Lapsing - Outdoor Department Monthly E-Bulletin June

[trythat]

From Outdoor Department Monthly E-Bulletin June edition can be read by emailing Outdoorsecretary@cwu.org, I think TBT posted a link sometime ago, I find it better than the Voice in some respects.

Any way here below is what they say about Lapsing, hopefully it might be worth reps reading it as it says what most of us think, lapsing is not really an all year deal, with the new modal week tool, I would think it should be harder for DSMs to force lapsing in.

Lapsing
Q. When is summer lapsing that rolls into winter absorption in other words all year round lapsing, ever going to
get stopped, it’s unbelievable in D.O. at least two duties sometimes three every week. It’s criminal the way we
are worked into the ground. I know good postmen that have just left Royal Mail because of this lapsing.

Q. Seeing as there quick enough to lapse when it’s quiet & ask you to work on when it’s not busy I was
wondering in what timescale do they have to give you back hours you owed for working on if you prefer that to
overtime? & surely you don’t need to lapse on a quiet day if they owe you time?

A. lapsing is a major issue for our members which we understand. We have revised a number of agreements
relevant to this issue and in particular regarding the model week which revisions are planned around. In real
terms this means there are a number of weeks were there could be an opportunity to lapse and this is
predominately during the July & August months when Annual Leave should be extended to allow more people
the time off for holiday. However outside of this period and when traffic is above the model week particularly in
the Autumn period and the lead up to Christmas managers should be putting in extra hours / resource to
support the operation and where they are failing to do this, this should not be accepted locally and the matter
should be raised at the weekly resourcing meetings, and if necessary through the IR framework, and if
necessary raised with the department.

[worktotime]

just a few of questions on this ,1- who supplies the figures for the daily traffic and do the cwu check these ?, 2 - and how is lapsing pre planned in weeks or months in our office if its supposed to be done on a daily basis ? , 3 - what are these figures based on , dsa , parcels , pkts ? thanks for any info.

[world class male]

q: is the now compulsory lapsing based on line managers consistently sorting mail?
q: do the staff know that the extra workload pushed on them is due to a fair amount of staff starting around 3 hours early? these people also moan about it and complain about fatigue
q: what are the chances of pt staff getting ft hours permanent due to the 2 questions above and with job cuts also happening, must have lost 7 in 3 months?
and one more, why doesn't the union stop q1 despite the fact they know it happens every single day?
i have no problem with people wanting overtime but its playing right into their plan that everything looks like its working, people will burn out, some already have.

perhaps the union could send out a flyer to suggest zero overtime for 1 week or even just 1 day in a week to show the chaos that would happen with the constant push push push if they don't let up.

[Hitcher]

If lapsing was such a major issue for members they'd start on their time and take their breaks but unfortunately the majority don't hence the illusion there's time to do it.

[bandit1157]

If lapsing was such a major issue for members they'd start on their time and take their breaks but unfortunately the majority don't hence the illusion there's time to do it.

Sad but true

[rubberbond]

If lapsing was such a major issue for members they'd start on their time and take their breaks but unfortunately the majority don't hence the illusion there's time to do it.

With the current lack of leadership, from the Union and the appalling senior management we suffer with ,it would have come in regardless. One reason is, because the planners have ,in the majority of cases ,never done a delivery ,over a consistent period of time ,therefore they cannot grasp the concept, or "art" of delivery, they then have an over reliance on technology,which cannot offer the same insight and throws out walks that are unachievable, but not according to the planner.

[BeamishStout]

However outside of this period and when traffic is above the model week particularly in
the Autumn period and the lead up to Christmas managers should be putting in extra hours

Basically that has been the case in our LDO since just after Christmas. Granted extra hours are put in most days to cater for the first wave of sorting BUT whenever there is an unanticipated mass mailing/there is any kind of snafu they (RM) are unable to cope with all those 'lapsing duties' because most folk under these days have enough problems delivering their own mail within the scheduled time.

The traffic figures are now never mentioned which leads me to assume that local management is winging it somewhat.

[Bishbashbbosh]

Sorry guys, but let's be honest. Most posties make time on a Tuesday/Saturday, often on a Monday and sometimes on other days of the week. But as soon as they are asked to take an extra 10 minutes work (despite them still being able to finish an hour early) it's the end of the world.

Realistically, there should be a system whereby you are paid on your total work for the week. If you finish 30 mins early on a Tuesday and then go 30 mins over on a Wednesday, you are all square. At the end of the day, we are all there to provide a good service and I believe most of us want to do that. People just get too caught up in 'the busy days' and don't realise that often it is evened out by 'the quiet days'

[korky]

Sorry guys......But as soon as they are asked to take an extra 10 minutes work'

but what if that 10 mins later means paying childcare for another hour?
we have start & finish like most industries, for a reason, so we can plan our lives accordingly, why should we be made to look like trouble causing socialists because we need to get home to the family?

[Bishbashbbosh]

It's part of the job and also part of the contract... Flexible working. You finish early some days and you finish later others. They've tried for years but forecasting the amount of mail will NEVER be a perfect art and is never going to be spot on. Take the rough with the smooth. If we didn't have busy days, we simply wouldn't have jobs. I've been in an office where your daily workload is just what you deal with and people don't break off. I'm sure there are some offices where if you come back 20 mins early, then they make you stop and do indoor work, in which case I agree, you shouldn't be expected to work over other days, but generally if can finish early some days, you should be prepared to deal with busy days also

[korky]

flexible means it can bend both ways,
but no way would anyone nor should be expected to at 5 hours notice to organise childcare and pay unnecessary fees, nor can it be forced

[fishtank]

Sorry Bish but you're talking crap, there is no "flexibility" in your contracted hours unless you choose to do it and I wouldn't trust any of these managers to oversee any type of flexibility, they can't even get the basics rightf ffs.

[worktotime]

]

It's part of the job and also part of the contract... Flexible working. You finish early some days and you finish later others. They've tried for years but forecasting the amount of mail will NEVER be a perfect art and is never going to be spot on. Take the rough with the smooth. If we didn't have busy days, we simply wouldn't have jobs. I've been in an office where your daily workload is just what you deal with and people don't break off. I'm sure there are some offices where if you come back 20 mins early, then they make you stop and do indoor work, in which case I agree, you shouldn't be expected to work over other days, but generally if can finish early some days, you should be prepared to deal with busy days also

bish , some of us work our full hours everyday and don't have any early days , as we do the job as we are suppose to do , start on time , lwt , meal reliefs which the dims don't like but tough s**t , so why should you be made to go over to do lapsing on another delivery to either argue over the docket or hope you will get the time back by the end of the week, banking of hours isn't agreed and flexibility is voluntary . give it to the loonys who start an hour before there time and run round with bags on there backs.

[hampshireman]

Sorry guys, but let's be honest. Most posties make time on a Tuesday/Saturday, often on a Monday and sometimes on other days of the week. But as soon as they are asked to take an extra 10 minutes work (despite them still being able to finish an hour early) it's the end of the world.

Realistically, there should be a system whereby you are paid on your total work for the week. If you finish 30 mins early on a Tuesday and then go 30 mins over on a Wednesday, you are all square. At the end of the day, we are all there to provide a good service and I believe most of us want to do that. People just get too caught up in 'the busy days' and don't realise that often it is evened out by 'the quiet days'

Really? So , a system of 'banking hours . is what you want?
How do you measure and monitor that? Given that most of RM Management cannot add up that well.
Indeed , Banking Hours is a no no.

The system you alluded to is 'Annualised Hours'. A strict no. The Union opposes ; all members should oppose

[Jack Rouse]

I very rarely get time to do it, except on the lightest days.

I always manage to get back to the office with only ten minutes or so to spare each day.