LTB 152/2016 Postal Policy Forum : The Future of Royal Mail, Pay & Pensions : Arrangements and Amendments

Post by **POSTMAN** » 09 Mar 2016, 18:45

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

Postal Policy Forum – The Future of Royal Mail, Pay & Pensions

Arrangements and Amendments

Policy Forum: Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd March 2016

Order of Business

Day 1: Tuesday 22nd March 2016

13.00 – 13.15 Chair’s opening remarks and any challenges
13.15 – 13.30 Terry Pullinger DGS(P), Introduction – The Future of Royal Mail, Pay and Pensions
13.30 – 17.00 Section 1 - Current Agreements. Amendments 1-19
Section 2 - Future Design. Amendments 20-43.

Day 2: Wednesday 23rd March 2016

09.30 - 12.00 Section 2 - Future Design. Amendments 20-43.
13.00 – 17.00 Section 3 – Pay, Hours and Leave. Amendments 44-55.
Section 4 – Pensions. Amendments 56-60.

Section 1 and 2 will conclude at 12.00 on Wednesday 23rd March 2016. If there is any business remaining from these sections they will be taken after Section 4 has been completed.

Obviously, if the sections are concluded earlier, we will move onto next business. If during the Policy Forum time becomes an issue I, as Chair, will ensure as a minimum each Section will be debated.

Please find attached the amendments for the Postal Policy Forum.

Branches are reminded that the Postal Policy Forum only sets policy for the Postal Constituency and not for the whole of the Union.

Any amendments referring to Industrial Action or Rule 13 will be discussed but can only be actioned in line with the National Rule 13 Industrial Action.

Can Branches and Business Co-ordinating Committees ensure that they agree who is moving and seconding Composite Amendments.

Branches can withdraw amendments up until 6.00 p.m. 21st March 2016 by emailing postalpolicyforum@cwu.org. Any other withdrawals after this date can be done from the floor of the forum.

Could Representatives please ensure you bring the following paperwork to the Forum, as hard copies will not be available on the day:

Policy Document – The Future of Royal Mail, Pay and Pensions contained in LTB 104/16.
Postal Policy Forum Arrangements and Amendments contained in LTB 152/16.

Branches are reminded that Registration will open at 12.00 p.m. on Tuesday 22nd March 2016.

Senior Field Officials should also register that they are in attendance.

The Postal Policy Forum will start at 1pm.

I look forward to seeing you at the Postal Policy Forum.

Any enquiries should be directed to the DGS(P) Department quoting reference 24210.

Yours sincerely

Jane Loftus
Chair of Postal Executive

Amendments.doc

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 10 Mar 2016, 12:54

after all those views of the motions it is concerning there are no comments or opinions on these motions or the wider threats ?

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 10 Mar 2016, 13:14

These are complex issues and a lot for members ( who have a day job ) to take on board, even the ammendments are complex.

We could do with simplifying the main issues.

deadbox · Post by **deadbox** » 10 Mar 2016, 21:27

dingo wrote:after all those views of the motions it is concerning there are no comments or opinions on these motions or the wider threats ?

Maybe its because the top of the CWU & RM say that A,B &C will happen, But Local agreements mean that X,Y & Z happens..... People have lost faith that agreements will be honored.

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 11 Mar 2016, 09:53

Yes there are some agreements or parts of agreements which sometimes Royal Mail break or try to ingnore ! Equally if we are honest some that the CWU and our members choose to ingnore, such as meal reliefs , start times , working all paid for hours , minuimn rest periods etc.

However there are signifcant amounts of agreements which they do honour. Such as pay , MTSF , pay protection , leave , pensions , overtime , attendance patterns , SA , delivery supplement , sick pay , weekly pay , holiday pay the list is endless !

When Royal Mail break an agreement we have to take a strong stance to force them to obey the agreement. Often Royal a Mail are clever in that they don't break it everywhere so that if it becomes a national issue there are significant amounts of the country where the agreement has not been broken which makes it harder to unite the country. Which is why it has to fought initially in the localities where it is being broken first.

The reason why most national agreements allow local agreement is because individuals in offices have different priorities such as attendance patterns , start times , earnings levels , percentage of full time / part time mix , the amount of Saturday's off , the amount of delivery points per walk , the amount of firm duties , the amount of indoor duties , when paid meal reliefs are taken , who goes on the IPS , who does double prep , what absorption is done and what days , the amount of reserves per duty, annual leave spreads , christmas duties , Easter arrangements , red dot days , resourcing meetings , revisions the list is so long. Do you really think that the CWU can agree start times for the whole of the U.K. Or some of what I listed without mass arguements and members complaining ?

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 11 Mar 2016, 10:25

Fish fair point let me try and explain.

Recommendation 1 recommends that we should get an extension to our legal guarantees and MTSF for a further 5 years. On the face of it no one would disagree and would welcome this. The issue is however the first review of the legal guarantees is not till 2019 and Royal Mail will want in return for any extension. Hence why some have said in the amendment any extension cannot be linked to one wave , a pilot on one wave or like to acceptance of Royal Mail's strategy.

Recommendation 2 - is over Royal Mail's recruitment shambles , the failure of Royal Mail to increase part timers contracts linked to the hours they currently work and the fact that in RDCs , Mail centre and HWDC , ILC there are hundreds of agency staff working - some Branch's and Divisions believe we got to bring this to an head and suspend all talks on any savings linked to all managers new budgets which they get from April to achieve unless they honour the above agreements .

Recommendation 3 is on Royal Mail 's strategy and the CWU is opposed to the strategy and we don't accept that Royal Mail should artificially delay work to create one wave and therefore introduce letter deliveries , we don't agree 6 hour spans unless Royal Mail give the CWU a 35 hour gross working week with paid meal reliefs which would mean a full time would only work 30 hours per week. This is without any loss of pay and part timers would get a pay rise as their hourly rate would go up. Additionally there is amendments which highlight Royal Mail's proposal to shut 400 delivery offices out of 1258 delivery offices ( not including SPDOs )

Recommendation 4 is on the production control which is the system they want you to clock in and clock out not just start and finish times but after each task. There are a range of amendments including rejecting it completely too the system not being allowed to be used for conduct.

Recommendation 5 is the people's post link to what Royal Mail strategy and that we should campaign politically against their business model for the future.

Recommendation 6 is pay and the majority of Branch's and Divisions do not want any pay rise linked to the CWU accepting one wave , a pilot on one wave or agreement on Royal Mail's strategy. Additionally there is a number calling for a reduction. In the working week due to automation.

Recommendation 7 is pensions - Royal Mail are expected to announce from June that they will close the defined benefit scheme from 2018. This will impact on all employees who were in post pre 2008 and in the final salary scheme and than to the CARE scheme. So the amendments in this section range from let's have a row and ballot but because 1 in every 3 people in Royal Mail are in the inferior defined contribution scheme ie those people who joined after 2008 or got auto enrolled into this pension then we must if we have a row also agree to improve the defined contribution scheme as well where all the risk is on the employee not the employer. Additionally there are amendments which say if they is a new scheme than Royal Mail must continue to pay the 17.1% employer contribution they currently do in any scheme.

So hopefully the above helps some understand what is happening !

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 11 Mar 2016, 15:07

If Royal Mail want 6 hr deliveries we should be looking not only at a 30hr net working week but also more innovative working patterns, 6 hr deliveries, 5 or even 6 days a week is too much for the vast majority but things like over 4 days or a 2 on-2 off scenario would make more sense.

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 11 Mar 2016, 18:12

Fish I agree there are a few amendments which deal with what a delivery would look like with hardly any indoor work .

However I think we in the phase where we are saying we don't agree with your plan , we are not going to agree with your plan and we are going to fight it ! We have time to think and consult on what will be the future for deliveries and whether it is a 4 day week , whether it is a break in the middle of the delivery and what other delivery methods are needed etc !

But for now the tactic must be too oppose !