Dwp MOU's

[db]

It appears we have lost the contracts and all will be closed by the 31st of december

[hubbahubba]

MOU's?

[barrowc]

Mail Opening Units - we open mail going to various DWP sites. The one local to me is based in a delivery office and not the Mail Centre

[fishtank]

Mail Opening Units - we open mail going to various DWP sites. The one local to me is based in a delivery office and not the Mail Centre

Probably down to the whining by misinformed members of the public who thought that everybody in Royal Mail was reading their mail.
Now instead of it being opened by an experienced and trusted member of staff under monitored and highly secure conditions some spotty teenage casual on £5 an hour at somewhere like G4S will be opening it and uploading the juicy details on Facebook.

Well done Joe Public,another victory for stupidity and ignorance.

[fishtank]

LTB 506/13 Department of work & pensions (DWP) - mail opening & scanning

No. 506/2013

Ref: 045

Date: 19th July 2013

To All: Postal Branches

Area Processing Representatives

Area Distribution Representatives

Divisional Representatives

Dear Colleague

DEPARTMENT OF WORK & PENSIONS (DWP) - MAIL OPENING & SCANNING

The department was informed by the business late afternoon on the 18th July 2013 (yesterday) that the above mentioned contract had been lost. At no stage prior to that had the department been informed that the contract was coming to an end or that the business was involved in a tender/re-negotiation process.

Royal Mail informed us that they intended to announce the loss of the contract to the DWP duty holders' who perform this work on Friday the 19th July 2013 (today).

Royal Mail have advised us that there are 240 CWU Grades working on DWP mail and have assured us that everyone will have the option of remaining in Royal Mail on other work, equally they have stated that they will be considering the TUPE situation should anyone wish to follow the work and the potential for voluntary redundancy.

Royal Mail has promised to supply the department with a breakdown of the locations and numbers at each site, however at the time of drafting this LTB this information is still to be received. Once we have this information we will be able to establish a communications network with the IR Reps and Branches affected to ensure that everyone is represented consistently.

At this stage we have not been given any reason as to why Royal Mail have lost the contract but we do know that it is certainly not because of poor service, in fact Royal Mail have acknowledge to us that the work performed by our members has been done so to the highest standard.

We know that this disappointing news will be a shock to the members involved on DWP work as it is to this department, but we can assure everyone that the Union will be making the strongest possible representation to ensure that our members are fully protected and have genuine options in regard to their future within the business. Equally we will be insisting on a full enquiry with Royal Mail in respect of the lack of CWU strategic involvement and why/how the contract has been lost.

As we unravel these issues and secure the assurances we seek we will endeavour to ensure that all information flows as quickly as possible to all CWU members and activists involved.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or lwright@cwu.org quoting reference number: 045

Yours sincerely

Terry Pullinger

Assistant Secretary

[db]

Cheers fish tank was just gona ipload that

[hubbahubba]

Mail Opening Units - we open mail going to various DWP sites. The one local to me is based in a delivery office and not the Mail Centre

I know what you mean,big contract to lose,nice to see DWP have confidence in RM post privatisation,lol...

[rainbowwarrior72]

I wonder whether Royal Mail couldn't be bothered anymore I was told by someone that it was not due to end until 2015. This is the thing that annoys me about RM that they are happy to lose business and do nothing to address why they lose it. Maybe it suits their purpose at the moment re Privatisation (The reason why we need to be sold).

[db]

I wonder whether Royal Mail couldn't be bothered anymore I was told by someone that it was not due to end until 2015. This is the thing that annoys me about RM that they are happy to lose business and do nothing to address why they lose it. Maybe it suits their purpose at the moment re Privatisation (The reason why we need to be sold).

I believe they are centralising it all to mk.

[fishtank]

LTB522/13 DWP Contract Mail Opening and Scanning

To view this download, please click here
No. 522/2013

Ref: 045

Date: 29th July 2013

To All: Postal Branches

Area Processing Representatives

Area Distribution Representatives

Divisional Representatives

Dear Colleague

DEPARTMENT OF WORK & PENSIONS (DWP) - MAIL OPENING & SCANNING

Further to LTB506 circulated to Branches/Representatives on the 19th July 2013 regarding the above. I can report that a meeting has been held with the business to discuss the impact of the announcement made on Friday 19th July 2013 regarding the loss of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) contract.

Along with the assurances already published in respect of TUPE and the option of everyone employed on DWP work being able to remain in Royal Mail should they wish, we are also able to confirm that the terms of the MTSF agreement will also apply to individuals who are affected by this announcement.

In addition the Union requested further information relating to the status of the DWP contract, Royal Mails relationship with Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW) and an insight to their planning assumptions for disengagement from the contract and what part, if any, of the work currently performed will be retained my Royal Mail.

A response has now been received which is bullet pointed below, however it should be noted that this is a summary of the circumstances and events that have contributed to the loss of this work as well as the initial planning assumptions/activity that will be required to provide operational arrangements for the revised DWP model being introduced by BBW.

Ø Royal Mail provides Opening and Scanning Services to the DWP as a sub-contractor to Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW).

Ø Balfour Beatty Workplace hold the contract for Office Services with the DWP. This covers a range of services including Facilities Management Services such as Reception and Messengerial Services and also Office Services such as Telephony, Typing and of course the Mail Opening and Scanning which is subcontracted to Royal Mail.

Ø The contract is for 7 years with the option for a 3 year extension with the first seven year Term due to finish in Feb 2014

Ø Under pressure from the DWP for a two site model to enable the migration to digital rather than physical delivery, and for internal commercial reasons within BBW to increase their margin, BBW have elected to take this work in house and provide the services from two sites located in Kidderminster and Telford.

Ø There was no tender for this work and as lead contractor BBW and DWP had rights to be able to do this.

Ø We have tried to influence the DWP to stay with us at the very highest level, sadly to no avail.

Ø The work will migrate from the end of September onwards with an expectation that 3 of the 29 MOU's will close per week in a 9 or 10 week migration plan. The precise detail is still to be agreed with the DWP and BBW and Royal Mail will share this with the Union once it has been finalised.

Ø One silver lining is that a substantial new contract worth between £3m-£5m will be required by the DWP to get the mail securely from the legacy MOU's and DO's to the two new sites and to present it to the BBW offices pre-sorted by individual DWP office (Jobcentres etc.) of which there are about 540.

Ø This will involve a small number of hours remaining in the MOU locations to pre-sort mail and Revenue Protect the Response Service Mail and a new substantial Pre-sorted delivery service operating out of Wolverhampton Mail centre to provide a circa 270 way sort to each of the two new BBW units.

Ø It is not yet possible to say how many jobs this will generate as we are yet to do the planning. Locally within MOU's it will range from a perhaps twenty minutes to a duty or possibly even more in the larger units. At Wolverhampton it will depend on the degree of manual work received and this is not yet understood.
The final detail of this plan including staff implications are still subject to further analysis, however as previously advised in LTB 506/13 a list of the affect units including the number of duties currently affected is also published below as an attachment to this LTB.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or lwright@cwu.org quoting reference number:045

Yours sincerely

Terry Pullinger

Assistant Secretary