Dispute Update : Today Royal Mail have announced executive action in 15 different offices across the UK.

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 23 Jan 2020, 10:57

Time to stand with your union against Royal Mail introducing unagreed change

Dear Colleague

Today Royal Mail have announced executive action in 15 different offices across the UK.

At the moment no London Offices have been selected by Royal Mail for executive action.

The types of executive action they have chosen to take ranges from CSS machine closures , MPU closures, Post Box Strategy Revisions to Mail Centre alignments.

Executive action is Royal Mail introducing their plans or revisions without agreement.

In addition Royal Mail informed the union that they will be introducing a trial of parcel separation in the Swindon catchment area. This means that all larger than shoe box parcels will move to later in the day .

In Swindon they previously made all LAT duties Full time by making the front part a normal delivery and the back part delivering LAT products.

Royal Mail’s executive action means that the LAT duties will now perform all the larger parcels for the Swindon Office Catchment area and the delivery routes they are currently performing than gets absorbed by the walks who no longer have the larger parcels to deliver.

If Royal Mail believe this trail works, their plan is to roll it out in other areas. The difference being is that one duty in 6 will become a late driver delivering parcels above shoes box size and the remaining 5 duties would be asked to absorb the workload of the duty which was now delivering larger parcels.

In addition Royal Mail have announced they will be introducing Automated Hours Data Capture by executive action.

Their aim on this is that it records all hours from when you enter your office , every time you leave the floor and when you return. We understand Royal Mail want to link it to what you are paid in both pay and overtime.

They did a trial at Christmas of Agency staff at the Greenford Christmas Outhouse and believe it saved them hundreds of hours by only paying according to the data linked from when you enter and when you exit the building according to your actual duty and overtime times.

We have been informed this executive action is the first phase of an aggressive attack on the CWU.

We understand that they are also looking at moving all Delivery workers to a 0700 start time and removing improved attendance patterns.

Royal Mail have clearly decided to improve their communications and we now have almost daily updates in the way of videos.

Royal Mail are paying Facebook money and supplying employees data to ensue their message gets on employees timelines.

There message is designed to be soft and appealing. There say they are up for talks and are honouring National Agreements.

Royal Mail are trying to con you. How can there be important negotiations when they are introducing unagreed revisions and their strategy?

Royal Mail have decided that they can only introduce their business strategy if they weaken the unions influence.

Remember if this was to happen than they would introduce in the future all their plans by executive action.

The CWU will be balloting Nationally for strike action and will be supporting local industrial action ballots where Royal Mail take executive action.

The London Divisional Committee which represents all CWU members in the London Post Code Area are meeting on Friday to 24th January to discuss our next steps.

However we can assure you and Royal Mail that we will be conducting the biggest ever campaign for industrial action and if they take executive action on any London office than we will unite in London to oppose the executive action and we will not leave that office isolated.

All members need to answer the following question !

Are your jobs and terms safer with a strong union or weaker ?

If you accept that you are safer, now is the time to stand with the CWU and oppose Royal Mail’s strategy to introduce their strategy by executive action and weaken the CWU .

We will update you further when we get further information.

Unity really is strength !

A statement by the London Divisional Committee

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 23 Jan 2020, 11:26

Im confused on what the message is here.

Are the union not happy with the new plans RM are willing to implement because it will lead to forced redundancies? Or are they not happy with the new plans because they didn't seek/get union approval?

The only thing I care about is keeping my job. What RM intend to do with me within my hours is up to them. That being said.

If they implement these changes do we get the hour reduction?
What is happening with pay?
What is happening with this new pension?
What are the union doing about the bullying and pressure coming from management? In my office. F all!
Will these changes lead to forced redundancies or will it be managed through natural wastage/VR's?

I don't have an issue with clocking in and out.We already do it on a piece of paper. They have PDA actuals already.
I don't have an issue with them changing delivery strategy. I have a Start time, Finish time. End of.
I dont have an issue with starting an hour later. If anything. Id welcome it.

The way I see it RM(WE) needs to change up to remain competitive and from where i'm sitting it seems its the Union that are being stubborn. What is it the Union actually want? Nothing to change?

FacesOfStone · Post by **FacesOfStone** » 23 Jan 2020, 12:14

I literally wouldn’t be able to start at 7 unless they transfer me to an office close to home over the management's head, which would be fine, but a bit of a concern otherwise.

eldritch1987 · Post by **eldritch1987** » 23 Jan 2020, 12:41

A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.

Post69 · Post by **Post69** » 23 Jan 2020, 13:28

eldritch1987 wrote:A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.

I think its probably the last thing royal mail are thinking (or indeed give a toss)

is wether or not people need to pick up their children from school and don't make it common knowledge about your 20mins because if they find out ya delivery loops will get bigger

scoobydo79 · Post by **scoobydo79** » 23 Jan 2020, 13:36

eldritch1987 wrote:A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.

Also consider that as well as starting say an hour later potentially You May have 1/6 of another delivery added to Your route.

eldritch1987 · Post by **eldritch1987** » 23 Jan 2020, 13:52

scoobydo79 wrote:
eldritch1987 wrote:A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.
Also consider that as well as starting say an hour later potentially You May have 1/6 of another delivery added to Your route.

I mean I have a 20 minute window of flexibility for when i get home to school pick up time, so if it is busy i can generally still finish the delivery if i go over a little, with a later finish this is impossible. Royal Mail don't tend to think things through, a lot of the part timers are people with school age children.

Is it going to be 1/6 or 1/5? could be talking over 100 delivery points plus travelling time, most days it isn't going to happen.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 23 Jan 2020, 14:52

And whats the plan for us 2nd class citizens (part timers)

Post by **POSTMAN** » 23 Jan 2020, 15:05

Royal Mail are paying Facebook money and supplying employees data to ensue their message gets on employees timelines.

Is this the CWU tin hat brigade, what possible employee data could they be giving to Facebook, I have a rough idea about target advertising, cookies, GDPR and advertising permissions on websites but they would or 'could' only be using keywords to target FB users for advertising purposes.

Royal Mail would not be able to give employee data for this purpose as there isn't any kind of data to give.

And the CWU complaining about Royal Mail using Facebook?? Really!

pinstripe · Post by **pinstripe** » 23 Jan 2020, 15:25

What happens If, as a result of executive action your hours of attendance are changed from night shift to day shift, and due to your reliance on public transport, you will be unable to reach your place of work until an hour after your new start time?

chickenwittle · Post by **chickenwittle** » 23 Jan 2020, 15:35

It was obvious to us all that as soon as RM got through the Xmas period they would declare war . That’s why it so disappointing the union lost the initiative when they messed the vote up again .

JKSmudge · Post by **JKSmudge** » 23 Jan 2020, 15:40

The difference being is that one duty in 6 will become a late driver delivering parcels above shoes box size and the remaining 5 duties would be asked to absorb the workload of the duty which was now delivering larger parcels.

Well we already absorb 10/11 months of the year anyway - so what's new?

Marshamp11 · Post by **Marshamp11** » 23 Jan 2020, 15:43

scoobydo79 wrote:
eldritch1987 wrote:A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.
Also consider that as well as starting say an hour later potentially You May have 1/6 of another delivery added to Your route.

Adding 1/6 of a walk to a delivery is irrelevant as they could lump a whole walk onto a delivery but you only have to work to your time.

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 23 Jan 2020, 16:10

Marshamp11 wrote:
scoobydo79 wrote:
eldritch1987 wrote:A lot of people at Royal Mail have children to pick up after they finish school, a 7am start would give us a 3pm finish. That leaves it really tight to get back for school in time. I am not sure what they hope to achieve, it could be a case that i have to cut off regularily, but i would be cutting off half a loop or something whereas right now i never cut off as i have a 20 minute window of flexibility.
Also consider that as well as starting say an hour later potentially You May have 1/6 of another delivery added to Your route.
Adding 1/6 of a walk to a delivery is irrelevant as they could lump a whole walk onto a delivery but you only have to work to your time.

And if they walk over the union and essentially us. Then that option could be a thing of the past!

grchpo · Post by **grchpo** » 23 Jan 2020, 16:18

They can't force you to do overtime