LTB 1076/11 Angard Staffing Solutions

[Geezer]

CWU.org
20 December 2011

LTB 1076/11 Angard Staffing Solutions

No: 1076/11
Ref: 42000
Date: 20th December 2011

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS



Dear Colleague

Angard Staffing Solutions
In recent weeks the Union has received numerous reports over what appears to be a chaotic situation with the use of the company's new recruitment agency, Angard. These reports have also appeared in national and regional media as complaints have mounted about the way Angard employees are being treated.

Separate from this, the Union had already been in discussions with the company over our wider concerns associated with the future use of Angard employees within the Royal Mail Group businesses. Following a meeting on Thursday 15th December, a letter was received from Royal Mail on the 19th December confirming the following:-

Firstly, with regard to the current problems, the company has acknowledged that there are major issues and that they are working as fast and as hard as possible to address these. We understand this will include provision of emergency payment arrangements where appropriate.


Secondly, with regard to wider CWU concerns, the letter from the company has confirmed the following points:-


That the creation of Angard Staffing Solutions is not a way of changing the company's overall approach to resourcing and that Royal Mail will still offer normal Royal Mail contracts of employment, when there are vacancies to be filled.


The company has stated that weekly resourcing meetings remain the place where forthcoming needs for resource in an office are identified and discussed between the manager and local CWU representatives. They state this should include any recruitment needs and the need for temporary agency resource - i.e. Angard.








The company has said they will provide the Union with up to date data on the overall amount of Angard agency staff being used early in the New Year. They have said that they are prepared to talk with us further about how the principle of discussing these issues in weekly resourcing meetings will apply in practice.


The company has stated that Angard Staffing Solutions is not a way of circumventing the Agency Workers' Regulations. They have stated that staff employed by Angard already benefit from the rights acquired on the 1st October and that if they are still with the company after 12 weeks they will qualify for additional rights.


The company has stated that the creation of Angard Staffing Solutions, was not intended to result in any individual performing continuing agency work with Royal Mail, to be placed on lower rates of pay as a result of the change of agency. They say the rates Angard pays its workers are in line with the standard ratecard agreed with the agencies. However, where individuals, for historical reasons, have benefited from a higher personal rate, the previous rate will now be restored and backdated to the date of the contract change. The company has said this will take some time to identify and do the calculations for the people affected, but that it will done as soon as possible in the New Year.


The whole question of Angard has created major internal and external interest. For the Union, it raises some very important questions as to how we should respond to this development.

It is our view that the Union needs to secure a comprehensive agreement that covers the future utilisation of Angard agency workers within the Royal Mail Group. As part of this, we would also want to establish ongoing commitments to our existing resourcing models and normal Royal Mail contracts of employment.








Finally, the Union will be seeking recognition rights in order to represent these agency workers in the future. In the meantime, we would encourage our representatives to recruit Angard employees into the CWU and use the content of this LTB to inform them about these developments. There is a special recruitment link on our website at http://www.cwu.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - to obtain copies of the membership form click on the "Join Us" box then click on to the box with the Angard Staffing Logo.

A further meeting with Royal Mail over Angard will take place in early January and developments will be reported in due course.

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

Yours sincerely



Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)

More info +

[wandle]

Seems to me that union contributions require radical overhaul to fit today's changed times. Weekly dues need to be based on a percentage of earnings, calculated in such a way that someone doing a 40-hr (39hrs?) contract pays the same sum as now, and so that Angard workers would pay an amount pro-rata to the hours actually worked.

Realistically, you're never gonna persuade someone to join the CWU and cough up the current published rates every week when some weeks they may have had no phone call from Angard, no work and thus no pay. And from a purely practical point of view, how would Angard deduct £3.13 or whatever from a zero earnings payslip ?
"Sorry you had no work this week, oh and, by the way, there's a BACS deduction coming out of your bank account on Friday for your union subs. Merry Christmas"

[fishtank]

The whole question of Angard has created major internal and external interest. For the Union, it raises some very important questions as to how we should respond to this development.

Just feckin responding would be a start.

[DGP1]

The whole question of Angard has created major internal and external interest. For the Union, it raises some very important questions as to how we should respond to this development.

Just feckin responding would be a start.

I'm sure they'll get around to it when they all get back from their Christmas holiday