The truth on the National Talks

[Martin Walsh]

There will be an LTB coming out in the next couple of weeks giving a full update but I will give you a brief update.

Emergency Motion E3 led to the union calling talks with Royal Mail and outlines what the union had to achieve talks on and the joint statement reconfirmed this.

There are 3 central issues

1. The fall out from the Postal Services Act
2. Pensions and colleague shares and Job security.
3. The fall out from the Business Transformation agreement

Over the last couple months the union has been dealing with the European State aid issue inducing meeting the EU in Brussells and producing the CWU submission to the EU. The union have also been meeting both Royal Mail and the Government over the splitting of Post Office Limited and Royal Mail , they have also met with off comm to try and influence changes. Of course on top of this the union has been dealing with PSP the new wage/leave etc system , the inward flow system , trying to achieve a process agreement for delivery office clousres, they have also just achieved the network drivers lump sum payments and 2% rise. of course the unions been meeting on the new distribution management set up which is going to have a big impact on area distribution professional drivers, the new work plan , new trials like data capture , delivery to neighbour trial , centralisation of label printing , the default retirement age , made progress on the new attandance procedure , met on quadrant pay rise , just achieved the isle of man and jersey pay settlements and are in a strike over the capita pay settlement.

Next week Royal Mail and the CWU have a 2 day meeting ( 19th and 20th October ) which will be a crucial meeting.

In terms of the EU state aid , this simply a massive issue , Royal Mail's submission includes the request that the balance sheet for Royal Mail must be wiped clean including the loan.

in addition Royal Mail have requested that the Escow Account which was made up of 850 million pounds given by the government from what Royal Mail paid in the external finance limit during the late 80s and 90s. Plus 200 million in bonds as an insurance policy for the pension deficit be given to Royal Mail on the basis of 200 million per year.

There is a high degree of confidence that the government will get state aid but the crucial issue will be on what terms. The real dilemma is whether Europe can do this in the time needed by Royal Mail Remember Royal Mail has no money to pay the deficit after next March. The EU commission has already stated that they have never made a decision so quick.

if this does not happen by March than the Pensions regualator and pension trustees will declare Royal Mail insolvent.

However Royal Mail have had a better 6 month finance position due to the price rise , some work coming back as a result of companies down trading and property sales including Rathbone Place which was sold for 120 million.

The one thing which cannot happen before the state aid issue is privitisation, as no company will be interested in Royal Mail.

if EU state aid comes in then the 3 privatisations on the table are

1. Sold to an equality company worse case
2. Have a strategic partner
3. Sold on IPO basis ( a share offer )

The Union will be discussing this along with the pension policy document at the national policy briefing in Manchester in November where Branch's can submit motions for voting.

In terms of business transformation each divison were asked to submit the issues and there were common themes such as

lack of planning resource to actually introduce revisions in lifespan of the BTA agreement
most delivery method revisions failing and only working by members picking up overtime
Royal Mail are trying to introduce a 10 week revison process in some areas
Lump sums not being paid on time
Mail centres not getting the mail to delivery offices early enough to support the attendance patterns
The 1 week off in 4 not being introduced
equipment not being used
Photo graphic evidence that door to door work is being tipped to recycling waste by managers
Members being displined for not completing deliveries
management trying to force offices to agree 100bsi
Bullying by managers
Unreasonable levels of absorption
Plus loads of other issues.

The talks will be quite stormy next week but all of the issues above need to be resolved.

Hope this gives you some background to what is happening

[fishtank]

Any chance we could get some concrete advice on WCM in delivery offices before it's too late?
Does the "non-co-operation" on new projects stance still stand and does it apply to D.O.s.
Will we have a separate comprehensive agreement for delivery offices or will we just be expected to wing it?

[Martin Walsh]

Yes world class Mail's is on the agenda. The unions policy is still to not Co-operate with world class mail in those sites which have come on stream since the policy was endorsed by the PEC and too frustrate and stop progress in the phase 1 results.

Not everyone is happy with the policy but Royal Mail are the least happy because world class Mail's cannot be successful without the union and the workforce supporting it.

The aim of the union is too get an agreement on world class mails including in delivery offices. This is on the agenda at next weeks talks.

I believe the aim is to get an agreement on all the issues and I think on deliveries there are 16 issues which need to be agreed all of then comprehensive subject matters.

[Geezer]

Thanks for the info Dingo.

[Hitcher]

All that in 2 days?

[north london driver]

All that in 2 days?

its alright they are working there meal-relief + extended and at s/a rate.

[daveyeff]

hmmmn.

[POSTMAN]

Thanks Dingo.

[General Mannerheim]

Bullying by managers!!!! So what are you going to do about it?

[hazzeem025]

cheers dingo, nice to have an update!

[Judgee]

"most delivery method revisions failing and only working by members picking up overtime"

This is one of the main issues I'd like to see discussed. Despite being advised continually that the revisions were unworkable, they went ahead. Now everything is messed up, will they admit it was a crap idea and come up with something more practical. Preferably something that doesn't involve delivery staff killing themselves trying to get the job done?

[kendo1]

Some really good points .
Some members being disciplined for not competing walks,(WHY ARE THEY NOT COMPETING) Answer some walks are way to big! yet the computer says they are ok.

Why are new revision walks never walk tested ?

A planner should be made to test a percentage of walks,and any walks that are failing to find out the reason,but then if the Programe they were using was accurate in the first place their would be no need.

Planners are costing the Company a lot of money,they may be cutting fixed hours ,great but increasing overtime ,and increasing the amount of live mail and packets that does not get delivered regulary as their is no one to deliver it.

3rd rate service RM now offers the Public as a result of revision!

[Martin Walsh]

Yes some walks are too heavy and that's why some are failing , other offices are failing because managers are lapsing above the levels of the revision.

In terms of packet traffic , Royal Mail currently handle just 37% of overall packet traffic and they believe the delivery to neighbour trial will help them get a larger share of the overall Market.

Now to give you a taste of what Royal Mail are saying , well they are blaming the union for some revisions not working and for slowing down revisions. Royal Mail have said if they were a normal company facing the financial position they are in then they would be having compulsory redundancies , they would withdraw from the financial commitments given in MTSF and they would be having zero pay rises and reducing benefits.

The first day will be when all parties are discussing the central issues and the second day there will be separate meetings on pensions , colleague share , how the improved relationship mantra has failed , deliveries , mail centres , network , RDCs and world class mail's. Of course they won't resolve all of this issues next week but the aim of next week is to now get a commitment on weekly talks on the key issues and to set an end date for an agreement on the business transformation issues. For obvious reasons there cannot be an end date on pensions , colleague share or privatisation as it is tied up within the state aid issue and subject to the EU commission.

[fishtank]

Now to give you a taste of what Royal Mail are saying , well they are blaming the union for some revisions not working and for slowing down revisions. Royal Mail have said if they were a normal company facing the financial position they are in then they would be having compulsory redundancies , they would withdraw from the financial commitments given in MTSF and they would be having zero pay rises and reducing benefits.

That's a very confrontational position to take when entering talks dingo and to be honest i'm tired of hearing their threats.
It seems like that's all we've heard for the last 5 years.I would like to hear some tough responses to that kind of attack on our terms and conditions.
Talks are fine but without a targeted end to them there is a danger they just become a stalling tactic.
The E3 motion has definitive aims and there has to be some point where it becomes obvious that RM won't meet those aims.A plan B must be drawn up and both RM and the membership should be made aware of what that involves.
It feels like we are passengers in this whole farce rather than driving forward a membership led solution.
Perhaps if the consultation exercise had not been a sham we may have felt more engaged.

As for the leave with neighbour trial,i'm surprised the union is touching it.
I would want a cast iron agreement that NO member will be conducted as a result of an allegation of missing packets from a neighbour and i doubt that will be forthcoming.

[dvbuk55]

TBH these talks have never produced anything that has been of any great benefit to the membership. It is all very well discussing the problems it is in finding a solution to the problems that seems to be the drawback.

The union seem to be of the belief that we are all in this together when in fact that isn't the case. When a problem arose close to home there was a swift response and a solution quick sticks. Months later we are still enduring the same problems which are going to be discussed with seemingly no positive action to reinforce the arguments.