Special Report:SECTION 3 TAKING NATIONAL TALKS FORWARD

[fishtank]

SECTION 3 TAKING NATIONAL TALKS FORWARD


Reflecting back on the December 2012 Summit Meeting, the March 2013 Policy Forum, Annual Conference and National talks since, it remains clear that major differences still exist between Royal Mail and CWU.

Although some progress was made on outstanding BT delivery matters and recently processing functional talks have been more constructive, notwithstanding that management have pressed on with rationalisation planning, the key policy positions adopted in Liverpool remain outstanding and the Union has no agreement over the company’s future strategy. Moreover, they remain outstanding when the Government and Royal Mail press ahead respectively with privatisation and further pension changes and whilst pay was due in April 2013.

It is the view of the Postal Executive that the current situation is unacceptable. The truth is, the company has only begun to negotiate seriously following the consultative ballot result. The Union must now refocus National negotiations on the key issues that will determine our members’ future. The situation has become so serious that we have made it clear to the company that if we cannot resolve all outstanding issues, then we will implement a National Industrial Action Ballot.

The Union will prioritise the following in our ongoing negotiations:

1. Securing a comprehensive agreement covering all aspects of the company’s future strategy including:
• The protections and assurances we require over the future in the event of privatisation and the growing threat of End to End competition.
• An agenda for growth and stability that builds on the shared vision of modernisation already agreed in the Business Transformation Agreement.
• Agreement on a parcels and packets strategy that both retains and grows work in the core network and Parcelforce. This would also cover the implications for all our existing networks, jobs, terms and conditions.
2. Securing a straightforward pay settlement in line with CWU policy.
3. Securing a long-term pensions settlement that fully protects all aspects of the defined benefits scheme, whilst enhancing the defined contributions scheme.

The aforementioned agenda is designed to embrace all outstanding policy agreed at the Liverpool Policy Forum and the issues being discussed in functional talks.


The Union is committed to engaging in serious negotiations to achieve a settlement on all these matters. However, the Postal Executive has agreed that if we cannot secure satisfactory agreements, the Union will hold a National Industrial Action Ballot no later than September 2013 and the PEC will have discretion to enact the Ballot earlier in light of events, the actions of management and progress made.

Calling for National Industrial Action in today’s economic environment and with the competitive pressures on Royal Mail is a decision that cannot be taken lightly. CWU members understand these pressures and their support will not be taken for granted. The Union will continue to communicate with our members and provide absolute clarity on our objectives in negotiations and in any subsequent dispute.

Essentially we are pursuing a set of agreements that fully protect our members’ terms and conditions and shape the future at the same time. The protection of terms and conditions will require explicit commitments from the company – for up to ten years – on the following:

• That Royal Mail would remain an End to End service provider and there would be no break up of the company or sale of individual functions.

• There will be no franchising out of any work currently carried out by or proper to our CWU represented grades. All employees will remain directly employed under CWU negotiated terms and conditions.

• There will be no outsourcing of any work proper to CWU represented grades.

• Existing Job Security Agreements to remain in place unless renegotiated and the preferential MTSF terms to be extended for a further 5 years.

• There will be no zero hour contracts.

• The Royal Mail Group to maintain its joint venture interests in ROMEC and Quadrant, or bring these back in-house.

• The use of agencies and fixed term contract staff to be explicitly in line with existing national agreements, including agreed measures to monitor this in practice.

• No two tier terms and conditions i.e. anybody joining the company during the period of the agreement would do so on the same terms and conditions as existing employees.

• The workforce would remain predominantly full time with a 75/25 split with measures agreed to monitor this in practice.

• All nationally agreed HR procedures would remain in place unless renegotiated

• The CWU would continue to be the recognised Trade Union and all existing facilities arrangements would remain in place.

• The IR Framework procedures would continue to apply unless varied by agreement.

The objective is to secure these assurances in a legally binding agreement providing long-term protection in the event of privatisation and its potential impact on CWU members’ terms and conditions. Such an agreement would also be framed to counter any attempt by the company to introduce the type of employment model, terms and conditions associated with private competitors such as TNT.

We have long understood the threat posed to workers from the marketisation and privatisation of postal services. By communicating clearly the industrial objectives of the Union in the workplace, we will highlight to our members the industrial reality of such policies. We have always known the impact of such policies on our members’ terms and conditions would be the battleground of the future – CWU must prepare for such a dispute now. In taking these policies forward we will also continue to raise these concerns in our ongoing discussions with Government.


RECOMMENDATION 3: That the CWU will prioritise National negotiations along the policy lines stated. If satisfactory agreements cannot be secured the Union will hold a National Industrial Action Ballot no later than September 2013. The Postal Executive will have discretion to enact the Ballot earlier in light of events, the actions of management and progress made.

[Red Robbo]

Is this another strike action leading up to Christmas and then pull the plug because members of the public will not get their presents before Christmas ?

[knackeredneedadayoff]

Union blah blah blah blah oh 3 year deal, Royal Mail just gets what they want,the Union is like a slug with a lead shell ,they should of given a deadline for talks and then action.
The amount of harrasement and unachievable park and loop jobs,the geneva convention states that pow soldiers are not to be forced to march more than 11 miles in 24 hours,my delivery is 12 miles in 4 and a half hours its time king billy got the media onside .