SOUTH WALES / SOUTH WEST DIVISION NEWSLETTER

[Geezer]

Communication Workers Union
South Wales / South West Division

DIVISIONAL NEWSLETTER

Colleagueshares / Royal Mail Finances

TO ALL CWU MEMBERS SOUTH WALES / SOUTH WEST DIVISION

You will have all received the Royal Mail brief by now outlining the companies’ position on colleagueshares and the financial state of the business. The National Union has responded in a detailed letter to member’s home addresses and a Senior Representatives briefing has been called next week in London.


COLLEAGUESHARES
From the creation of colleagueshares the CWU advised members that the “phantom shares” would never in fact materialise come the end of the scheme. This however took a twist when the colleagueshares became part of the bargaining pot for pay and reward linked to the 2010 Business Transformation Agreement.

This in reality legitimised the scheme in the eyes of CWU members. At the time of the agreement Royal Mail used the potential colleagueshares payout to “sell” the deal to CWU members across the UK.

Even as late as September 2010 the shares were valued at £1400. We simply cannot believe that the value has been completely wiped out in six months.

We have to remember that the past six months has seen unprecedented levels of change in delivery offices and mail centres up and down the UK. This must have aided the financial position of the company


LONDON MAIL CENTRE CLOSURES
The announcements in London should send a very clear message to CWU members up and down the UK – Compulsory redundancies are back on the table. Our members in London face the prospect of being unable to move with their work or find suitable alternatives.

We have a review underway already in SW/SW (affecting Worcester Mail Centre) with the wider Division set to be announced in the near future. The situation that is developing in London could very soon arrive at our own doorstep.

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION AGREEMENT

We believe that Royal Mail’s announcement brings the whole Business Transformation Agreement into disrepute.

On colleagueshares, Royal Mail may use accounting methods and shifting the books to justify their position but the implications are wider than that. This is about the whole ethos of the Agreement being under threat. “Honesty”, “transparency” and “a new relationship” – it certainly doesn’t look that way to us

On the Mail Centre closures we feel that there is an even clearer breach of the agreement with the threat of compulsory redundancies hanging over our members heads.

The Business Transformation Agreement is not a pick and mix where the company gets to choose which sections it abides by and which it doesn’t. CWU Representatives up and down the UK are abiding by the agreement and facing up to some very unpalatable issues. At times negotiations and talks have been very difficult but we have embraced a new way of working and Royal Mail’s proposals are a kick in the teeth.

Our view is that the document stands or falls as one. This is the view that the SW/SW Division will be presenting to the CWU National Briefing next week.

A further communication will be sent out following the briefing.

Produced by the South Wales / South West Divisional Committee

[SexyLegs]

Industrial Action is the only way to reinforce our strength, or a national ban on overtime and an insistence on work to rule, even if it's just CWU members in the first instance, that will make a difference, a very big difference, so what are we waiting for?

[belle smith]

COLLEAGUESHARES
From the creation of colleagueshares the CWU advised members that the “phantom shares” would never in fact materialise come the end of the scheme. This however took a twist when the colleagueshares became part of the bargaining pot for pay and reward linked to the 2010 Business Transformation Agreement.

This in reality legitimised the scheme in the eyes of CWU members. At the time of the agreement Royal Mail used the potential colleagueshares payout to “sell” the deal to CWU members across the UK.

Royal Mail and the CWU! used it to sell the 2010 deal and the 2007 deal!

We believe that Royal Mail’s announcement brings the whole Business Transformation Agreement into disrepute.

The Business Transformation Agreement is not a pick and mix where the company gets to choose which sections it abides by and which it doesn’t. CWU Representatives up and down the UK are abiding by the agreement and facing up to some very unpalatable issues. At times negotiations and talks have been very difficult but we have embraced a new way of working and Royal Mail’s proposals are a kick in the teeth.

I believe The CWU's involvment in this agreement brings the CWU into disrepute.

Our view is that the document stands or falls as one. This is the view that the SW/SW Division will be presenting to the CWU National Briefing next week.

Fight for the agreement, including all the s**t bits in it!

[Danelectro]

Our view is that the document stands or falls as one. This is the view that the SW/SW Division will be presenting to the CWU National Briefing next week.

Fight for the agreement, including all the s**t bits in it!

Bang on again Belle Smith,the inability of Mr Gibson to admit he his putting members ability to do the job at risk is paramount- no max delivery spans,negotiated walking speeds that are higher than anywhere else in Europe,fudged H&S(tenement study) and the total sham that has each office implementing revisions with different effective performance standards so some will have to work harder than others doing the same job and receiving the same pay.

Direct action on Bob Gibson wouldnt be unjustified,the man needs held to account,but alas it looks too late in the day for that.
He will be responsible for a dramatic increase in IHR for those of us left in delivery.

[belle smith]

He will be responsible for a dramatic increase in IHR for those of us left in delivery.

IHR........Compulsory redundandancy by another name.
Have you many in your office looking to go down the DDA route, to try and keep a job they can manage?

[Danelectro]

He will be responsible for a dramatic increase in IHR for those of us left in delivery.

IHR........Compulsory redundandancy by another name.
Have you many in your office looking to go down the DDA route, to try and keep a job they can manage?

Out of an office of 60 staff,we had 4 leave last year on IHR,3 of those were due to knee and lower limb problems
and one with mental health issues all caused by working for Royal Mail,another two are on long term sick and looking
for IHR.Another 4 members have had to have surgery to correct joint problems in the last two years and plenty others
including myself have had regular treatment for back and shoulder pain,most are aged between 35 and 50 and have been
working on delivery for many years.

Not gone down the DDA route but a couple who left where offered other indoor work as an alternative to IHR.

[nataddick]

Since World Class Mail is an integral part of the Business Transformation Agreement why not ask members to withdraw their support for the project. They go back to just doing their normal jobs and no one loses money through strikes. But is would significantly slow the rate of transformation !