Royal Mail / CWU Summit Meeting 17th December

[POSTMAN]

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

Royal Mail / CWU Summit Meeting 17th December

We can advise Postal Branches that a Summit meeting will take place on the 17th December with the Chief Executive and the company’s senior management team to consider emerging differences between the CWU and the company.

The meeting has been agreed on the basis that both parties have the right to put forward their respective key concerns and these have been shared between the organisations in advance of the meeting.

The CWU key concerns to be raised at the meeting were agreed by the Postal Executive earlier this week and are attached to this LTB. Our agenda has also been shaped by the recent UK wide Local Representative Forums.

The Summit meeting is a very important development. As well as addressing our member’s immediate workplace issues, it is also an opportunity to influence the future direction of the company and discuss the wider challenges facing the postal industry.

The meeting will be facilitated by the Independent Chair, Roger Poole and the Chief Conciliator of ACAS, Peter Harwood.

The output of the meeting is intended to identify and determine major National negotiations that will take place between the parties in the New Year.

Further information will be reported in due course.

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


Yours sincerely





Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)


CWU Agenda


The following will set out the key concerns the Union will table at the Summit meeting on the 17th December.


1) The wider challenges facing the postal industry

All the issues arising from the Postal Service Act 2011 and the impact of unfair competition and privatisation on the Royal Mail Group.


2) General issues
The company’s future investment strategy – how we address growth in parcels and packets – the development of new products and services.

Aggressive managerial cost cutting that is undermining National Agreements and creating unacceptable pressure in the workplace.

The need to review what we see as an inefficient national work plan that is creating an unnecessary adverse impact on attendance times and duty patterns.

Phase 3 talks and pay for 2013.

An audit of the BT Agreement.


3) Operational / functional issues

Bullying and Harassment in Delivery.

The need for Royal Mail and CWU to pause and reflect on the impact of Mail Centre Rationalisation to date, in particular focusing on the Mail Centre review process, quality of service, resourcing and revision procedures.

The need to resolve all outstanding Business Transformation issues, including local revisions and payment of all lump sums.

[fishtank]

The meeting will be facilitated by the Independent Chair, Roger Poole and the Chief Conciliator of ACAS, Peter Harwood.

We can all rest easy then.
We've brought out the big guns....again.

[General Mannerheim]

Mince pies and free bubbly on offer?
Who gets to sit in the swivel chairs this year.
A smashing time was had by all?

[Lincox]

Who from the union will be attending this meeting. It would be nice if a member with no rank within the union was allowed to attend to report back on proceedings, in particular when the union present it,s findings on the bullying and harassment scandal.

[knackeredneedadayoff]

we all know sod all will be done,this should of been done years ago with the threat of strike over christmas but the cwu would leave it until january when it affects nothing.We never really will get customers on our side until the chuckle brothers do there jobs.

[dvbuk55]

It is really a code for the RM/CWU Joint Christmas Party -chattering will be at a minimum this year to facilitate the munching of canapes, prawn crackers and quaffing copious amounts of champers......................prior to the full turkey lunch I wonder if you choose from the menu beforehand or just take pot luck. Yep lifes tough at the top for negotiators..........at that level

[Lincox]

I wonder who is going to get chucked off the mountain. Bet it wont be Moya

[michael61]

you are all very cinical give cwu a little time and we,ll be ok lol at you,s all.

[k979aaa]

The only thing I will say they better deliver this time?.

[Martin Walsh]

The usual comments from some so if it's too late why constantly moan the CWU are doing nothing.

This meeting is a chance to report back from all the local rep meetings , the bullying and harassment stuff will only be a first meeting as due to the hundreds of responses the union has got an independent company to help collate the cases with a view to a full presentation of the cases early in the new year.

Believe me there are some really disturbing cases where Indivduals have been so low they have attempted to take their own lives. The most common themes are being forced to work beyond their time , unagreed Indivdual performance standards and absorption.

If the CWU got Royal Mail to send out. A signed document to every office that no one has to work beyond their time and that there are no indivudual standards and then followed up the cases then hopefully it would help stop many new cases.

As for an independent person in the meeting how is that Reprsentaive of anyone. The reality is unlike some believe these meetings often get stormy.

What is happening in Bristol where Royal Mail are refusing to honour their 9 day fortnight or give a commitment on levels of full time staff is typical that Royal Mail are attempting to strip hours out ahead of a sell off.

At the end of the day, you will decide if you support the union or that you just want to moan on here. We are on a collision course with Royal Mail , Off comm and The Government which will decide the type of job and terms and conditions you will have in the future.

[dvbuk55]

What is happening in Bristol where Royal Mail are refusing to honour their 9 day fortnight or give a commitment on levels of full time staff is typical that Royal Mail are attempting to strip hours out ahead of a sell off.

At the end of the day, you will decide if you support the union or that you just want to moan on here. We are on a collision course with Royal Mail , Off comm and The Government which will decide the type of job and terms and conditions you will have in the future.

The only level of full time staff is 75/25 NATIONALLY according to the BT 2010 agreement, so really I suspect that there are more hours to be stripped according to georoute, but there is no guarantee that there will be a 75/25 split in any individual office ...........if of course the national figure is anything close to that but .............hey who knows?

As for the collision course certainly hope there's a big stone in the slingshot and the aim is good but as I word of caution it may look good on paper but as usual reality kicks in. It would probably go something like "CWU - we want this that and the other" - "RM - or else what" - "CWU - erm, erm, erm"

[fishtank]

If the CWU got Royal Mail to send out. A signed document to every office that no one has to work beyond their time and that there are no indivudual standards and then followed up the cases then hopefully it would help stop many new cases.

I don't think you understand bullying and harassment at all.
The culture is ingrained within the management structure,they brag about it,they measure success by it,they measure failure by the lack of it.

If they send out a signed document to every office that no one has to work beyond their time and that there are no individual standards half of them will ignore it and the other half will just move onto some other form of bullying.

By doing this the union,if it's lucky will only succeed in papering over the cracks or symptoms and shifting the problem slightly out of sight.
We need to deal with the underlying cause and that is pressure to cut financial costs...at any human cost...and that is driven by the very people who would be sending out this worthless "signed document".

The real bully is the Royal Mail board of directors,everything else is a consequence of their actions,decisions and strategies.

[Martin Walsh]

Fish I understand bullying and harassment I represented members for over 20 years against bullying management.

Yes the operational managers bully their managers who in turn bully our members.

The reality is that some of our members don't realise their rights and the fact that Peter Harwood will be their at the meeting is a good thing.

You really do believe you are the conscience of the union. However there are lots of reps at all levels including national level who try and stop bullying and do there best by the members and they are too easy a target of forums like this.

[dvbuk55]

It isn't just the bullying and harassment, it's the apportioning blame when things go wrong, the total reluctance of managers to accept responsiblity, the hail mary approach to management in the real lack of day to day planning - as for resource meetings much trumpeted as the involvement of the CWU how many offices can say the actually take place and if they do if there is any meaningful purpose to them. In my mind RM are just marking time in preparation for the sell off trying anything and everything to make it a more attractive proposition to buyers.

[dvbuk55]

Fish I understand bullying and harassment I represented members for over 20 years against bullying management.

Get real dingo, "against bullying management for over 20 years"? That might wash with any newbies dingo but it doesn't wash with the old guard - there was no bullying management 20 years ago to speak of - in fact if anything 20 years ago the boot was on the other foot and managers were bullied into paying extortionate overtime to clear the decks. A time I might add when the membership - and yes me included - trusted and had faith in the unions ability to protect and serve............now........ my trust and faith has long run out.