
Listen and you might hear a jaw hit the floor.

how many offices are they trying to sneak this into

The DIM has plastered the Flow presentation wall chart everywhere and it stinks of WCM.
The pictures are so obviously WCM orientated i:e clear/tidy work areas,tramlines on floor etc etc.
I approached boss and said oy thats WCM--he vehemently denied it saying 'no it's flow!'
No that is all WCM!

[vigilante]

Well that really ... erm ... told him eh ??
So he,ll take a few weeks to reply, by which time more of these frames will have been installed
Sorry to say, but from what i see, even within my own DO, the CWU has become a shambolic toothless hag !
And where has the £500 for each frame come from ?? I thought an independent audit had taken place regards the missing `shares` money. ?? If the company is soooo skint, where has this extra £500 a frame been found ????

Im sure a meeting about this will be called, but first we need a meeting about that meeting that was supposed to have happened regarding that meeting the wotsitsname wanted in relation to that meeting that was called to discuss that meeting ..........

Getting fed up with reading about local agreements and local reps and local this n that. RM love it of course, cos its the best way to divide and conquer.
This Union needs to sit down (at another meeting) and have a one size fits all approach to EVERYTHING.
We must be the only major company that has different practices for different offices. Marks & Spencers in Luton will have exactly the same terms & conditions for its employees, as those in Glasgow and Leeds. Their unions will easily be able to stop any reneging on agreements in one locale, because it will effect every locale.
What a crazy way to run a Union.

I get fed up with a lot of things as well mate,mainly a lying RM management and members who don't do the job properly by running around and taking their own cars out etc and won't stand together!
But at local level there is still some of us with a fight in us to defend the cause, yes i agree there is a disparity at present within the CWU and the top heirachy have got to
now start listening to 'grass root troops' again.

[AnnexeB]

Good luck Vigilante, but i wont hold my breath. Thats not a slight at you, or the other genuine Union Reps, but there are too many being swamped under, because of this ridiculous mode of local agreements.
Since we started on the CSS machines, not ONE union official has asked us how its going, are we being treated ok, are we being given sufficient breaks, or even to tell us WHAT the working practices are !!! 318,s ???? What 318,s ???
Thats a personal gripe obviously, but it illustrates a fundamental flaw with CWU hierachy, with lack of communication. You would think that the implementation of these new machines would involve uniform work practices cross the country ..... but as we find out, each office works under a different set of rules, so we, as members, dont really know what the rules are !!

[dvbuk55]

There was a list of 60 Offices of which we weren't one but up pops the planners with a fait accompli plan to be installed before christmas. When challenged about the space they admitted it was insufficient to accommodate the entire panoply, when challenged about why the plan was for our office we were told that one office had been crossed off the list and ours added as agreed by the Area Rep.........................yes I know you couldn't make it up.

[vigilante]

Good luck Vigilante, but i wont hold my breath. Thats not a slight at you, or the other genuine Union Reps, but there are too many being swamped under, because of this ridiculous mode of local agreements.
Since we started on the CSS machines, not ONE union official has asked us how its going, are we being treated ok, are we being given sufficient breaks, or even to tell us WHAT the working practices are !!! 318,s ???? What 318,s ???
Thats a personal gripe obviously, but it illustrates a fundamental flaw with CWU hierachy, with lack of communication. You would think that the implementation of these new machines would involve uniform work practices cross the country ..... but as we find out, each office works under a different set of rules, so we, as members, dont really know what the rules are !!

yes I understand what you are saying mate, and thats poor you have had no representation or comms from HQ about where you stand agreement wise.
You do need a strong rep who has his wits about him/her and will challenge management all the time and flag things up continually to area or division.

[woofwoof]

You do need a strong rep who has his wits about him/her and will challenge management all the time and flag things up continually to area or division.