LTB 589/18 - Four Pillars Agreement - OPG 35 Hour Full-Time Duty Deployment

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 589/18 - Four Pillars Agreement - OPG 35 Hour Full-Time Duty Deployment

No. 589/18

16th October 2018



Dear Colleagues,

Four Pillars Agreement: OPG 35 Hour Full-Time Duty Deployment

Colleagues will be aware that running alongside the 1 hour reduction in the working week from October 2018, the deployment/introduction of the OPG 35 full-time conditioned hours also commenced. The 35 hour arrangement is to support the flight path towards delivering a 35 hour gross working week (or the equivalent benefit) for all CWU grades in line with the terms of the Four Pillars Agreement.
Suffice to say we were mindful that the introduction of the new 35 hour week arrangement would not be without its challenges, both from a functional and operational perspective, hence why the Union has been pressing the business to agree and conclude a set of directives and/or guidelines to support its introduction.

Unfortunately, for reasons not attributed to the CWU, no such dialogue has taken place. It is therefore extremely disappointing to learn that various un-agreed guidelines and instructions are being circulated throughout the country. This has not only caused confusion to both managers and local representatives but in some instances is in direct conflict with the terms of the current National Agreement(s) the Union has with the employer that cover resourcing.

This situation is totally unacceptable to the CWU and is clearly outside of the Guiding Principles Agreement along with the agreed mutual interest approach to future challenges and opportunities that the Union and Royal Mail have signed up to. I can confirm that the Union is taking steps to rectify this situation at the highest level and restore a coherent and pragmatic approach to the introduction of the 35 hour full-time duties.

However, until we have concluded our discussions the following principals should be applied;

• All core full-time OPG duties should continue to be based on a 38 hour conditioned working week where operational hourage permits.

• In line with the terms of the Agreement, 35 hour contract holders (who can and are able to be aligned to cover a 38 hour duty) should be remunerated at single-rate overtime/scheduled attendance up to 38 hours, after which any additional hours will be paid at the appropriate overtime/scheduled attendance rate.

• If an individual who holds a 35 hour contract covers or commits to performing a 38 hour week core duty long-term, then either a variation in the contract should be agreed that covers the additional 3 hours, or alternatively the hours should be treated as scheduled attendance.
Colleagues are reminded that all matters relating to resourcing are proper to the IR Framework which includes the introduction and operation of the OPG 35 hour week duties.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department quoting reference 24000.

Yours sincerely,



Terry Pullinger – Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

Ray Ellis – Assistant Secretary

Andy Furey – Assistant Secretary

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary

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[rogersh]

From the four pillars agreement.
13. Shorter Working Week
New full time employees from October 2018, recruited either from existing employees or new recruits in the core OPG grade, will be on a 35 hour week at the current hourly basic pay rate with pro-rata allowances aligned to the current full-time conditioned hours…

I believe part of the confusion is related the the fact that there is still scope for employing staff on 38 hour contracts.

[SpacePhoenix]

The 35hr week tbqf is NEVER going to happen, RM would need to take on a good few new staff for it to have any chance of working as (don't know about DOs) but in MCs you'd likely end up with massive fails every shift

[rogersh]

LTB 589/18 - Four Pillars Agreement - OPG 35 Hour Full-Time Duty Deployment

No. 589/18

16th October 2018

Unfortunately, for reasons not attributed to the CWU, no such dialogue has taken place. It is therefore extremely disappointing to learn that various un-agreed guidelines and instructions are being circulated throughout the country. This has not only caused confusion to both managers and local representatives but in some instances is in direct conflict with the terms of the current National Agreement(s) the Union has with the employer that cover resourcing.

It is unclear what "various un-agreed guidelines and instructions are being circulated". But it appears to be an issue the CWU are concerned with. Anyone know specifically what has caused the confusion?

[gary1975]

Maybe it's because rm know we will never get to a 35hr week so why pay full-time pay to somebody doing 35 hrs when realistically we won't get past 37 hrs

[Whysoslowyehcfc]

35 hours is never gonna happen, my office has gone up the wall with only a 1 hour drop

[SpacePhoenix]

35 hours is never gonna happen, my office has gone up the wall with only a 1 hour drop

How many offices (RDCs, MCs and DOs) have put the hour straight back in as "mandatory" ot or as an SA?

[Woody Guthrie]

Anyone know specifically what has caused the confusion?

Management are aligning full-time duties based on a 35 hr template therefore when a 30 hr part-timer covers a full-time duty they are only being offered 5 hrs overtime. The confusion isn't really a confusion, it's a deliberate misinterpretation of yet another vague, poorly written agreement.

You would think we'd have learned that lesson....

[Navalron]

It's down to the union being outsmarted yet again when it comes down to the wording and fine details. Also making NATIONAL agreements but then letting LOCAL agreements happen, totally undermines themselves and let's managers walk all over staff and weakens the union get again but they don't or can't sort it out or backhanders are being taken. We all know it happens.

[postslippete]

As usual, the SWW is going t*ts up. We have had a 1 hour drop and unless the managers bring in part-timers early on overtime then it seems that mail and packets don't get delivered.

It seems clear to me that RM don't really want to increase their labour force. Xmas casuals are different and I'm sure on a local level they will try and retain them wherever they can. It also seems apparent that these new machines that are going to sort all the mail for us in one wave is probably going to happen later rather than sooner, so dropping another hour doesn't seem to be high on the list of RM's priorities right now.

So what the CWU should really be focussing on is a review of permanently increasing part-timers hours.

[SpacePhoenix]

It also seems apparent that these new machines that are going to sort all the mail for us in one wave is probably going to happen later rather than sooner

It'll never happen, DOs would get their sequenced mail too late, the only way it would happen is if DOs went to 10:00-18:00 or 11:00-19:00 or maybe even 12:00-20:00

[Binsey]

It also seems apparent that these new machines that are going to sort all the mail for us in one wave is probably going to happen later rather than sooner

It'll never happen, DOs would get their sequenced mail too late, the only way it would happen is if DOs went to 10:00-18:00 or 11:00-19:00 or maybe even 12:00-20:00

Or the USO goes then everything is on the table.

[postman_jack]

This situation has arisen in my office where a 35hr contract holder signed for a full time 39 hour duty (advertised before SWW came into affect). He now gets 3hrs OT as the Dom says they've been told and as was outlined in the agreement that they are paid OT and do not have contract increased.

However, this LTB contradicts that as it says:

• If an individual who holds a 35 hour contract covers or commits to performing a 38 hour week core duty long-term, then either a variation in the contract should be agreed that covers the additional 3 hours, or alternatively the hours should be treated as scheduled attendance.
Colleagues are reminded that all matters relating to resourcing are proper to the IR Framework which includes the introduction and operation of the OPG 35 hour week duties.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department quoting reference 24000.


Surely by signing for duty he has "commited" to duty long-term he should get at least the 3hrs paid as SA which would see him recieve this extra money whislt on leave or rest week?

Thanks