Royal Mail workers deserve more than the new deal

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/46075 ... e+new+deal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CWU postal workers’ union leaders and Royal Mail bosses have drawn up a deal to end a long-running dispute that almost led to national strikes.

The full agreement was released to union reps and branches last week. Senior reps were set to meet to discuss the agreement this Tuesday and Wednesday.

It will then be put to members to vote on.

The agreement shows Royal Mail managers have made some big concessions—and backed away from many of the attacks they planned.

Workers voted by almost 90 percent for strikes on a 73.3 percent turnout—smashing the thresholds imposed by the Trade Union Act. They achieved that through an inspirational campaign of mass gate meetings.

In particular, a new pension deal is a big improvement on bosses’ plans to move all Royal Mail workers onto a Defined Contribution (DC) pension scheme.

This would have robbed thousands of pounds from many workers—and left the amount paid out at the mercy of the stock market.

Bosses are now also offering percentage pay increases—and reductions in the working week—where previously they only offered meagre lump sums.

Yet there are problems with the deal. Bosses and union leaders now want to introduce a Collective Defined Contribution (CDC)—also known as a Defined Ambition—pension scheme.This would be an improvement for workers who are already on the DC scheme.

But it is a much riskier scheme for those who began working for Royal Mail before 2008. Currently they’re on a scheme that guarantees a fixed wage in retirement.

But the agreement says pension payments under the new scheme “represent targets, not hard promises, and can be varied (upwards and downwards) to maintain the cost of the scheme at a fixed level.”

In other words, workers will get a wage in retirement—but the amount isn’t guaranteed.

There are pitfalls with the pay deal too. Union leaders say they have struck a deal worth 12.33 percent covering 2017-2019, when reductions in the working week are factored in. Yet the actual amount of the pay increase is only above inflation in 2017. The rise is 5 percent and to be backdated.

There will be no increase for 2018 and a 2 percent increase in 2019.

These will be coupled with one-hour reductions to the working week in both years.

This means the hourly rate will technically go up. But the amount of money paid into workers’ bank accounts will stay the same—while prices continue to rise.

Workers shouldn’t accept that they have to take worse pensions and pay to protect bosses’ profits.

CWU members have shown they can beat off attacks.

They should reject the agreement—and be prepared for action to win better pay and pension deals for all Royal Mail workers.

[Yamr1]

Brilliant article
We all need stand together again
Bring it on that's all I can say

[tommyrep]

RM have the better deal, imo.
The reduction of 1 hour to absorb a wage increase us a con.
The same work will be expected from OPGs, within a small reduction in daily duty time, therfore the old arguments on task completion is still there. "It's only 5 or 10 minute, over, what are you complaining about? wanting overtime?" Haha.
DOMs will just carry on as they are presently, bullying. So the hour reduction will be as effective as the last one 5 years ago.
We are being given a cut in working time with an ever expanding workload far less the same/or similar unfair work load - it's a con.
It's a poor deal and considering the time taken negotiating it, it is making a mockery of all staff involved in delivery.
I am really disappointed that the B&H problems have again been totally ignored by the CWU.
Do they not realise it is a massive problem to its members, endured on a relentless daily basis.!
It is without doubt the main problem experienced and complaint raised by staff in delivery, for many years now.
Part Timers are again being neglected and will continue to be abused by management.
The pension, T&Cs are all vitally important, but, the moral of many OPGs being stressed out daily has never been addressed. We needed a crystal clear deal hammered out to give members some protection at work and sadly it has not been delivered. The threads on this blog highlight the every day problems and our Union have failed to address them.
A massive NO from me, far too many loophole open for the scope of RM to continue their obscene management regime that the CWU fail to challenge on behalf of members. Dignity and respect at work ???, my arse ! No steps taken to address a hopelessly RM biased HR system, yet another failure by our CWU. After talking for almost a year !! it's an appalling deal.

[Chelseablue]

Big no from myself and many in our place too .

[bigal383]

Agenda to growth agreement nothing changes ....fuk the part time staff over as usual watch them struggle for hours while working full time .

[Spedley]

There are pitfalls with the pay deal too. Union leaders say they have struck a deal worth 12.33 percent covering 2017-2019, when reductions in the working week are factored in. Yet the actual amount of the pay increase is only above inflation in 2017. The rise is 5 percent and to be backdated.

There will be no increase for 2018 and a 2 percent increase in 2019.

These will be coupled with one-hour reductions to the working week in both years.

That's the first time I've see it written clearly.

5% pay rise from October 2017
No pay rise in 2018 but a 1 hour reduction (in October iirc?) ... pending trials.
2% pay rise in 2019 and a 1 hour reduction ... pending trials.

Mmmm, would be ok if a 37 hour week actually meant 2 hours less per week but I'm 100% that my job won't change.

[rambo1]

There are pitfalls with the pay deal too. Union leaders say they have struck a deal worth 12.33 percent covering 2017-2019, when reductions in the working week are factored in. Yet the actual amount of the pay increase is only above inflation in 2017. The rise is 5 percent and to be backdated.

There will be no increase for 2018 and a 2 percent increase in 2019.

These will be coupled with one-hour reductions to the working week in both years.

That's the first time I've see it written clearly.

5% pay rise from October 2017
No pay rise in 2018 but a 1 hour reduction (in October iirc?) ... pending trials.
2% pay rise in 2019 and a 1 hour reduction ... pending trials.

Mmmm, would be ok if a 37 hour week actually meant 2 hours less per week but I'm 100% that my job won't change.

Yeah but if the duty doesn't change ,you go two hrs over on a 37 hr week, there's your pay rise. Or if you don't want extra money, get the two hrs in time and work to time. You can't have your cake and eat it.

[lightningpostman]

There are pitfalls with the pay deal too. Union leaders say they have struck a deal worth 12.33 percent covering 2017-2019, when reductions in the working week are factored in. Yet the actual amount of the pay increase is only above inflation in 2017. The rise is 5 percent and to be backdated.

There will be no increase for 2018 and a 2 percent increase in 2019.

These will be coupled with one-hour reductions to the working week in both years.

That's the first time I've see it written clearly.

5% pay rise from October 2017
No pay rise in 2018 but a 1 hour reduction (in October iirc?) ... pending trials.
2% pay rise in 2019 and a 1 hour reduction ... pending trials.

Mmmm, would be ok if a 37 hour week actually meant 2 hours less per week but I'm 100% that my job won't change.

Yeah but if the duty doesn't change ,you go two hrs over on a 37 hr week, there's your pay rise. Or if you don't want extra money, get the two hrs in time and work to time. You can't have your cake and eat it.

so the cutting off procedure changed or do you need to go through the battle everyday to say no im working my time............

hit a im cutting off button on pda and bring half a van full of work to a office with no manager present.......

no pay rise just more intimidation and bull about mail is down

[Spedley]

Yeah but if the duty doesn't change ,you go two hrs over on a 37 hr week, there's your pay rise. Or if you don't want extra money, get the two hrs in time and work to time. You can't have your cake and eat it.

It doesn't work like that, it would be great if it did. It is impossible for me to know how much mail to take so that I finish exactly on time - either I finish early or bring some back. Neither of those are long term options. Fine on busy days, I can go over a bit. Fine on easy days, I get done early. SWW will make all days busy days, essentially adding 30 mins delivery to my job.

[postslippete]

All the SWW will do is give posties immediately less time to deliver all their mail and packets. I suspect it will take the company at least 5-10 years (if this agreement goes through) before it gets to the stage where we will just turn up at the depot, collect the mail and deliver it. So in the meantime, before then, we will all have less time to do the duties in. There is no doubt that this is Royal Mail's big plan because once we are fully automated, they will then seek to make redundancies on delivery (as cheaply as possible) and make all the duties bigger. Deliveries will be hit the hardest. The Union is saying now 'well we have to push for a SWW because of automation and falling mail volumes' Really?? At what point did the CWU suddenly jump into bed with the Royal Mail and agree with their vision of our future? I've asked this once and I will ask it once again - why do we need a shorter working week? If Royal Mail want to automate everything to make our indoor work easier, then let them. And if they want to extend our deliveries, thats fine, but then if we can't manage to deliver the work in the time, we just use the overrunning procedure. Lets be honest, the duties are already massive now, so hands up who wants a bigger delivery??? And if it was always about money then why arent most posties wanting to work loads of overtime by working past their time everyday? Because the truth is, few are. Most staff just seem to want to be able to manage their duties in the time that they have got, and making time is something that most of us just don't have. Did the Union really care if its members can manage the delivery in the time that they have got. Did they hell!! Are they bothered that staff are having daily battles with managers. Nope, not interested in the slightest! Funny, I thought the CWU was there to protect and look after its members, but it seems to me that it can't even guarantee us our pensions.

[TheRealDeal]

All the SWW will do is give posties immediately less time to deliver all their mail and packets. I suspect it will take the company at least 5-10 years (if this agreement goes through) before it gets to the stage where we will just turn up at the depot, collect the mail and deliver it. So in the meantime, before then, we will all have less time to do the duties in. There is no doubt that this is Royal Mail's big plan because once we are fully automated, they will then seek to make redundancies on delivery (as cheaply as possible) and make all the duties bigger. Deliveries will be hit the hardest. The Union is saying now 'well we have to push for a SWW because of automation and falling mail volumes' Really?? At what point did the CWU suddenly jump into bed with the Royal Mail and agree with their vision of our future? I've asked this once and I will ask it once again - why do we need a shorter working week? If Royal Mail want to automate everything to make our indoor work easier, then let them. And if they want to extend our deliveries, thats fine, but then if we can't manage to deliver the work in the time, we just use the overrunning procedure. Lets be honest, the duties are already massive now, so hands up who wants a bigger delivery??? And if it was always about money then why arent most posties wanting to work loads of overtime by working past their time everyday? Because the truth is, few are. Most staff just seem to want to be able to manage their duties in the time that they have got, and making time is something that most of us just don't have. Did the Union really care if its members can manage the delivery in the time that they have got. Did they hell!! Are they bothered that staff are having daily battles with managers. Nope, not interested in the slightest! Funny, I thought the CWU was there to protect and look after its members, but it seems to me that it can't even guarantee us our pensions.

This is a sad but truthful reflection.

I'm counting my future with RM in months rather than years. Today I was 30 mins over on my own round. Was asked if I wanted o/t whilst prepping, said no along with everyone else. Then asked to help with lapsing. No chance when you've got specials at the furthest part of your rural delivery and then you've got to work from the back of your bundles and go against the traffic just to get them done in time.

Too much constant pressure.

Reminds me of a Panorama broadcast about Amazon staff constantly having to beat a countdown bleep to get next item for delivery in their warehouse. A medical expert condemned it as seriously bad for mental health.

[k979aaa]

Lets turn the analogy on the head if we had a 41.5 hour week we could A f**k off home 2.5 hour's early B lapse 10 times much or C take our time and deliver to neighbour check our vans and not throw packets in bins jump over fences!

[TheRealDeal]

Lets turn the analogy on the head if we had a 41.5 hour week we could A f**k off home 2.5 hour's early B lapse 10 times much or C take our time and deliver to neighbour check our vans and not throw packets in bins jump over fences!

Would prefer A or C!

[Dorset Plodder]

I like this article. Wouldn't surprise me if we end up with a "NO" Vote. As mentioned too many Loopholes for RM to wriggle out of agreements with. No real commitment to pension problem just, Trying to sort something out & Hoping the Governments going to help out. I'll have to ask around the DO and get a feeling for what everyone else thinks, at present I think they were daunted by the 37 page Negotiator's Settlement Booklet