The deal: Flexibility A real stitch up?

[postiejohn]

A lot of complaints about being kept in the dark. people at my office and on this site naturally assume that it must be because the deal is crap. Well I think that is true and we should prepare to reject it. As the executive discusses one last amendment on sanctions/executive action the details of the deal are beginning to come out. One of the the worst aspects for me seems to be the acceptance by the union of RM's flexibility agenda. It talks of four phases the first being what is already happening e.g. change in start times, the others coming pretty fast over the next 6 months or so with some of the (miserly) pay increase linked to achievment of these changes.

Some really bad bits are - in phase 2:
"• Longs and shorts – a structural change where the normal working pattern may be rebalanced within the week to reflect the traffic profile. For example individuals could be scheduled to work 7 hours on a Tuesday and 9 hours on a Friday. Total weekly contractual hours would not change.

• Variation of hours – where necessary, for example when traffic volumes are unexpectantly high or resourcing issues arise, individuals may be asked and may themselves request to vary their duty times by up to 30 minutes on a swings and roundabouts basis. Again, total weekly contractual hours would not change.

...

• Efficient summer staffing – each unit will utilise the opportunity offered by reduced traffic volumes to re-arrange responsibilities during the whole of the summer period. This will offer employees additional opportunities for leave during the same period.

• Working in nearby offices – areas will identify and agree with the CWU locally an approach (which could include the use of volunteers and reserves) to working in nearby offices within employees’ contracted hours which will include travel times and appropriate travel and subsistence arrangements.

• Innovative Duty Structures: Units will take the opportunity to review existring duty structures and identify innovative approaches to meet the above objectives.

• Doing other work within your office: On occasions staff may be asked to undertake other work outside their normal duties. Where appropriate, employees would be fully trained, properly equipped and safe ways of working will always be in place."

and in - phase 3:
"Both parties are committed to introducing new ways of working throughout the business by April 2008. In order to achieve this there will be a trial in four offices per AGM area covering the following:

- New arrangements to cover for one another and develop sensible options to absorb absences, and increased workload where time exists within normal hours.

- To ensure all paid hours are utilised"




I'll paste the whole section so people can judge for themselves:

4. Section 2 – Delivering Change and flexibility

Change is to be shaped and implemented in four phases

Phase 1 – Immediate Operational Changes

Start Times and network 2007-10-21
Royal Mail has introduced later start times for operational reasons. CWU note these changes. Given these operational changes the normal start times will henceforth be between 6 to 6.30. Royal Mail and CWU will undertake local reviews of the new duties to make any ongoing adjustments as required. Account must be taken of individual circumstances.
The overall length of Saturday attendances will remain unchanged unless agreed otherwise locally.

Any further changes to duty start times, as a result of automation and the new delivery model will be the subject of further discussion in Joint working Group 2.

Network 2007 will be implemented on 22nd October in line with the deployment framework set out in section 6.

Nightshifts in delivery units
Increasing levels of automation has created an opportunity to make better use of indoor time in delivery. The majority of nightshifts will cease by march 2008. This will be undertaken in line with normal IR procedures. Exceptions are likely to be required by city centre units with a high proportion of firms deleviries. Account will, of course, be taken of individuals’ circumstances and health, safety and security issues.

Weekend working
Weekend and bank holiday work in mail centres will be focused on time critical products (1C and Express products). The CWU note that Royal Mail will cease Sunday collections from 21st October. The impact on employees of this change will be the subject of urgent local consultation.

Phase 2 – Enabling local flexibility

In order to become a competitive and responsive business, while upholding hogh standards of employment., Royal mail needs to be able to use its resources effectively, efficiently and to adapt at pace. All offices will jointly draw up an agreed plan to be implemented by the end of January 2008 to enable local flexibility.

Objectives

The plan will meet the following agreed objectives:


• To provide the best possible customer service.

• To continue to offere reasonable local earnings levels.

• To improve efficiency and company profitability.

• To create a more flexible working environment where the aspirations of employees and the company can be more easily met.

• To improve the relationship between Royal Mail and CWU.

• To actively encourage the participation of the employees in supporting change.

• Effective workload alignment.

• To reduce the use of agency and casual staff.


The two key strands in this modernisation package are:

New technology – As the new £1.2 billion investment equipment is rolled out, Royal mail is committed to providing a comprehensive training programme to ensure a safe and effective operation and improve the working environment which will provide opportunities for new ways of working. In conjuction with this CWU and employees will be fully involved in trial activities. There will need to be a generic deplyment framework agreed by Royal mail and CWU by the end of January 2008 to deal with the trialling and implementation of all new technology and automation.

New ways of working – employees will be treated fairly, with respect, and will be expected to be flexible. The opportunity to perform more flexible attendence patterns will be introduced to improve alignment to workload, increase efficiency and provide a better work-life balance for employees.


Enablers

To assist the above objectives the following enablers have been agreed nationally and will be deployed in each unit. Discussion and agreement between Royal mail and CWU representatives will take place to ensure safe, fair and sensible implementation of these taking into account local circumstances and the application where relevant of the MTSF pay protection agreement. This will be achieved in line with our agreed IR procedures and the fresh approach described in the introduction to this agreement. There will be provision for review of the agreed local plans on a regular basis.

Its all about managers, reps and employees working together sensibly with a bit of give and take, applying equally to all. This is not about employees not knowing what job they are on, or when they start and finish from one day to the next. Nor is it about anyone refusing reasonable requests. Account should of course always be taken of individual circumstances.

• Longs and shorts – a structural change where the normal working pattern may be rebalanced within the week to reflect the traffic profile. For example individuals could be scheduled to work 7 hours on a Tuesday and 9 hours on a Friday. Total weekly contractual hours would not change.

• Variation of hours – where necessary, for example when traffic volumes are unexpectantly high or resourcing issues arise, individuals may be asked and may themselves request to vary their duty times by up to 30 minutes on a swings and roundabouts basis. Again, total weekly contractual hours would not change.

• Use of new technology – full cooperation and support for trials and subsequent deployment of new technology will take place, for example: iLSMs, walk sequencing, RDC automation, D2D automation, telemetry in area fleets, handhelds, collection handshake and materials handling. There will also be early deployment of flats automation, semi automated packet sorting and delivery method improvements.

• Efficient summer staffing – each unit will utilise the opportunity offered by reduced traffic volumes to re-arrange responsibilities during the whole of the summer period. This will offer employees additional opportunities for leave during the same period.

• Working in nearby offices – areas will identify and agree with the CWU locally an approach (which could include the use of volunteers and reserves) to working in nearby offices within employees’ contracted hours which will include travel times and appropriate travel and subsistence arrangements.

• Innovative Duty Structures: Units will take the opportunity to review existring duty structures and identify innovative approaches to meet the above objectives.

• Doing other work within your office: On occasions staff may be asked to undertake other work outside their normal duties. Where appropriate, employees would be fully trained, properly equipped and safe ways of working will always be in place.


Phase 3 – Transforming the way we work

Both parties are committed to introducing new ways of working throughout the business by April 2008. In order to achieve this there will be a trial in four offices per AGM area covering the following:

- New arrangements to cover for one another and develop sensible options to absorb absences, and increased workload where time exists within normal hours.

- To ensure all paid hours are utilised

- To create a working environment where employees, CWU reps and managers feel valued and motivated.

This flexibility could also facilitate arrangements for employees to help cover for each other – within contractual hours.

Local ideas will be generated, agreed and deployed through trials by early January 2008. The trials will be nationally evaluated to identify the widest range of options for national roll out.

Local offices will be entitled to the 1.5% pay increase in April 2008 subject to deployment of these new arrangements. Any offices where deployment is deferred will receive the additional 1.5% from the date of deployment.

5. Phase 4

To assist development of a fourth phase of Royal mail modernisation, consultation and negotiation will now take place in the following working groups. The intention is for these joint working groups to develop national agreements, where appropriate, by no later than the end of April 2008, to be deployed as soon as possible thereafter.

Joint working Group 1 - Relationships will consider how to improve industrial relationships within Royal Mail, including arrangements for negotiation, consultation and decision-making, the management of change, personnel procedures and practices covering issues like attendence, conduct and performance management.


Joint working Group 2 – New Reward Framework will examione pay simplification possibilities (within the existing pay bill), a new pay and reward package, different pay models reviewing on what the local element of the Collegueshare dividend for years 2 and 3 will be based and MTSF. The group will also consider how to implement monthly pay, annualised hours or banked hours, flexible working, and possible changes to attendence patterns that could both benefit the business and employees and is in line with the company’s family-friendly policy. The group will decide whether it needs to operate sub groups for any element of this.

Joint working Group 3 – Future working. His group will look at the business’ future mail centre / delivery / network strategies and have an opportunity to input into them. It will develop proposals on how the business will best capture the benefits of new technolog, whilst continuing to consider the implications for jos security. It will also look at the strategies needed to grow and develop the business in a changing, competitive environment.

[disheartened]

Is this a genuine part of the deal/agreement.........no offence meant.......but there has been a lot of guess work as to aspects of the deal from various members of this forum,it certainly has sent my head a spinning over the past 9/10 days.

[alanrmc]

Is this a genuine part of the deal/agreement.........no offence meant.......but there has been a lot of guess work as to aspects of the deal from various members of this forum,it certainly has sent my head a spinning over the past 9/10 days.

Perhaps at long last! we will get Official confirmation Monday, the above is a `minefield ` if correct!

[arsenalbob]

this seems to be word for word part of the original rejected agreement. RM know that if we all do the job properly there won't be any unworked hours to carry over whether it be a tuesday or the so called quiet summer months. if we all do this then flexibility will die a premature death,a bit like starburst

[lovejoy]

this seems to be word for word part of the original rejected agreement. RM know that if we all do the job properly there won't be any unworked hours to carry over whether it be a tuesday or the so called quiet summer months. if we all do this then flexibility will die a premature death,a bit like starburst

Exactly right!!

[postiejohn]

Is this a genuine part of the deal/agreement.........no offence meant.......but there has been a lot of guess work as to aspects of the deal from various members of this forum,it certainly has sent my head a spinning over the past 9/10 days.

This is as they say: 'from a very good source.' Its from a copy of the deal as it has been discussed by the exec. The exec were aklso shown a letter fromBarber of the TUC saying that the agreement had to be accepted as it was because RM would not accept adjustments.

An insight into Hayes and Ward's reasoning is contained in the way they conclude their recommendation to the PEC to accept the deal:


"This has been one of the toughest – if not the toughest dispute – in the history of the postal side of the Union.

What has made it so difficult is the reality of the competition, the companies financial position and the £3.4 billion pension deficit. These circumstances are unprecedented and represent serious challenges to everybody’s future.

In addition we have had to face down an employer clearly intent on destroying the Union. We all know, and our members know that change will happen. Crucially we now have an agreement that cements our role, again, in the workplace and allows us to negotiate on all the major issues we face.

After 6 months there is nothing to be gained from further negotiations or strike action. Our members have given us magnificent support – but that support has now been tested to the limit.

When you read this document you will see we will be able to demonstrate to our members, that their efforts have achieved considerable gains. Now the leadership have a responsibility to set aside all the emotions that always surround bitter disputes and make the decisions that will move everybody forward.

Its time to wrap up this dispute and let the members decide."

What they don't understand, in my opinion, is that the membership are after 6 months far from exausted are now mobilised, they understand the issues better than ever and are determined to win this dispute. Certainly in my office most will think this is crap and be very angry with the union. They will ask why can't we go back to the staggerred strikes.


In my opinion its the way that hayes and ward accept the argument that RM "reality" of competition and of the "pension deficit" that makes them willing to accept this s**t. But these are not simple realities they are a product of political decisions by the government and that government could change them if it wanted. But hayes and Ward are not prepared to have that figh, they prefer to retreat. But its us and not them who pay the price!

[alanrmc]

Is this a genuine part of the deal/agreement.........no offence meant.......but there has been a lot of guess work as to aspects of the deal from various members of this forum,it certainly has sent my head a spinning over the past 9/10 days.

This is as they say: 'from a very good source.' Its from a copy of the deal as it has been discussed by the exec. The exec were aklso shown a letter fromBarber of the TUC saying that the agreement had to be accepted as it was because RM would not accept adjustments.

But these are not simple realities they are a product of political decisions by the government and that government could change them if it wanted. But hayes and Ward are not prepared to have that fight, they prefer to retreat. But its us and not them who pay the price!

And that is the salient point!

[DGP1]

If this really is part of the deal then it is exactly the same as all previous RM documents and I can't see the union even contemplating it, so again I'll wait for the font of all knowledge (lovejoy) to let us all know.

[Fluke]

If this really is part of the deal then it is exactly the same as all previous RM documents and I can't see the union even contemplating it, so again I'll wait for the font of all knowledge (lovejoy) to let us all know.

I agree. If this is really the agreement they are going to push, then Ward and Hayes can go f*ck em selves. We didn't give up 8 days of pay for this pile of shite, the strike breakers will be laughing themselves silly.

[heston]

THOSE PROPOSALS ARE UNACCEPTABLE,NO SERIOUS NEGOTIATOR COULD RECOMMEND THEM,DAVE BILLY,SET THE DATES GET US OUT. LETS FINISH THESE MONSTERS, TRUST US REPS WE WILL DELIVER THE TROOPS . SET THE DATES, NOT ONLY ARE THEY CLEARING THE BACKLOG THEY DRIPFEEDING US CHANGES BY EXECUTIVE ACTION,THE TIME IS NOW IF YOU DONT THE MEMBERS WILL BE LOST FOR YEARS,

[tommo_101]

this seems to be word for word part of the original rejected agreement. RM know that if we all do the job properly there won't be any unworked hours to carry over whether it be a tuesday or the so called quiet summer months. if we all do this then flexibility will die a premature death,a bit like starburst

i agree but we still do starburst in my office
we are the only ones left, though thay have been trying to get rid of us for years
still threaten us from time to time

[heston]

STARBURST? HA HA ANOTHER FAILED INITIATIVE, THANX FOR THE MEMORY

[Wild Cat]

In English it means people finishing 2 hours early will be told to stay and do some more work.

If you are standing around and waiting for work they will ask you to go onto another section.

If they get their way they will make you work overtime every day so that you build up a massive surplus of hours and they will tell you when you can take them back.

The strong offices will stand their ground and the weak one's will be taken the piss out of.

[stevie247]

TOTALLY SOLD DOWN THE RIVER!

[tpost]

If this flexible working document is right why did I go on strike? What a load of crap