LTB 294/21 - Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay) in Royal Mail Group - Branch Ballot Result and Next Steps

[Woody Guthrie]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-294-21-aver ... ext-steps/

LTB 294/21 – Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay) in Royal Mail Group – Branch Ballot Result and Next Steps
No. 294/21

16th July 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay) in Royal Mail Group – Branch Ballot Result and Next Steps

Further to LTB 243/21 circulated on 15th June 2021, Branches and Representatives will be aware that the Branch ballot for the proposed Agreement for Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay) in Royal Mail Group closed at 12:00 hours today. The results are as follows:

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76

Total possible votes 111, 806

In favour of the proposed agreement: 98,653 votes

Against the proposed agreement: 3,798 votes

The Postal Executive recommendation has therefore been agreed and the proposed Agreement has been accepted. The business will be informed accordingly.

Further to the Reps Brief that was circulated to Representatives and Branches on 22nd June 2021 and the Frequently Asked Questions document communicated on 25th June 2021 that both listed the broad monthly dates for the first interim qualifying period, it has now been confirmed that the dates in the second qualifying period for the interim payment calculations are:

27th September 2021 to 31st October (Period 7)

1st November to 28th November (Period 8)

29th November to 26th December (Period 9)

27th December to 30th January (Period 10)

31st January 2021 to 27th February 2022 (Period 11)

28th February to 27th March 2022 (Period 12)

Additionally, Branches will be aware of the issue that was raised in relation to pre-scheduled overtime hours being paid at scheduled attendance rate throughout the peak Christmas period. This topic has proven to be extremely complex and national talks have continued in order to seek an agreed resolution for how those hours are factored into the qualification process of the back pay calculation and the qualifying periods going forward.

Despite some progress being made, there is still no agreement regarding this matter and further updates will be provided to Branches in relation to this aspect as soon as possible.

In terms of those members who have a holiday pay claim registered at the Employment Tribunal, the Department are in discussions with Tony Rupa and Legal Services to confirm the process for sending an individual letter containing a ‘Confirmation of Instruction’ form as well as the details for the reply to be sent. This letter will initially be sent to those within England and Wales with registered claims, followed by members in Scotland and Northern Ireland and any payment of arrears of holiday pay (back pay) under the national agreement are conditional upon the member withdrawing their Employment Tribunal. As advised in LTB 245/21 issued on 17thJune 2021, the Union will not provide legal support and assistance to the remainder.

I closing I would again like to thank all Branches and Representatives for the work they have completed to ensure that an acceptable national agreement has been concluded as well as those members who have pursued individual claims. I would also like to thank Branches for taking part in the democratic process to ensure the agreement has been endorsed.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

[Woody Guthrie]

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76

What's going on here?

[ConeHater]

Remarkable how there can be a possible 111,806 votes when only 100 ballot papers were issued !

[POSTMAN]

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76 ???

[Kaning It]

Remarkable how there can be a possible 111,806 votes when only 100 ballot papers were issued !

Indeed! Farcical process, poor agreement and a no doubt very happy Royal Mail and their legal team.

Unions are not what they used to be.

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

The rule of needing eight hours overtime each month for a six month period of extra annual leave pay is a disgrace. Any overtime should get extra annual leave pay.

[korky]

i asked our rep other week when will we be getting our ballot papers for the holiday pay deal
he replied "what ballot?" but for once he was correct!
disgusting comms from the union, but not surprised

[CharlesG]

It was put forward as a Branch vote.
One Branch can have up to 3000 members depending on how many units it covers.
Personally believe it is a good deal for members and is very good to have this in place moving forward so Part Timers will not get shafted when they take annual leave.
Should of happened sooner but old RM regime did not want to even open talks regarding the issue

[HTPostman]

Personally believe it is a good deal for members and is very good to have this in place moving forward so Part Timers will not get shafted when they take annual leave.

Until an instruction comes from above that every part timer should have all OT cut for 1 month in every 6, hey presto no need to pay them a thing, as you were and don’t forget your lapsing.

I know it’s a very complex situation for the union and RM but I hate seeing these loopholes in every agreement.

[HTPostman]

The rule of needing eight hours overtime each month for a six month period of extra annual leave pay is a disgrace. Any overtime should get extra annual leave pay.

Would not be hard for area managers, DOMs and linos to work on a system whereby every single PT employee is denied OT (or only allowed up to 8 hours OT) for 1 month in every 6.

[HTPostman]

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76

What's going on here?

In the words of Alan Hansen, absolutely shocking. How can a branch not return a vote on such an important matter?!

I’m pleased to say my branch consulted us (albeit through our Facebook group) and as most of us voted no, the branch therefore voted against the agreement too. Didn’t make a difference in the end mind.

[Dexydog]

Why do we now have a monthly qualifying period from the end of the current 6 month period??
That wasn't in anything I read in the agreement, and will make it dead easy for a DOM to cut your overtime to less than 8 hours for that month.
Also does that mean we get a monthly average payment at the end of October for any overtime done from 27th sept, and then 1 every month until next September when it will be 6 months from next April???
When do we get the backpay?
When do we get the money for April to September for this year??
24 branches didn't return a vote????! What the actual f##k is the union playing at???
So many unanswered questions it's quite frankly laughable. So glad I'm leaving this joke of a company and its tin pot way of treating employees.

[derekm]

Looks like it’s going to be a while before any back money is payed out going by the ltb still under discussion how they will implement it so going by how long it took them to get to this point Don’t go spending just yet.

[Kaning It]

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76

What's going on here?

In the words of Alan Hansen, absolutely shocking. How can a branch not return a vote on such an important matter?!

I’m pleased to say my branch consulted us (albeit through our Facebook group) and as most of us voted no, the branch therefore voted against the agreement too. Didn’t make a difference in the end mind.

I would imagine if everyone understood the legislation and caselaw development for average pay/annual leave, many more would have said no - it’s been poorly represented.

So now, agency staff get average holiday pay every time, actually employees may well not.

[HTPostman]

Ballot papers issued 100

Ballot papers returned 76

What's going on here?

In the words of Alan Hansen, absolutely shocking. How can a branch not return a vote on such an important matter?!

I’m pleased to say my branch consulted us (albeit through our Facebook group) and as most of us voted no, the branch therefore voted against the agreement too. Didn’t make a difference in the end mind.

I would imagine if everyone understood the legislation and caselaw development for average pay/annual leave, many more would have said no - it’s been poorly represented.

So now, agency staff get average holiday pay every time, actually employees may well not.

I think it’s intentionally been made as confusing as possible so people don’t look away from their Love Island and actually spend 10 minutes reading the proposed agreement. Even now I’m seeing people ask en masse ‘when we getting our money?’ They don’t realise they could do 25 hours of OT a week every week, but one month if they have 2 weeks Annual Leave and come back to find the DOM has cut out all their OT for the other 2 weeks, that’s nearly 2 X £300 before tax waved away. And repeat for the 2nd part of the year.

If my DOM has his wits about him and does that to me I stand to miss out on about £700 a year pre tax.

The union haven’t helped themselves at all, all the information they release about anything has to be overload central. They can’t do simple summary bullet points for us rushed off our feet, tired from our rounds plebs to understand. It’s like both the Union and RM have overloaded us with gobbledygook so we just say yes.

I don’t like that, it’s wrong.