NATIONAL BRIEFING REPORT

[left739]

As we sat and watched the debate unfold the key point that MUST be asked by members and representatives is if we reject this document what is next?
• Are members prepared for more action
• Can we move Royal Mail further with more action
• If this deal is unacceptable what is palatable?

It is easy to say no. it is easy to just sit back and refuse change. It is far harder to grab it by the scruff or the neck and start leading members.



I don’t think your questions are necessarily the right ones but let me try to answer them.

“Are members prepared for more action?â€

[lovejoy]

[quote="left739"]As we sat and watched the debate unfold the key point that MUST be asked by members and representatives is if we reject this document what is next?
• Are members prepared for more action
• Can we move Royal Mail further with more action
• If this deal is unacceptable what is palatable?

It is easy to say no. it is easy to just sit back and refuse change. It is far harder to grab it by the scruff or the neck and start leading members.



I don’t think your questions are necessarily the right ones but let me try to answer them.

“Are members prepared for more action?â€

[lovejoy]

A brave posting. IWW and Belliache will be along with the normal shed load of abuse any minute now...

I can take it. Thats what a union is all about - being able to voice your opinion

NO the union is about standing together to protect and improve our terms and conditions .

This deal is a charter for the destruction of the CWU postal section .
Local agreement ,local trials ,area rep discussion, total fragmentation and ultimately capitulation.
Deja vu ,Way FORward , is your status raised? do you get the national average wage?

Feel free to quote me in just 18months and say i told you it was a good deal. Bet my left leg you dont

Ah the old I told you so line. Anyone could say that and I agree this agreement will be difficult for members. ALL major national agreements are!

As I have previously stated it is easy to attack the document. We could all do that with no problem at all.

What is not so easy is putting your neck on the line and giving your views on our tactics and aims from here! Lets here some views on that from you Belial

[meoldcocker]

can't see anything in deal about withdrawing executive action or am I going blind in my old age
:lfo :cfo

[HootyMacBoob]

Anyone out there who hasn’t made up their mind here’s an example of what management think flexibility means, 3 drivers told by their manager they were being taken of their driving/part walking shifts tomorrow and put on delivery's, rep told by manager it’s in the new agreement, rep tells the manager the agreement hasnt been voted on yet, manager says well it’s my job to manage and you will do as directed. If anyone out there was under the impression that flexibility would be down to common sense and local agreements with the rep, then I think they are going to find out that managements interpretation of the agreement is something totally different from what Dave Billy and the PEC believe.

[andy2007]

I would like to suggest some changes that should have been included Lovejoy.

1) There was too much emphasis on the money, which coulkd have been deferred till April, instead of keeping it in this agreement. It's not that long to April now.
2) Instead of the money, they should have concentrated more on the Pensions issue. Not just for us, but for new Employees. It is short sighted, and selfish to protect ourselves at the expense of future generations!
3) The same goes for the "Grandfather Rights".
4) The "Flexibility" issue should have included much more specific protection for those who may have difficulties with varying shifts. Making them average out at the same number of hours per week, doesn't neccessarily fix the problem.
5) Although I can understand the need for minor differences in working proctices in different Centres, such differences exist anyway. These differences are needed to "Fine Tune" agreements. It is very unwise to give such large scope for differences, as weaker Centres could end up with bad conditions, and be used as examples to force such changes on the rest of us.

Now, I realise that change is inevitable. Quite frankly it's long overdue. But it MUST include protection for our working conditions, and above all, for the USO.

I have only ever worked in RDCs since joining RM, so I don't know what, if any inefficient practices you may have. But there are still a few left where I work. The irony, is that instead of taking notice of US. They impose changes, such as the change in the running times for the Drivers, which often backfire. This week for example has been an unmittigated disaster on the Bays.

This agreement gives the management more scope to change things around, and further mess things up! I know that during a dispute such as this, it gives us more leverage if such problems occur. BUT we need to make sure that we don't have this sort of thing happening after it's over.

WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE!!!!!

I know that there will be people who disagree with what I've said, and that I may even have upset some. But unless we all get our views into the open, how will we change anything.

After all: If you don't stand up for what you believe is right, and make your views heard. How can you expect to change ANYTHING.

When there are so many important issues at stake, you will always get differences of opinion, and emotions running high. But once we find the common ground that we all believe in, we can take this information to the PEC, and try to get them to DO something about it.

[mailsort6]

When I first looked at the agreement I throught it was a load of rubbish and I was going to vote no! but now I am not to sure what to do. Union reps need to make it clear to the members that this deal is a good deal, in fact this 'national briefing ' document needs to be pinned on the notice boards at work because it gives a clear picture or explains what the deal is about. Members at my office do not know which way to vote because they have not got enough information and I really do feel that we are not going to get a better deal than this from RM. If we get a No! vote we could end up with a worse agreement with more or different strings attached?

[andy2007]

You should never vote for an agreement just because you think it may get worse!

I agree, that there are some good points to the agreement, including some protection for us. But what about future generations?

We had an opportunity to try to get the whole Pensions issue sorted out as part of the existing dispute, but it isn't is it?

Please consider this carefully (as I did), before making a decision. If you still decide to vote for it, then that is you right, and no-one has the right to criticise you for it. But remember: there is a lot of ambiguity in the deal, and no protection for future employees. Do you really trust the management to enter into the spirit of the agreement?

[mailsort6]

You should never vote for an agreement just because you think it may get worse!

I agree, that there are some good points to the agreement, including some protection for us. But what about future generations?

We had an opportunity to try to get the whole Pensions issue sorted out as part of the existing dispute, but it isn't is it?

Please consider this carefully (as I did), before making a decision. If you still decide to vote for it, then that is you right, and no-one has the right to criticise you for it. But remember: there is a lot of ambiguity in the deal, and no protection for future employees. Do you really trust the management to enter into the spirit of the agreement?

Thanks for your advice

[Malatesta1954]

can't see anything in deal about withdrawing executive action or am I going blind in my old age
:lfo :cfo

You need to read the Joint Statement-

NATIONAL JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND CWU – RESTORING GOOD INDUSTRIAL and EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

Royal Mail and CWU recognise that the scale of the recent dispute has the potential to damage relationships between managers, reps and employees.

Everyone wants to put the dispute behind us and we are all committed to restoring good industrial and employee relations at all levels.

All of us are committed to treating everybody and each other with respect.

The following process will urgently be deployed and overseen by GM’s and CWU Divisional Representatives.

All relevant managers/CWU interfaces will meet to calm situations down and find sensible solutions to any local issues.

Everybody should work together to bring about a fresh start in the sprit of the proposed national agreement.

All managerial executive action notified to take place on and from 24 October 2007 will be returned to stage 3 of the IR Framework and any disagreements previously at Stage 3 will be returned to Stage 2 for resolution. All parties will work together in a positive way to resolve outstanding issues within the spirit of the national agreement and to facilitate this any CWU representatives who have had their facility time suspended will have it restored.

Any revisions introduced during week commencing 22 October will be reviewed in line with the IR procedures and will still qualify for the 50:50 productivity scheme as long as they are within the terms of the national agreement and that there is full co-operation between all parties.

The CWU will withdraw all current and proposed industrial action relating to the national dispute.

Any Network 07 changes affecting processing will be dealt with in line with the National Deployment Framework and reviewed via normal IR Procedures.

[vigilante]

TWO VITAL CONCERNS WERE THE PENSIONS AND HOUSEHOLD DELIVERIES (D2D) AS WELL AS FLEXIBILITY ETC.
SOME PEOPLE ARE ON ABOUT 30 QUID FOR D2D, IF THEY LOSE THIS BECAUSE OF LATER NEGOTIATIONS THAY WILL BE GAINING SEVENTEEN QUID POSSIBLE PAY INCREASEOVER TWO YEARS, BUT LOSING 13 QUID FROM D2D!!
BECAUSE MANAGERS HAVE BEEN MADE TO WORK UNTIL 65, WE WON'T STAND A CHANCE IN NEGOTIATIONS TO FIGHT AGAINST IT.
THE MTSF IS ALSO VERY SKETCHY.

[the undertaker]

Vote no...Stay strong

my office is at melting point..a massive back log which is getting bigger every day, a manager trying to bully people into taking out over the top deliveries...
And now a milky deal....Cheers>Die Thatcher Die>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

LET THE THATCHER HESHE BEAST LIVE AND SUFFER FOR A FEW MORE YEARS>I WILL PEFORM AN AUTOPSY ON THE BITCH WHILE IT IS ALIVE.

[sol]

Strange how the "report" does not mention the response of the reps in the briefing!

[leelatic]

We had a brief today about this.In delivery it will mean more delivering and no overtime and eventually half of the floaters jobs in the office going..Reps and doms will sit down and discuss the changes and if area management don't like it they will put what they want in by executive action.(how many offices fought tooth and nail to stop full time jobs being converted to 20 & 25hr duties only for Area management to say no?) I can't believe people honestly think that the Royal Mail will be fair in implementing these changes?

[tomangoe]

its a s**t deal however the union like to phrase it.Notice there's no mention of us-the workers who'll have to put up with Royal Mails interpretation of the agreement.It's all about the union hierarchy maintaining their position.Afterall we have loads of agreements in now but Royal Mail just ignore them with executive action.Do you honestly believe Royal Mail and Crozier will keep their side of the deal!