Rico

[HTPostman]

According to his Wikipedia page, Keith Williams has been a board member of Royal Mail since January 2018, became chairman in May 2019.

I don’t know think this will be an easy ride. As chairman he’s likely to have headed up the senior executives deciding what should happen. Rico would merely have been the general, carrying out the orders.

As before, I just hope Williams works with us, the union accept change has to happen but in a sensitive and realistic way, and we start doing things properly.

[HTPostman]

And for gods sake start sticking up a bit for PTers. In a decade there’ll probably be more PT than FT staff, no good ignoring PTers then wondering why in 10 years none of them are in the union.

Agree. All the union meetings at our place are held before us part timers even start work. I mean FFS the union could at least pretend to care about us. And good point the number of part timers is every increasing so if the union don't have our back why should we support them?

Glad Rico is gone. Expect the worse but hope for the best. So I won't expect anything but I live in hope....

Just a thought but why don’t you organise a meeting with all the part time staff in your office. Discuss issues and get consensus of the issues and then approach you rep/area rep. I agree part timers are getting done over, you need to get together and try and resolve it yourself. if as a group you could highlight your issues and explain them to Full timers they would mainly back you when you present the facts, I certainly would.

I find the issue with my fellow PTers is they don’t want to learn and be educated. Trying hard not to tar all of us with the same brush but when I’ve mentioned claiming for holiday pay they ‘can’t be bothered’ even after I say I got £600 back and it took me 15 mins to fill out the form.

One guy earlier this year was having a meltdown being sent to another office, I took him aside told him to simply ask for transport instead of going in his car (knowing full well he couldn’t get the bus there and there were no spare vans), he replied ‘well I’ll go in my car but I’m not happy’ again there has to be a desire to want to educate yourself, like the previous poster said a few nudges from some of the senior guys would help.

[HTPostman]

And for gods sake start sticking up a bit for PTers. In a decade there’ll probably be more PT than FT staff, no good ignoring PTers then wondering why in 10 years none of them are in the union.

Agree. All the union meetings at our place are held before us part timers even start work. I mean FFS the union could at least pretend to care about us. And good point the number of part timers is every increasing so if the union don't have our back why should we support them?

I think that will be the unions eventual downfall. You can’t ignore a huge percentage of the workforce, which will keep increasing to a point where full timers will eventually be a minority then in say 10 years wonder why there’s no subs coming in.

Changes are needed from all of us - RM, Union and us.

[rogersh]

And for gods sake start sticking up a bit for PTers. In a decade there’ll probably be more PT than FT staff, no good ignoring PTers then wondering why in 10 years none of them are in the union.

Agree. All the union meetings at our place are held before us part timers even start work. I mean FFS the union could at least pretend to care about us. And good point the number of part timers is every increasing so if the union don't have our back why should we support them?

I think that will be the unions eventual downfall. You can’t ignore a huge percentage of the workforce, which will keep increasing to a point where full timers will eventually be a minority then in say 10 years wonder why there’s no subs coming in.

Changes are needed from all of us - RM, Union and us.

I have posted previously re the intention of the agreement for part-timers;

Four Pillars of Security and Pay National Agreement

This agreement has been reached within the spirit and principles of the Agenda for Growth, Stability and Long Term Success Agreement and its Legally Binding Contract.


8. Resourcing In Line with Current Agreements Both parties agree that the aims, principles and detail contained in our agreements and recent Joint Statements will be re-affirmed and fully applied.
Both parties will re-affirm that they will deploy legally binding commitments to part-time workers and the use of agency workers.

In respect of part-time workers the following will apply with immediate effect:
It is agreed that part-time workers in Royal Mail Group provide an excellent and efficient contribution to the operation when they perform extra hours above their contracted hours. It is equally recognised that some part-time workers wish to extend their contractual hours whilst others prefer to perform extra hours when they wish to.

It is apparent that while some colleagues have secured additional conditioned hours and also converted to full time employment there is more that can be done to reflect a part-time worker’s regular commitment to additional hours (should they wish it). This means, in line with our agreements, and where justified, we should focus on moving to full-time, or increasing contractual hours below full-time either on a temporary or permanent variation of contract.

For avoidance of doubt it is confirmed that Part Time workers are entitled to sign for and perform scheduled attendance in line with existing and fair allocation arrangements.
The level of part time Employees’ contracted hours will be reviewed by the Employer and the CWU locally on a six monthly basis. Where appropriate, increased contracted hours will be offered to reflect the hours actually worked and planned.

Regular extra hours performed but not linked to a part-time workers duty but which still result in an individual regularly working full-time hours, should not be a barrier to securing a full-time contract providing the actual work performed is clearly defined.

Part time workers could have a variation of contract above their current conditioned hours up to full time for specified periods of time based on the requirements for regular overtime and seasonal specific events. This variation of contract will result in an immediate change to all aspects of pay i.e. annual leave, sick leave, pension, allowances (where appropriate) etc. to reflect the actual hours worked. Again this hourage does not necessarily have to be linked to their actual part-time duty.
All adjustments in this regard must be consistent with our current agreements.

This activity will be reviewed in line with a fresh approach to resourcing as detailed in this agreement up to and including National level taking place in September 2018, to assess if further action/interventions are required.
To this end it is agreed that there is not and will not be a central HR policy to only recruit on a part-time basis. Recruitment will be determined by workload and the outcome of the weekly resource meetings, initiated 13 weeks out. The process for recruiting to vacancies agreed at the weekly resourcing meetings will be improved to increase the pace and reduce the period during which an active vacancy remains unfilled, whether full or part-time.

To ensure a consistent nationwide structure to the six month review process as detailed in our current agreements, it is agreed that all units will conduct these reviews in March and September each year. Functional Directors and CWU Divisional Representatives will meet to ensure that this commitment has been fulfilled and ensure that the IR Framework is being applied where an agreed action plan / sign-off is not agreed.


Frontline managers briefing pack: 2018

5. PART-TIME COLLEAGUES

We will honour our agreements regarding part-time colleagues:

• Part-time colleagues’ contracted hours will be jointly reviewed every March and September. Where appropriate, increased contracted hours will be offered to reflect the hours actually worked and planned.

[Ren Hoëk]

A stick in the hand, a drop in the eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry
"Rico, I hardly knew ya"



Who's next?

[Woody Guthrie]

I have posted previously re the intention of the agreement for part-timers

At some point you have to realise that waving a piece of paper around that both sides of the debate clearly ignore is just not good enough.

The intention of the agreement may have been this, that and the next thing but it was clear right from the outset that Royal Mail had no intention of adhering to it and the union at national level had no stomach for making them.

Rather than continually reaching for the copy and paste function let's debate the reasons why.

The union has always seen part-time members as a sub species, a lower lifeform to be put up with until such times they become real members. LTFTs they are called. Less Than Full Time.

That's a deeply ingrained cultural intolerance.

[south London postie]

Rather than continually reaching for the copy and paste function let's debate the reasons why.

The union has always seen part-time members as a sub species, a lower lifeform to be put up with until such times they become real members. LTFTs they are called. Less Than Full Time.

That's a deeply ingrained cultural intolerance.

Agree. Makes me laugh; I mean, how many union meeting organised and finished - before part-timers have even arrived for work - do you need to understand the reality. But when it comes to balloting and meetings at the gate, 'we've all in it together'.

[south London postie]

I'd read the statement before getting too excited. He was pushed because he was too slow in modernising the company, not too fast. I haven't seen much of a reaction from the union, but I suspect it's because they know what will follow will be worse. He's carried the can because mail has dropped by a third in recent months and it's still our biggest earner, basically. Mail is what keeps us employed, keeps the duties as they are, keeps the USO in place and stops us becoming Hermes or Amazon. They want to force through changes even quicker, basically.

Regardless of the actual words, not sure I'd take much at face value. Find it best to assume words are intended to obscure facts

[clashcityrocker]

Four Pillars of Security and Pay National Agreement

and where justified, we should focus on moving to full-time, or increasing contractual hours below full-time either on a temporary or permanent variation of contract.

For avoidance of doubt it is confirmed that Part Time workers are entitled to sign for and perform scheduled attendance in line with existing and fair allocation arrangements.

So 2 things:
1. What do you understand by the use of the word "focus"?
If you were to focus on improving part time contracts, what justification is there for maintaining SA contracts which are largely in the hands of full time staff? Do you reallocate those overtime hours to improve the contracted hours of part time staff (which would as a by-product improve the CWU's finances) or do you "focus" on the part timers after the full timers have filled their boots with as much guaranteed overtime as they can. (Until recently many were doing over 12 hours/week which was against the national agreement. When RM decided to enforce the agreement, then the CWU went to disagreement and arbitration to protect them.)

2. What exactly are the existing and fair allocation arrangements? Seniority according to my rep.

I wrote to both the Area and Divisional reps. The Area rep didn't even bother replying, the Divisional rep decided it was inappropriate to comment on the issues I had raised.

What is the point of a trade union? Do we use our collective strength to protect the weakest or abuse our position to feather our own nest?

[clockworkjerk]

What companies don't pay their bonuses pro-rata? I mean big hourly paying companies here - not some tech giant.

RM doesn't even pay up PT'rs their holidays yet(which is law so how they get away with it is a bit mental?) - why be ahead of the curve on the bonus front.

[Woody Guthrie]

I would be very surprised and disappointed if the bonus is not at the very least paid subject to hours worked rather than contracted hours.

It's enough of a slap in the face to treat part-time members as second class employees but to treat those actually working full-time hours worse than contracted full-time staff would be disgraceful.

[Zicomurphy]

Rather than continually reaching for the copy and paste function let's debate the reasons why.

The union has always seen part-time members as a sub species, a lower lifeform to be put up with until such times they become real members. LTFTs they are called. Less Than Full Time.

That's a deeply ingrained cultural intolerance.

Agree. Makes me laugh; I mean, how many union meeting organised and finished - before part-timers have even arrived for work - do you need to understand the reality. But when it comes to balloting and meetings at the gate, 'we've all in it together'.

To be fair, at our place union meetings always have to be held outside work time and I imagine that is true for the vast majority of offices so even full timers have to come in early if they want to attend. I appreciate there is a difference between coming in 30 minutes ahead of your start time and having to come in 2 or 3 hours early but it’s not as though meetings happen every week and, unless you have other commitments before you start work, there is nothing to stop you attending the meeting.

Also our rep has his own duty and the Dom isn’t going to allow him to just stop working for 30 minutes in his duty time to give another gate meeting for part timers, so his hands are tied to a large extent.

[rogersh]

Today a colleague reminded me that when the free shares were allocated part-timers were awarded an amount based on the hours worked during a specific period, not on their contracted hours.

As the four pillars agreement states "Part time workers could have a variation of contract above their current conditioned hours up to full time for specified periods of time based on the requirements for regular overtime and seasonal specific events."

Perhaps the scope was there for a variation in contracted hours so those who are aggrieved the bonus payment is pro-rata would have received some sort of parity.

[enskied]

Scum and Cream rise to the top.
There has been little cream in Royal Mail for years. No Doms fighting their own, or our corner at ground level.
Too afraid to take on the likes of Greene N Back..

Then there are those colleagues, you know the ones, who put in for management because they couldn't or wouldn't do the work and see sitting in the office as a better alternative. Then have the audacity to tell you how easy their ex job and workload was, and how great they are. Forgetting that you know all of their bulls1t and tricks not to do the work.

[postslippete]

And for gods sake start sticking up a bit for PTers. In a decade there’ll probably be more PT than FT staff, no good ignoring PTers then wondering why in 10 years none of them are in the union.

Agree. All the union meetings at our place are held before us part timers even start work. I mean FFS the union could at least pretend to care about us. And good point the number of part timers is every increasing so if the union don't have our back why should we support them?

Glad Rico is gone. Expect the worse but hope for the best. So I won't expect anything but I live in hope....

Our Union held gate meetings for all PT and FT staff but when we had work,time learning sessions the part-timers were not invited in, presumably because managers believed that it might add to overtime or lead to cut-offs. But PTers don't help themselves. Many come in early to help prep their own duty so they can get out the door and most don't want to have these work/time sessions.

Part-timers never get hours reviewed unless there is usually a revision. The CWU want a shorter working week and they want all staff on the same number of hours. That is their answer to getting all members unionised. The problem isn't the Union,it's the company themselves. They have even recruited staff on 20 hours contracts.