Mpu's closing down?

[GaaZooKss]

Hi

Today I heard that some mpu's are moving work to the Mail centre on Sunday and Monday night. I also heard the plan is to completely move sequencing to mail centres on every night for mpu's is this true? Has anyone else heard anything about this?

[pinstripe]

They're trying this in the South-East. Our rep went to disagreement over it, so now we wait and see.

Initially it was was meant to be Sun/Mon and Mon/Tues for 11 weeks over summer, but we thought that once the work goes it will not come back. The next step would be the complete removal of the CSS operation in MPU's, in preparation for 'one wave', leading to Mon-Sat 9-5 for f/t'ers, with associated job losses. RM's plan all along.

[SpacePhoenix]

They're trying this in the South-East. Our rep went to disagreement over it, so now we wait and see.

Initially it was was meant to be Sun/Mon and Mon/Tues for 11 weeks over summer, but we thought that once the work goes it will not come back. The next step would be the complete removal of the CSS operation in MPU's, in preparation for 'one wave', leading to Mon-Sat 9-5 for f/t'ers, with associated job losses. RM's plan all along.

One wave will never happen, you wouldn't be able to start sequencing until around 05:30 and you'd probably be looking at an hour per batch, so many DOs would get their mail a day later

[Nickvilla20]

The CSS machines have been going in my office for 3 years not but no final decision has bee made. They keep putting the date back.

[SpacePhoenix]

How well are your local MCs IMPs or iLSMs used at night? If they aren't used to much then i wouldn't be surprised if your MPUs close down as they could run the sequencing on their iLSMs or IMPs

[Martin Walsh]

These proposals are part of their National Strategy and their are several disagreements on the Sunday night operation which is already one wave. In terms of closing MPUs , Royal Mail are scoping closing some and we have disagreement over N13/21 closing ad going into the Mount.

Space you must understand that Royal Mail's strategy is no longer one wave. In 80% of the Mail centres they don't want to start sequencing until 95% of the work is in around 02:30 and this will not than be sorted into a frame in a delivery office but simply checked and tied up.

The second 5% will be walksorted and not sequenced and therefore Delivery offices will not need big frames as only the 5% and maual will be sorted allowing Royal Mail to merge more units.

Part of Royal Mail's proposals are automatically moving start times in delivery office by 2 hours later to allow for later acceptance and this proposal which will include staggered start times in DOs with two people using the same games one starting at say 8 and the other at 10.

Now this is what Royal Mail want to trail in a significant number of Delivery units and whilst you keep saying it won't work they have modelled this on Auto miss and a number of other things.

The CWU have rejected this proposal and won't support a multi bundle system which requires them to merge 3 bundles out on the steeet.

The more difficult thing to oppose is the evidence that Royal Mail will significantly increase parcel volumes and revenue if they have later acceptance times from 02:00 from NDC ( National Distribution Centre ) which depending on your pronixity to Daventry will determine when the inward parcels will arrive in the Mail Centre and will than be due delivery that day and hence the pressure on delivery times.

[SpacePhoenix]

Space you must understand that Royal Mail's strategy is no longer one wave. In 80% of the Mail centres they don't want to start sequencing until 95% of the work is in around 02:30 and this will not than be sorted into a frame in a delivery office but simply checked and tied up.

The second 5% will be walksorted and not sequenced and therefore Delivery offices will not need big frames as only the 5% and maual will be sorted allowing Royal Mail to merge more units.

That won't work either as the best that you can generally get on wave 1 is around 80% of the work and you'll still need to sort it into the delivery frame as sometimes we have to split a batch into two lots, running half the boxes then running it again with the other half of the boxes. It'll also be needed to sorted into delivery frames as some DOs are very slow in updating their A+ which the sequencing sort plans are based on. If they wanted 95% on wave one then they may as well go for one wave as some DOs wouldn't get their sequenced mail to 15:00-16:00 in the afternoon and it it were really busy, some might not get it until the next day.

Part of Royal Mail's proposals are automatically moving start times in delivery office by 2 hours later to allow for later acceptance and this proposal which will include staggered start times in DOs with two people using the same games one starting at say 8 and the other at 10.

Now this is what Royal Mail want to trail in a significant number of Delivery units and whilst you keep saying it won't work they have modelled this on Auto miss and a number of other things.

The CWU have rejected this proposal and won't support a multi bundle system which requires them to merge 3 bundles out on the steeet.

The more difficult thing to oppose is the evidence that Royal Mail will significantly increase parcel volumes and revenue if they have later acceptance times from 02:00 from NDC ( National Distribution Centre ) which depending on your pronixity to Daventry will determine when the inward parcels will arrive in the Mail Centre and will than be due delivery that day and hence the pressure on delivery times.

In larger MCs it might work where they have the room to process inward and outward at the same time but in smaller MCs it won't work, as the space where the inward is done will be needed by the early shifts from 06:00, especially if RM want all 2C done by 10:30 it'll just result in more mail failing. It would probably also result in 9am specials failing all the time.

[24601]

Can't help feeling that 'it will never happen' should be filed under 'Phrases we don't use anymore' along with 'they can't do that'

[Martin Walsh]

Space Phoenix I amazed at some of your responses in believing that Royal Mail's strategy which totally changes RDCs , VOCs and all Delivery offices dose not change the Mail centres way of working where outward to move to RDCs and inward more concentrated.

Royal Mail this weeks ended the career of their Chief Director in charge of their strategy Gary Burgess and replaced him with Anton Harding. Steve Cameron now holds all the cards. The reality for Royal Mail is that for them to achieve effirency savings they must reduce indoor working in DOs hence their strategy and hence their multi bundle plan.

This ain't no game. The union is holding meetings with every single local Rep over the next two weeks because we expect to be balloting for strike action in August over Royal Mail plans on Pay , Pensions, Change to the pipeline and loads of other issues.

Now what Royal Mail will say to you which is what they are stating in the negotiations if it won't work why don't the CWU agree to trial the concept in 12 Mail Centres and 300 Delivery offices ? What is the union afraid off ?

The CWU have rejected this despite Royal Mail's auto Miss scoping plans which states that CSS machines in DOs and Mail Centre's have windows of opportunity to perform this work !

[SpacePhoenix]

Space Phoenix I amazed at some of your responses in believing that Royal Mail's strategy which totally changes RDCs , VOCs and all Delivery offices dose not change the Mail centres way of working where outward to move to RDCs and inward more concentrated.

Royal Mail this weeks ended the career of their Chief Director in charge of their strategy Gary Burgess and replaced him with Anton Harding. Steve Cameron now holds all the cards. The reality for Royal Mail is that for them to achieve effirency savings they must reduce indoor working in DOs hence their strategy and hence their multi bundle plan.

This ain't no game. The union is holding meetings with every single local Rep over the next two weeks because we expect to be balloting for strike action in August over Royal Mail plans on Pay , Pensions, Change to the pipeline and loads of other issues.

Now what Royal Mail will say to you which is what they are stating in the negotiations if it won't work why don't the CWU agree to trial the concept in 12 Mail Centres and 300 Delivery offices ? What is the union afraid off ?

The CWU have rejected this despite Royal Mail's auto Miss scoping plans which states that CSS machines in DOs and Mail Centre's have windows of opportunity to perform this work !

dingo, have you ever worked in a MC? If RM want the 2C done by 10:30, then they can't have the inward mail arriving any later as there won't be the space to process it, it's as simple as that. With the conveyor belts that they're bringing in, there's even less room and the conveyor belts are only useful for collections and airmail (inward) that arrives. Also if they want 2C done by 10:30 then they'll also have to put more hours in to night shifts otherwise they've got no chance. Night shifts go down to the wire all year round and that's without having to process 2C

[Martin Walsh]

Yes I have worked and represented members in a Mail Centre. Have you not heard of Hub Optimisation in which second class will not be stored in Mail Centres and only arrive for the window needed for processing ?

[SpacePhoenix]

Have you not heard of Hub Optimisation in which second class will not be stored in Mail Centres and only arrive for the window needed for processing ?

Won't work, there wouldn't be enough time to process it, assuming they moved main/final dispatch back a couple of hours. You have 2-2&1/2 hours to process it, on a light day you'd get away with it but on a busy day you'd fail some of the 2C.

Also 2C mech would either have to be done on lates or nights (early in the shift) otherwise if RM don't want sequencing starting before 95% of the mail is in, then the iLSMs and IMPs won't be available to run 2C so all the 2C mech would have to go manual

[parforthewalk]

This is a very interesting post & is at the heart of RM's major change plans.

Dingo is in the know about what RM wants to do in its strategy (ideally) & Space is in the know about the reality of want can actually be done.

Again this smacks of RM relying on computer programs (Automiss) to tell it what can be done on paper, however the reality is somewhat different.

It seems like nothing new, as the same is done with delivery revisions & generally that's the reason why so many fail.

On the face of it RM is just 'rail roading' its objectives & strategy through, with the CWU hoping that it can use all the broken agreements & executive action perpetrated by RM to galvanize the members to ballot for IA (which requires a 50%+ majority).

It's all to play for!

[swindonandy]

Also 2C mech would either have to be done on lates or nights (early in the shift) otherwise if RM don't want sequencing starting before 95% of the mail is in, then the iLSMs and IMPs won't be available to run 2C so all the 2C mech would have to go manual

2C mech letters and flats are done regularly on lates/nights at some sites.