Local CWU Facilities Agreement

[Shaman Mao]

Do any reps out there have a local WRITTEN and SIGNED Facilities agreement? I'm having a hard time trying to get the DOM to put his signature to one. He's quite happy to provide release/OT, telephones, union room etc but seems reluctant to sign anything.

[drb]

Does not need to sign anything.It is in the IR Framework

[gluteus maximus]

Would it be best though to have a facilities agreement signed off for future reps and any future resourcing built around any agreement. I find it is customary to have such an agreement between the IR Rep and business manager in any establishment. It sets a binding, rather than a persuasive precedent

[drb]

Section 1.6 Of The IR Framework:

3. ACCOMMODATION AND OFFICE FACILITIES
Royal Mail will make arrangements for local, area and divisional representatives to be provided with reasonable facilities in terms of notice boards, accommodation and furniture. This will include provision of telephones and the cost of a reasonable level of calls consistent with the normal conduct of industrial relations. Similarly, assistance may also be given with typing, duplicating, photocopying, etc, for industrial relations purposes. Union correspondences under cover, except to or between individual union members, may be sent through the internal post; the public mail service may not be used without payment of the proper charge.

[gluteus maximus]

What you have stated is Statutory and applies to all Trade Union facility time. It is contained within the Trade Union and Labour Relations Consolidation Act 1992

I think the question being asked is as to how much facility time to carry out your trade union duties under such a local agreement. How much release time in the day/mornings, over how many days etc, not the release time entitlement

[drb]

This is to be agreed locally,(Appendix 1.4 by the DSM). It normally works by how many in your unit too. 100 plus would be 15 hours per week,but again locally agreed.

APPENDIX 1.4 AUTHORITY FOR FACILITIES FOR REPRESENTATIVES

This is to certify that [name]
of [unit/location]
holds the following representative positions in CWU
[a] [Local Representative]
[Area Representative]
[c] [Divisional Representative] [d] [EC Member]
[e] [Branch Representative]
Date
NOTES:
from to from to from to from to from to
[date] [date] [date] [date] [date]
[to be reviewed annually] It is agreed that
[name]
of [unit/location]
representing [group of employees]
is designated by [CWU] to hold the following
representative positions
[date] [date] [date] [date] [date]
[a] [Local Representative]
[Area Representative]
[c] [Divisional Representative] [d] [EC Member]
[e] [Branch Representative]
from to from to from to from to from to
and is authorised to have the following facilities for the period from to [date]
[a] Paid Leave for local IR duties
Paid Leave days maximum in any period of 12 months*.
[c] Other facilities [here should be listed only those facilities which need to be specially identified].
Signed
Union Representative

[Shaman Mao]

Thanks everyone. DRB, where does the 15 hours for 100+ figure come from? Our office is 150 and I'm currently getting 7 hours release per week.

[NewUnitRep]

Could I insist on an allowance of time each day for union work? I'm currently frowned upon for asking any form of release by our dom. I've a hundred members but often struggle to keep up with general paperwork so can I insist on time to do general union related duties? Thanks

[Alfietherat]

I’m a new rep and represent around 30 people in my office . How much Facilities time a day would I be entitled to?

[POSTMAN]

See some info here...

LOCAL REPS GUIDANCE

Some of it is now out of date re : they 50/50 bonus thing, but resource meetings etc should still be the norm.

Also see 1.6 here...
Industrial-Relations-Framework-