Ballot pledge New Entrants by Sept?

[Thommo44]

The CWU communication today regarding levelling up only mentions employees who are on 40 hours reducing to 37 hours but not losing any pay. Surely this can’t be stage 1?
And it can’t be called equalisation, 40 hours will be paid more than current 37 hours. Levelling means the same pay, the same terms for all employees

[ted_e_bear]

The CWU communication today regarding levelling up only mentions employees who are on 40 hours reducing to 37 hours but not losing any pay. Surely this can’t be stage 1?
And it can’t be called equalisation, 40 hours will be paid more than current 37 hours. Levelling means the same pay, the same terms for all employees

That can't be right it would introduce a third tier of hourly rate of pay

[Jonathan Alsatian]

The vast majority of new contracts where I work are 25 hours per week. A lot of others are 22.5 or around 30 hours. Very few are 40 hours or anwhere near that. So if step 1 of the equalisation is reducing 40 to 37 then its not going to benefit very many people at all. Surely its got to be something better than that piss poor token gesture

[TopperGas]

The CWU communication today regarding levelling up only mentions employees who are on 40 hours reducing to 37 hours but not losing any pay. Surely this can’t be stage 1?
And it can’t be called equalisation, 40 hours will be paid more than current 37 hours. Levelling means the same pay, the same terms for all employees

What communications? There's nothing on WhatsApp and the only update on Facebook just says talks are underway?

[Perseus]

Instead of focusing on how much it COSTS to bring new entrants up to same pay rate, why aren’t they mentioning just how much the company are SAVING with these new contracts.

Um, do you not think those figures might be quite similar, just saying.

You’ve made my point.
They are making out that they need to ‘find’ money that is already there.

[postslippete]

You’ve made my point.
They are making out that they need to ‘find’ money that is already there.

Yeah, essentially they are two sides of the same coin. RM are banking savings every time a new entrant starts and there are still new faces coming into our office every month. I can't see all of them being "equalised". You only have to look at how long it took the CWU to get many posties on part-time contracts who had been consistently working full-time hours for years, a full-time contract.

[Smoothbackground]

How messed up that, as a non CWU member, I have seen the latest communiqué from the CWU whereas members are in the dark.

Here is the text of it:

The CWU are currently in negotiations to equalise new entrants terms and conditions to the level of long term colleagues in Royal Mail. The decision to introduce two-tier working was taken unilaterally by Royal Mail in 2022 and the CWU have campaigned against it from day one.

We have now secured an agreement with the new owners of Royal Mail to equalise terms and conditions via the creation of a new career pathway.

The first step will be agreed in September with the whole pathway agreed by December.
These negotiations are complex. We need to maximise every single piece of leverage we have. It is crucial that all new entrants join the union. If Royal Mail know we are organised and united in our demands then we can force the company to go further and faster than they plan.

WHAT WILL EQUALISATION MEAN FOR NEW ENTRANTS?
1. Reduction in the working week for full time employees (40 hours to 37 hours) with no loss of pay.
2. Part time new entrants they will receive an additional pay rise as the hourly rate will increase.
3. You will receive paid meal reliefs. This would deliver a further reduction in the working week of up to 3 hours 20 minutes for a full time new entrants. This would be pro rata for part time colleagues.
4. You would also receive the functional supplements currently £29.35 per week in deliveries and £11.40 in processing.
5. You would get the inner London Weighting payment if applicable.
6. You would be eligible to apply for scheduled attendance.
7. Your contact of employment will be strengthened.
8. You would be entitled to recruitment and retention payments if applicable in your area.

We now have a very small window to deliver on equalisation for new entrants in Royal Mail. It is vital you play your part by taking the following two steps:
1. Join the CWU today.
2. Ask all of your colleagues to do the same.
We will keep you fully informed on the progress on the negotiations. Together we will create a fairer and more positive workplace.

[Strong bull]

Don't hold your breath

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there an agreement a few years ago regarding dropping to 35 hour week

[thefox]

Think they were aiming to get us from 39 hours to 35 hours but it never got any further than 37.

[buchanpeter]

The slogan was "Strive for 35".
The idea was with more automation meant less indoor work.
So in order to fill in hours that would mean more outdoor work.
But the accumulative extra physical fatigue simply wouldn't work for ppl.
So the union wanted to drop us down to 35 hours but make sure we are still doing the same work.
Dropping us down an hour each time with the same pay increased our hourly rate to compensate.
All of this was thrown out the window though.
Our buddy Simon Thompson wanted 40 hours and basically minimum wage.
It's actually possible with the change to the USO we could drop to 35 hours by taking 2 hours away from Saturdays. Since Saturdays is gonna be packets and parcels only.
It would increase our hourly rate and our overtime rate accordingly.
Think the CWU missed the boat there.
Instead any time taken off Saturdays will have to be added to the rest of the week.
In Scotland our finishing times are already 3:23 & 3:53.

[Scointer]

The vast majority of new contracts where I work are 25 hours per week. A lot of others are 22.5 or around 30 hours. Very few are 40 hours or anwhere near that. So if step 1 of the equalisation is reducing 40 to 37 then its not going to benefit very many people at all. Surely its got to be something better than that piss poor token gesture

This would actually benefit most people on new contracts more than anything. Reducing hours but keeping the same pay would basically mean all the new contracts would move to £14.11 per hour (almost the same as old contract) outside of London.
Anyone on 40 hours wouldn’t see any pay increase just 3 hours less work but everyone else would keep the hours they are working the same and get more in their pay every month because pay is pro rata based on the full time hours.

Example
40 x £13.06 (per hour rate now for new contracts) = £522.40
After
522.40 / 37 =14.119 per hour

[Jonathan Alsatian]

Thanks for clarifying that Scointer. This would also explain why there is no separate mention of an increase in hourly rate in the cwu communication posted further up this thread by smooth background.

We're all still in the dark about what the first step in September will be. Paid breaks most likely. Followed by a phased introduction of the better stuff over a period of years.

[TopperGas]

The vast majority of new contracts where I work are 25 hours per week. A lot of others are 22.5 or around 30 hours. Very few are 40 hours or anwhere near that. So if step 1 of the equalisation is reducing 40 to 37 then its not going to benefit very many people at all. Surely its got to be something better than that piss poor token gesture

This would actually benefit most people on new contracts more than anything. Reducing hours but keeping the same pay would basically mean all the new contracts would move to £14.11 per hour (almost the same as old contract) outside of London.
Anyone on 40 hours wouldn’t see any pay increase just 3 hours less work but everyone else would keep the hours they are working the same and get more in their pay every month because pay is pro rata based on the full time hours.

Example
40 x £13.06 (per hour rate now for new contracts) = £522.40
After
522.40 / 37 =14.119 per hour

£1 per hour pay increase for 10,000(?) new contract staff seems a massive increase for RM to make, when they've never reviewed the legacy OT/SA rates for years, give it a month and the CWU will be writing another strong worded letter to EP group suggesting RM aren't playing ball during the negotiations, just as they aren't with the USO reforms.

[Scointer]

The vast majority of new contracts where I work are 25 hours per week. A lot of others are 22.5 or around 30 hours. Very few are 40 hours or anwhere near that. So if step 1 of the equalisation is reducing 40 to 37 then its not going to benefit very many people at all. Surely its got to be something better than that piss poor token gesture

This would actually benefit most people on new contracts more than anything. Reducing hours but keeping the same pay would basically mean all the new contracts would move to £14.11 per hour (almost the same as old contract) outside of London.
Anyone on 40 hours wouldn’t see any pay increase just 3 hours less work but everyone else would keep the hours they are working the same and get more in their pay every month because pay is pro rata based on the full time hours.

Example
40 x £13.06 (per hour rate now for new contracts) = £522.40
After
522.40 / 37 =14.119 per hour

£1 per hour pay increase for 10,000(?) new contract staff seems a massive increase for RM to make, when they've never reviewed the legacy OT/SA rates for years, give it a month and the CWU will be writing another strong worded letter to EP group suggesting RM aren't playing ball during the negotiations, just as they aren't with the USO reforms.

Yes they already know this….

From a previous post quoted below it will cost £27 million to reduce the hours….

‘The cost to equalise new entrants in one go is 183 million pounds.

The reason being

You need to reduce the hours from 40 to 37 hours which increases the hourly rate for all new entrants is £27 million pounds.

Paid meal reliefs as Royal Mail have to reduce working hours for all new entrants is £28 million.

The supplements is £42 million.

Inner and outer London Weighting is worth 40 million.

Recruitment and retention payments cost 30 million.’


All this leaves massive questions. It will be a pathway to equalisation, which reading between the lines at little comments made suggests it will be over a period of three years to reach full equalisation. The problem is how do they implement this, it is something that is done at most companies but usually means a rise in the hourly rate at certain intervals until you match the full rate so how they implement these steps with reduced hours and meal breaks etc over periods of time is going to be a bit weird. The wording for the first step agreed within three months of the transaction is also a bit vague and seeing as within 3 months would mean before 4th Sept they are fast running out of time when they haven’t even suggested what it will be. I sense a lot of backtracking coming soon now that the ballot has voted in the part one agreement.

[TopperGas]

The vast majority of new contracts where I work are 25 hours per week. A lot of others are 22.5 or around 30 hours. Very few are 40 hours or anwhere near that. So if step 1 of the equalisation is reducing 40 to 37 then its not going to benefit very many people at all. Surely its got to be something better than that piss poor token gesture

This would actually benefit most people on new contracts more than anything. Reducing hours but keeping the same pay would basically mean all the new contracts would move to £14.11 per hour (almost the same as old contract) outside of London.
Anyone on 40 hours wouldn’t see any pay increase just 3 hours less work but everyone else would keep the hours they are working the same and get more in their pay every month because pay is pro rata based on the full time hours.

Example
40 x £13.06 (per hour rate now for new contracts) = £522.40
After
522.40 / 37 =14.119 per hour

£1 per hour pay increase for 10,000(?) new contract staff seems a massive increase for RM to make, when they've never reviewed the legacy OT/SA rates for years, give it a month and the CWU will be writing another strong worded letter to EP group suggesting RM aren't playing ball during the negotiations, just as they aren't with the USO reforms.

Yes they already know this….

From a previous post quoted below it will cost £27 million to reduce the hours….

‘The cost to equalise new entrants in one go is 183 million pounds.

The reason being

You need to reduce the hours from 40 to 37 hours which increases the hourly rate for all new entrants is £27 million pounds.

Paid meal reliefs as Royal Mail have to reduce working hours for all new entrants is £28 million.

The supplements is £42 million.

Inner and outer London Weighting is worth 40 million.

Recruitment and retention payments cost 30 million.’


All this leaves massive questions. It will be a pathway to equalisation, which reading between the lines at little comments made suggests it will be over a period of three years to reach full equalisation. The problem is how do they implement this, it is something that is done at most companies but usually means a rise in the hourly rate at certain intervals until you match the full rate so how they implement these steps with reduced hours and meal breaks etc over periods of time is going to be a bit weird. The wording for the first step agreed within three months of the transaction is also a bit vague and seeing as within 3 months would mean before 4th Sept they are fast running out of time when they haven’t even suggested what it will be. I sense a lot of backtracking coming soon now that the ballot has voted in the part one agreement.

Those figures highlight the CWU is either living in cloud cuckoo land or gaslighting new contract starters as how can a company who only made £12m profits last year ever find an extra £187m in wages etc?. I can't see new contract staff ever being given the delivery supplement as there's far more chance of legacy staff having that eventually bought out.