Divsional Reps meeting with Mark Higson

[Martin Walsh]

Last Thursday both Mike Newby and Mark Higison made presentations to all the Divisional Reps in the union and they were allowed to ask questions. The LTB Bob Gibson sent out on Friday reflects the anger which was expressed by the Divisonal Reps concerning the fact that since the new regional management had come in they have pulled agreements off the table and started to break the national agreement and the joint statements. Rob Jenson in fact agreed a number of joint statements and is now breaking them in his new role as regional management for the East of the country.

Mike Newby gave a power point presentation on what Negotations have achieved this year including the forward agenda on the phase 3 talks. These include the Job security agreement , world class mails , the delivery supplement issue for professional drivers , the confirmation of the pay rise , the £100 lead in payment , VR now being paid to 64 and half Indivduals and a numbers of others. The phase 3 talks are on a new improved 2010 agreement , Pay for 2013 onwards , moving forward on Modernsation including the purchase of packet automation and devloping a stable platform for IR.

Mark Higsons presentation said that much has been achieved , Q of S is high ,traying work from collections is now at 40% up from 20% in 2008 , 16 mail centres would have been closed by the end of next year , 79% of letters is now being sequenced , there are 44 000 PDAs in operation , World Class Mail's in all mail centres staying open , and in a significant number of delivery offices. The business had save 0.7 billion since the 2010 agreement. People costs are 80% of the total costs of Royal Mail of which deliveries is 65%.

He also said that letters was declining faster then expected but packets were increasing at a faster rate.

Mark Higson said Royal Mail were under extreme pressure from the Government and the Regualtor to cut the costs that they agreed with the Goverment and the then Post Comm.

However he said that the delivery part of the agreement was not working , the savings were not coming out and too many revisons were failing.

Just over half the delivery method revisons in the UK have been introduced and he said 70% of them were working and 30% were not working. He also said 200 of those revisons did not produce any savings and cost the business money.

All divisional reps then made the following points

1. The savings in delivery offices were always over estimated.
2. The new regional managers had a new agenda which was to ignore our agreements and take money out.
3. They are now insisting on an 0700 start which is contrary to the national agreement
4 They want as a miniumn a 4 hour delivery span which is again contrary to the national agreement.
5.They are back to the 100BSi default postion
6 Managers are back to bullying Indivduals to make revisons work
7. Managers are turning a blind eye to allowing cars and bikes back in offices contrary to the national agreement.
8. Royal Mail want to cease the MPU on a Sunday night and allow the mail centre to do the sequencing on a Sunday night.
9 Royal Mail want to review the amount of sequencing machines being used which will have an effect on when a delivery office recieved their mail.
10 Absorption is not being applied in line with national agreements.
11 Royal Mail in the new regions have ripped up some of the agreement offices had on revisons.

So that's the reason why the LTB has been issued and I believe we are going through one of those times when you either support the CWU in ensuring that Royal Mail abide by the agreements they make and stop the bullying or you can continue to criticise and moan but do nothing to stop anythings.

Enjoy the weather !!!

[fishtank]

So that's the reason why the LTB has been issued and I believe we are going through one of those times when you either support the CWU in ensuring that Royal Mail abide by the agreements they make and stop the bullying or you can continue to criticise and moan but do nothing to stop anythings.

It's easy to say support the CWU dingo but it's becoming increasingly difficult to see clearly what the CWU's position actually is.
It would appear that management are simply carrying on with their usual business practice of doing exactly what they want but at the same time joint statement after joint statement continue to emanate from both HQ's so obviously our negotiators still trust senior management despite all of the evidence to the contrary.
This sends out a very strange mixed message to members.

I believe we are going through one of those times when CWU HQ either supports it's members in ensuring that Royal Mail abide by the agreements they make and stop the bullying or they can continue to moan but do nothing to stop anything(s).
It's maybe time for the leadership to lead from the front rather than expect a repeat of 2009 where we had to drag them kicking and screaming into the fight.
I don't think the members will accept that this time.

[clashcityrocker]

Dingo wrote:
Just over half the delivery method revisons in the UK have been introduced and he said 70% of them were working and 30% were not working. He also said 200 of those revisons did not produce any savings and cost the business money.

Half the delivery methods revisions have been introduced - is that about 600?
1/3 aren't working = about 200?
200 didn't produce any savings. Are those the 200 that aren't working? Or of the 400 that are "working" did 200 of them fail to produce any savings?

If, after 2 1/2 years they have only managed to introduce 400 "working" revisions, and it is clear that many of them are only working due to a blind eye being turned to serious H&S issues (and remember H&S is the number one priority of BT 2010), isn't it time to actually stop and reconsider the whole basis of the revision process rather than blunder on making the same and more mistakes?
Why should there be any CWU involvement in a process that is clearly deeply flawed and that is letting its members down on a daily basis?
Let them bring the revisions in by executive action.

[dvbuk55]

Whenever has RM abided by agreements. This "new understanding and total inclusion of the CWU and a better working relationship" much touted by BT2010 was always bollocks and was pointed out as such many times prior to agreement but Big Brother knew best - despite them never having been at the sharp end for years. Now after 2 and a half years they ask the membership to support the CWU after being ignored for just as long and being told they must get on with it through a series of "Joint Statements". Many of us questioned the close collaboration between the CWU and RM as to being a wise move - well it's come back to bite them in the arse because Royal Mail think of the CWU as a trained poodle and a toothless one at that. The CWU has lost the support of the membership and they were warned that it could happen by taking on the role of joint administrators of the agreement.

[hans solo]

exactly fcuk the cwu
out of touch and no longer required time to form a postal delivery union

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I believe we are going through one of those times when you either support the CWU in ensuring that Royal Mail abide by the agreements they make and stop the bullying or you can continue to criticize and moan but do nothing to stop anything.

Enjoy the weather !!!

Haven't we been here before though.

2007, 2009/10 Both these disputes during my time, had B&H and the autocratic management style called into question. Indeed so did Sawyer and Hooper, if they really want our support for any action based on B&H then they hopefully have a good strong strategy, and hopefully stay with it till its finally sorted.

Also if they start a dispute over P&L, then they had better move fast, and make any resolution retrospective otherwise most of the work force won't support them. No "Winners and Losers" and "No Plan "B"", either, they are self defeating and demoralising, and one thing the CWU need to do is to be seen to win one, not just think they have. If they don't then the Union will become an irrelevance.

[DirtyHarry]

I'm afraid, I cannot support the CWU.
My support of the CWU in the recent past, has led to, increased workloads, less overtime, later starts, later finishes, my Saturdays being absolutely ruined for no good damned reason, in short, my support for the CWU in the past, is partly why I have the job, I have now. A job I utterly despise, and hate doing.
Never again, will I strike for those karnts.

[Glenno]

I think this is going to be an interesting thread this one ( poss battle cry to rally the troops )

[woofwoof]

I think this is going to be an interesting thread this one ( poss battle cry to rally the troops )

im in

[hans solo]

im not

[dvbuk55]

I think this is going to be an interesting thread this one ( poss battle cry to rally the troops )

Well it's definitely going to need a compelling reason to command support and tbh it is really too late for those who have already suffered the delivery revisions whilst the Area and Div reps stand on the sidelines and ignore the problems and leave the members to try to salvage some semblence of a working system. Weight off the shoulder, H&S a priority? - my arse.

[clashcityrocker]

Never again, will I strike for those karnts.

Who strikes for CWU HQ?

[woofwoof]

im not

Your dad did not tell you to stand up to a bully then ,cwu should ballot against a bully ffs even libcons hate a bully

[fishtank]

I think everyone is getting a little giddy mentioning strikes and HQ.
I cannot see HQ even withdrawing support for BT2010 never mind calling for national industrial action over it's abuse and misuse.
This is after all an agreement they have continually supported from day 1 despite it's dubious merit and obvious flaws.
What will be expected,as in 2009 is for offices to hold the line over areas where management are trying to move the goalposts and where necessary go to disagreement and possibly Rule 13 ballots.
That's a perfectly reasonable stance on paper however as DVB points out we are all at various different stages of revision meltdown and if one thing is certain with this agreement i don't think any two revisions are alike so it's unlikely any head of steam could be built up by simply letting nature take it's course like 2009.
A different strategy is perhaps needed this time.

[Martin Walsh]

I have to say , why moan if your not willing to do anything about it ! No one strikes for CWU HQs, you decide to strike by voting on the issus in an indivdual member ballot. You also then decide if you strike.

Now if you think the points I listed are not worth your support then fine that's is your right but don't then moan when they become a reality in your office.

Personally I along with other reps will do our upmost to stop some of these attacks in the area I cover.

The National union has also started applying the pressure , it needs to more in my opinion and take an harder line and f Royal Mail continues to break the national agreement them then the union should advise all units to withdrew from revison talks.

If you believe the union is all pally with the business then that is your opinion. However when the union comes out and makes a stand and there has been a line in the sand drawn then if you as a member then don't support the union then frankly you will be the ones who suffer cause Royal Mail will bring it into your office cause they will know that the membership are not going to resist and will not support the CWU. Remember the CWU is not 150 the Broadway it is every unit in the UK .

It's your choice , but remember no one else will come to your rescue.