CWU statement tonight (30th Mar) :A Statement by the CWU on an Emergency Measures Response to the Escalating Coronavirus Pandemic

sindba · Post by **sindba** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:20

Very, very welcome. (Tempted to say better late than never!)

It's on facebook and I don't know how to share.

In summary, they demand in a letter to RM and the Govt-

We work in emergency mode, alternate days, on a core service and core staffing only (all commercial items suspended), with full PPE and strict distancing.

Urgent response needed from our lovely employer.

olilew · Post by **olilew** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:21

https://www.facebook.com/Thecommunicati ... __tn__=K-R" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Statement by the CWU on an Emergency Measures Response to the Escalating Coronavirus Pandemic, Maintaining a National Postal Network and Saving Lives.

The CWU believe that the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges for our members, the public we serve and across UK society as a whole.

Given the escalating infection rates and increasing emergency measures being taken in response to the spread of the Coronavirus we believe that decisive action is now required to keep our members and the general public safe.

Royal Mail Group is now considered a key service to serve and link our communities through the crisis, however like all other organisations still operating it now requires its own emergency measures to perform its vital role whilst also being focused on ensuring it minimises the risk to its employees and wider public in regards to increased contagion. Our absolute priority now must be to secure and maintain essential services to the country, while reducing risk and saving lives.

The CWU believe that following measures should now be adopted:
➢ Royal Mail Group cannot operate during this time from a commercial perspective, all efforts now should be on maintaining a national network by prioritising essential work only and maximising the safety of its employees.

➢ Royal Mail Group and the CWU should lobby Government and the Regulator to adjust standards and obligations to deliver 1st & 2nd Class USO mail and parcels only with relaxed ‘next day’ criteria to enable the measures below.

➢ Publicity should then be given to the fact that they RMG are now an arm of Government and the state in respect of maintaining a vital national postal service during this crisis and are not functioning as commercial operation but a national vital service.

➢ All employees should only be compelled to work alternate days, or 3 days per week thereby cutting in half the amount of people in any operational unit on any one day, this is to enable strict social distancing and total equipment cleansing prior to each day are carried out.

➢ All PPE must be in place or the operation will be suspended. No CWU member or member of the public should be placed at risk due to a lack of essential equipment.

➢ Workload should be prioritised to secure deliveries of essential medical supplies to Hospitals, Doctors, Health Centres, Pharmacies, USO mail and priority parcels.

➢ The CWU recognise the differences in operational arrangements and product specifications across Royal Mail Group. Specific revised operational arrangements should be confirmed for deliveries across Royal Mail, Parcelforce and RMSS/Relay to ensure the above principles. Options could include alternating route coverage while ensuring connection of essential goods or urgent medical supplies.

➢ Other than Government or NHS advice literature, in Royal Mail, D2D contracts should be suspended until after the crisis.

➢ Every effort should now be made to secure the testing of RMG employees to identify and respond to high risk in all units.

➢ Everyone over 65 should only be at work if they are happy to do so and if not should be placed on Special Leave with full pay for the duration of the absence

➢ All vulnerable/at risk employees as identified by Public Health England advice should all now be on Special Leave with full pay for the duration of the absence

➢ All employees with vulnerable/at risk people at home should be allowed 12wks on Special Leave with full pay

➢ Where someone within the work location has been diagnosed with the virus that building should not be used until the necessary deep clean has taken place before re-opening for business.

➢ These arrangements cease the need for the use of private cars and that contingency should now be removed.

➢ Agency workers should only be used in the event that there is a genuine shortfall in the alternative working daily resourcing and the prioritised delivery of 1st & 2nd Class mail and parcels. (all agency must meet strict vetting criteria)

In the Post Office Network Operations:
➢ All PPE must be in place in each and every workplace (including the Supply Chain operation and vehicles) or the operation will be suspended where this isn’t happening

➢ Transactions & services performed across the entire Post Office network should be reduced to absolute essential items only which support communities and the vulnerable/disadvantaged together with the revised Royal Mail operation

➢ All Post Offices should close at 1pm Monday to Friday and 12.30pm on Saturday

➢ Anyone over 65 should be attending work only if they are comfortable and confident to do so

➢ Employees should only have to work alternative days to enable strict social distancing and total equipment / workstation cleansing prior to each day. This means no more than 3

➢ Social Distancing must operate in each and every Post Office without exception. Where this is not undertaken the service will be closed until this operation can be put in place in order to protect those providing essential Post Office services including Crew and Collection Drivers

Letter to Rico...
http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2 ... rd-RMG.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:37

if we go to 3 days a week, it doesn't say if we will get full pay. though i doubt it very much if we did.

1560loopsayear · Post by **1560loopsayear** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:39

Well done CWU - took some time but I think it makes sense and probably is the only way to reduce the staffing levels to a reasonable scale to fully support the social distancing measure in place. Just hope the double mail & packets on alternate days is at an appropriate volume. Come in Thursday and take out a full walk of Wed & Thurs stuff

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:43

Royal Mail Group and the CWU should lobby Government and the Regulator to adjust standards and obligations to deliver 1st & 2nd Class USO mail and parcels only with relaxed ‘next day’ criteria to enable the measures below.

Apart from D2D that's just about everything. No mention of SDs or Tracked

sindba · Post by **sindba** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:44

daveyeff wrote:if we go to 3 days a week, it doesn't say if we will get full pay. though i doubt it very much if we did.

Personally I think this is something we might have to give way on.

RM can't afford to pay part-time work at full time rates for any length of time, we need to accept that.

Heath and safe working conditions should be non-negotiable though.

Post by **HTPostman** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:44

I’ve been critical of the union over the last few weeks but it now seems they are stepping up and making a statement of intent. We’ll see what our employers come back with.

bucks123 · Post by **bucks123** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:45

Our office is quite small making safe distancing almost possible so reducing the number of staff each day would be the workable solution.

I cannot see RM agreeing to this though.

sindba · Post by **sindba** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:45

SpacePhoenix wrote:
Royal Mail Group and the CWU should lobby Government and the Regulator to adjust standards and obligations to deliver 1st & 2nd Class USO mail and parcels only with relaxed ‘next day’ criteria to enable the measures below.
Apart from D2D that's just about everything. No mention of SDs or Tracked

DSA aint first or second class

themailman · Post by **themailman** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:46

FilthyBloke · Post by **FilthyBloke** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:52

Our office has pretty much half the staff starting at 6.30 and then the other half coming in at 9 when the 6.30 staff have already gone out.
We deliver d2ds where we are going but with the reduced mail atm even the 9am lot are finished by 1.

I prefer that to half pay and working 3 days.

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:52

Royal Mail's response will be

''Or else what? What ye gonna do about it?\\

And nothing will be done.

Grumpyoldmailman · Post by **Grumpyoldmailman** » 30 Mar 2020, 20:57

What about our newer colleagues who Royal Mail have recruited on crap low hours contracts, most of them are on the docket most days to earn a decent a crust. They won’t survive on basic for too long. I’m sure there’s even some in ours who probably should be off sick but aren’t because they can’t survive on basic. It shows you how low this once great proud company has fallen

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 30 Mar 2020, 21:00

Acca Dacca wrote:Royal Mail's response will be

''Or else what? What ye gonna do about it?\\

And nothing will be done.

Less ye forget we have a mandate to call strike action. Not ideal but if RM don't step up to their H&S obligations they should call us out. INB4 anyone says that wont be popular with the public. It doesn't matter. Our H&S should come before all. The current system is RM trying to get aways with murder stretching the governments CV-19 guidelines to the absolute limit of imagination. It's not right and it must change!

Post by **HTPostman** » 30 Mar 2020, 21:02

Grumpyoldmailman wrote:What about our newer colleagues who Royal Mail have recruited on crap low hours contracts, most of them are on the docket most days to earn a decent a crust. They won’t survive on basic for too long. I’m sure there’s even some in ours who probably should be off sick but aren’t because they can’t survive on basic. It shows you how low this once great proud company has fallen

I’m one of those, not on a huge contract, usually top it up with plenty OT and working days off. But right now health is priority, I’ve cut things accordingly, cancelled non essential direct debits etc. It’s not going to be easy, after bills and expenses I’ll have £20 a week but I’ll make it work.

Appreciate not everyone is in the position to do this btw.