A former colleague of mine is a CSS Operator in a MPU in the home counties. The MPU Manager (DOM) is re-structuring the duty set and wishes to remove 2 FT night CSS duties (they are the ONLY night duties). 2 of the operators may actually be interested in VR. If Vacs currently exist in the DO I would imagine that 2 duty holders would be moved to cover under MTSF but given that these are nearly all ex- mail centre night shift workers with no delivery experience this doesn't seem entirely fair (I know the words 'fair' and 'Royal Mail' are not often used in the same sentence without the prefix Un).
As the MPU is not that far from London would it not also be an opportunity for a surplus OPG in London (if they still exist) who lives locally to the MPU to be moved to cover and allow the VR offers to be made. My experience of HR is that they will not do any more than the bare minimum to help out in these situations without a firm kick up the arse from above.
As MPUs are generally downsizing around the country this kind of question may come up at other offices.
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VR for a CSS Operator
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Budfrog
- Posts: 893
- Joined: 11 Sep 2007, 02:19
VR for a CSS Operator
Last edited by Budfrog on 21 Jan 2013, 17:15, edited 1 time in total.
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db
- MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
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- Gender: Male
Re: VR for a CSS Operator
If I have read the question right. They can't move someone into an office after giving out vr's
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southernjessy
- Posts: 58
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- Gender: Male
Re: VR for a CSS Operator
retaining night allowance is irrelevant as thats covered under MTSF
what we have are no more than OPG staff. if the duties on nights go. CSS operators, then their is no reason for any form of VR.
they will simply be absorbed into the delivery roll as an example if their current duties cease to exist
if their is no job roll for them to slip into due to say a revision for example, and no vacancies at an office nearby, then redundancy has to be an option
they are normal members of staff like everybody else with a protected allowance status, that is all
what we have are no more than OPG staff. if the duties on nights go. CSS operators, then their is no reason for any form of VR.
they will simply be absorbed into the delivery roll as an example if their current duties cease to exist
if their is no job roll for them to slip into due to say a revision for example, and no vacancies at an office nearby, then redundancy has to be an option
they are normal members of staff like everybody else with a protected allowance status, that is all
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jmcg
- MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
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- Gender: Male
Re: VR for a CSS Operator
is this happening at other mpus across the country? is there a general desire to cut the number of css operators in mpu's across the country? i am curious. 
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Martin Walsh
- Posts: 4276
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- Location: neverland
Re: VR for a CSS Operator
Yes Royal Mail are reviewing MPUs and want to close some. In addition they want the Mail Centre to perform the Sequencing on a Sunday Night and want to formalise the SOP which is one person per machine with 2 hours on the machine and 20 mins off.
CSS sequencing machines were originally put in on the basis of performing at 7000 items per hour , they are now performing at above 11000 hours. All CSS machines are linked to a system which is called Automis and this goes straight to Royal Mail at the centre who can tell the performance of the machine , the time it commence the first wave and finished , the same for the second wave , the amount of rejects and whether the gaps in the time was a result of switching batches.
This is why they know that they can lapse some css machines now and are the grounds for their proposal.
In London the proposal is to close 3 MPUs , too shut down 2 CSS machines , to transfer the Sunday night operation to the Mail Centre and to introduce the SOP into all MPUs .
The Sunday Night operation transfer to the mail centre and introduction of the SOP will mean that every MPU will lose jobs. The closure of the MPU and the removal of the machines will effect the MPU which are seeing the reductions.
In London the proposals potentially mean that out of the current staffing for Southwark , Greenwich , WLDC , NWDO, Beckenham , Catford ,Battersea , Victoria , Anerley , Wimbledon and Cricklewood MPUs that currently have 114 jobs will reduce to 51 jobs in the future which is a loss of 63 duties. Clearly this is their proposal and it has got to go through the IR Framework and there will be changes but you can see that this will be something Royal Mail will see as an opportunity to reduce costs.
CSS sequencing machines were originally put in on the basis of performing at 7000 items per hour , they are now performing at above 11000 hours. All CSS machines are linked to a system which is called Automis and this goes straight to Royal Mail at the centre who can tell the performance of the machine , the time it commence the first wave and finished , the same for the second wave , the amount of rejects and whether the gaps in the time was a result of switching batches.
This is why they know that they can lapse some css machines now and are the grounds for their proposal.
In London the proposal is to close 3 MPUs , too shut down 2 CSS machines , to transfer the Sunday night operation to the Mail Centre and to introduce the SOP into all MPUs .
The Sunday Night operation transfer to the mail centre and introduction of the SOP will mean that every MPU will lose jobs. The closure of the MPU and the removal of the machines will effect the MPU which are seeing the reductions.
In London the proposals potentially mean that out of the current staffing for Southwark , Greenwich , WLDC , NWDO, Beckenham , Catford ,Battersea , Victoria , Anerley , Wimbledon and Cricklewood MPUs that currently have 114 jobs will reduce to 51 jobs in the future which is a loss of 63 duties. Clearly this is their proposal and it has got to go through the IR Framework and there will be changes but you can see that this will be something Royal Mail will see as an opportunity to reduce costs.
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Budfrog
- Posts: 893
- Joined: 11 Sep 2007, 02:19
Re: VR for a CSS Operator
Thanks for the update Dingo, it just shows how things can change in such a short space of time with the last CSS machine being delivered only a year ago.
The way that duty structures were rolled out was a complete shambles with regions and even MPUs/MCs within regions doing pretty much their own thing so maybe it will be an opportunity for some form of standardisation. As a key component in the pipeline I have always argued that contingency hourage should be built in to account for unforeseen problems but a lot of senior managers would far sooner fly by the seat of their pants and rely on the goodwill of the operators to dig them out when things go pear shaped.
The way that duty structures were rolled out was a complete shambles with regions and even MPUs/MCs within regions doing pretty much their own thing so maybe it will be an opportunity for some form of standardisation. As a key component in the pipeline I have always argued that contingency hourage should be built in to account for unforeseen problems but a lot of senior managers would far sooner fly by the seat of their pants and rely on the goodwill of the operators to dig them out when things go pear shaped.