Parcelforce Working On Customer Premises Agreement

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Letter to Branches




No: 683/11
Ref: 111
Date: 4th August 2011

To All Postal Branches With Parcelforce Members
To All Regional Organisers
To All Parcelforce Representatives





Dear Colleague

Parcelforce Working On Customer Premises Agreement

Branches and representatives will be aware that the Parcelforce Pay Agreement 2010 carried a commitment to conclude an agreement in regard to the issue of employees who may be required to work on a customer’s premises.

Discussions have taken place with the business and The Employees Working on Customer Premises Agreement has been reached and is attached for your information. The agreement outlines agreed resourcing arrangements and was endorsed by the Postal Executive at it meeting on the 3rd August 2011.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our members are made aware of the contents of this LTB.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email dwyatt@cwu.org, quoting reference 111.

Yours sincerely




Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary



National Agreement Between Parcelforce Worldwide and The Communication Workers Union Covering Parcelforce Employees Working On Customer Premises


Introduction

The Table of Success processes has established a structure that strengthens the partnership approach and involves the CWU in the widest set of business issues. The design supports the commitment to integrate the interests of all parties and compliment the mutual interest culture.

Following the successes achieved so far in the progressive agenda approach, both parties agree that it is extremely important that we continue to work together in identifying new ways of ensuring that Parcelforce Worldwide is able to fully realise its growth ambitions which will ensure a healthy and secure future for the business and its employees. Clearly winning new business is crucial to our growth ambitions and this agreement supports the extension of our product offering reach and the aim of growing our market share.

Recent agreements reached on new contracts won which require Parcelforce Worldwide employees and CWU members working on customer premises, represent tangible examples of the business and the union working together to support our joint commitments to the long term future of Parcelforce Worldwide, job security and employee standard of living.

This agreement recognises that Parcelforce Worldwide operates in a very competitive and volatile market and reconciles the need to respond to the opportunities provided by this type of product offering while also affording protection for the Parcelforce Worldwide employees involved.

Agreed Resourcing Arrangements.

Where a new contract has been gained the resourcing approach to fulfil the requirements of the contract for working on a customer premises will be achieved via the following methods:

TUPE – employees transferring from the losing contract provider
Existing PFW employees
Wider RM group employees
External recruitment

Where there is a small number of employees working on a customer premises, as with the Data Select contract, a local Depot or Parcelforce Worldwide site will be normally designated as the ‘parent workplace’ for all Parcelforce Worldwide employees working in that location and will be managed by the operational management team and represented by the unit CWU representative. Where this is not operationally possible or the number of employees on the site is larger, a contract manager will normally be appointed as line manager for employees and represented by a CWU on site representative, which is in line with the approach taken with our contract for RS Components.

Where TUPE does not apply or there is a shortfall of TUPE transferred employees, recruitment will be required to fill a vacancy in a customer site. A tailored recruitment process will be undertaken, giving priority to existing employees wishing to apply for these roles prior to recruiting externally. In respect of existing employees recruited to a role that is based on customer premises, if additional travel is incurred then ETE terms will be applied where appropriate, as detailed in MTSF.

In the event of Parcelforce Worldwide or the customer withdrawing from the contract, Parcelforce Worldwide employees will be protected by TUPE Regulations. Wherever possible Parcelforce Worldwide will look for opportunities to absorb employees into vacancies at local depot locations. Parcelforce Worldwide will also search for any suitable redeployment opportunities within the wider Royal Mail Group. Any appointments under these circumstances will be dealt with under MTSF terms. However, where there are insufficient or no opportunities to redeploy employees into the business, discussions will take place between respective Headquarters and this could result in affected employees needing to be transferred on their existing terms and conditions to the new contract provider under TUPE Regulations.

Employees working on customer premises will continue to be fully briefed on current Parcelforce issues via weekly WTL sessions. Such communication should also include training and development opportunities, and details of any vacancies in local depots.

The bonus arrangements for operations on customer premises if not specific will be payments aligned to either the FTD performance of their ‘parent workplace’ or the national achievement figures depending on what is agreed as appropriate in each instance.

As soon as Parcelforce Worldwide believe that the potential gain of such a contract is looking likely, national discussions will take place to determine the planning arrangements for such issues as appropriate staffing profiles and relevant employee arrangements. Information shared with the CWU at the earliest opportunity inline with ‘Table of Success’ processes will allow for professional and timely discussions, in resourcing/training procedures and the seamless introduction of the service.

In organising the resourcing design it is agreed that our existing commitments as detailed in national agreements to the working environment, duty structures, earning opportunities and leave arrangements etc will apply.

Parcelforce Worldwide will commit to securing access for CWU to have access to their members working on a customer’s premises.

Health and Safety standards in Parcelforce Worldwide are of the highest importance and this will be maintained in regard to employees working on customer premises. Against that backdrop a joint Parcelforce Worldwide and CWU safety Risk Assessment will be undertaken of the area used by PFW employees and the outputs shared with the customer. It is recognised that the customer has the overall responsibility to maintain a safe working environment for all people working on their site.

Any questions of interpretation, implementation or application of this agreement shall be referred to the national signatories of this agreement as a matter of urgency and will be dealt with inside the provisions of the national IR Framework Agreement.







Adele Henderson Terry Pullinger
Operations Director Assistant Secretary
Parcelforce Worldwide CWU

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