COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
EASTERN NUMBER FIVE BRANCH (UCW)
AREA DISTRIBUTION REPS REPORT.
YEAR END REPORT 2014.
OVER VIEW.
As we move forward we must keep looking to the unfair competition that we face from the likes of Whistl formally TNT with their end to end delivery, buy passing the Royal Mail Network. They are only concentrating on large cities (cherry picking the areas with the greatest profit and the lowest cost); they use Zero hours contracts and pay below the “Living Wage”.
Amazon direct delivery is also a threat as they to look to take mail from the Royal Mail Network and deliver direct, the loss of this work has a very detrimental effect on the Mail Centres and Delivery Offices in the area where this has happened.
The changes impact on all parts of the business, Collections with loss of collection points, Distribution with a loss of workload resulting with loss of runs, Network loss of duties as mail volumes fall and Delivery loss of duties due to a fall in posted items.
We must do all we can to ensure that business is protected by making sure that we are the best, and we all do our bit to put a stop to UNFAIR COMPETITION!!
We have seen the state of the Postal Market over Christmas with the closure of City Link due to them going bust, the margins in the market are so tight that no one is safe not even us.
Distribution.
It has yet again been a challenging year in the Distribution function, whilst we have had no major revision this year we have had to make ongoing changes to accommodate new customers and also to take out those who have left.
We are looking at a business as usual review of duties at this time; this is by looking at moving workload to take out downtime and increasing the driving content of the current duties in line with agreements.
This change may lead to the prospect of buy downs or VR’s for those interested; these will be limited as we look to increase jobs rather that lose them.
No one likes change, but we have been through change a lot over the past few years and we have dealt with it, however, the change that we face now business has been privatised will make the change inevitable as we go forward, as the business looks to reduce costs and become more efficient.
In the near future the management of Processing hours on the p318’s (Distribution Hall time load and unloading of trailers) will pass to Processing manager on the floor to manage.
Distribution Managers will only manage the drivers for the time they drive and load unload their 600cf vehicles and making sure that drivers are legal.
The Driver Coach position has still to be signed off at a national level when it has been concluded the job will be advertised in line with the national agreement.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. – Report Adopted.
Collections.
There could be major changes to the collection profile as the move to put pillar boxes back on Deliveries, this is a cost cutting exercise by the business and will save them millions of pounds per year.
The local position is we have made challenges to both box fills and distance between boxes on a number of boxes in the Peterborough area, some have come out in our favour and some have not, the figures have been submitted to the centre for a decision when the decision comes back we can move forward.
The impact on the duty set in the Mail Centre Collection is currently not known, however if we lose a large number of boxes it may affect the number of collection routes that we have, this may lead to a VR exercise.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. . – Report Adopted.
Network.
The ER review has seen major change in the VOC management structure and personnel, with the previous managerl leaving the business and Peter Pickard coming into the Head of Distribution position.
The change in management style is refreshing to move from a very negative approach to one of let’s make it work and yes we want that work. To grow the VOC is priority of the local management and CWU.
The two managerial vacancies for the Morning and Night Traffic managers should be filled by the end of January 2015.
The Network Review 2013 did take place all be it in 2014 and has worked well in the main, some teething problems but less than in previous years. We ended up with about the same number of jobs as previously all be it the workload changed. We lost the Amazon work out of Peterborough apart from some weekend work, which is a double edged sword.
The vacancy Afternoon ATM post was filled by using the Way Forward criteria.
Christmas this year has been less of a problem due to loss of Amazon to NDC, all be it we were given some Amazon work late which was covered off. by the Peterborough VOC.
There is likely to be a Network Review for the coming year, however at this time we do not have any time scales or criteria for it, just another year in Network.
We are currently at a stage 3 disagreement over the Christmas outhouse work not being carried out by Royal Mail staff, this disagreement is scheduled for Thursday 22nd January 2015, and this was not progressed before Christmas as the equipment was not available to carry out the workload. The disagreement is to set up Christmas 2015 if the outhouse is in the VOC area.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. . – Report Adopted.
Parcelforce Telephone sales.
We have grown the membership in the Parcelforce Sales unit in the Mail Centre due to a new managerial team and their approach to staff related issues; we have gone from 6 members to 23 in a few months with further recruitment being carried out.
We have been dealing with contractual issues, Conduct Code and Attendance Procedure, Grievance and Bullying and Harassment issues.
The CWU Unit rep is Louis Oliver he is being supported by Amanda as Branch Secretary and me covering off the Area position.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. . – Report Adopted.
Branch Direct (Royal Mail Relay).
Business continues to hold its own.
The business unit covers major banks and Building Societies for the movement of stock etc.; other customers include and British Gas and Dyson for parts distribution through Delivery Offices.
The number of staff has been stable over the past year; however we have increased the number of CWU members
There have been small problems in the unit over the year these in the main have been minor issues.
Conduct Code and Attendance Procedure cases have been a cause for concern over the past year, manager’s inability to understand and carry out the procedures being the main cause of concern.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. . – Report Adopted.
DHL (Debenhams Contract).
The Union continues to recruit in outside industries including DHL Debenhams where our membership is close to fifty.
Whilst we are not the recognised Trade Union for DHL, we have a member of staff who has qualifications to represent at Conduct, Attendance, Grievance and Bullying and Harassment cases.
Gary Snart our accompanier on site has been supported by me and Dennis King CWU Divisional Rep on occasions as required.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Adopted. . – Report Adopted.
Other Sites.
We also have members in Buck and Hickman, Iceland frozen foods, Breezemount on the IKEA site and Amazon.
Recommendation: Paragraph is Noted. . – Report Noted.
In Addition to the above report I would like to thank Richard Aucott, Frank Ginty,
Mick Williams, Sean Courten, Steve Jefford, Bob Clingham and Kate Jackson from Distribution and Brian O’Sullivan and Mel Sancaster from Network for their support during the year, this has been a very hard year for all of us and without the support of the reps this job would be impossible.
Most of all we, the Reps, want to thank you the membership for your support over the last year, you the membership are the union.
UNITY IS STRENGTH!
Recommendation:
That This Report Is Agreed. Report AGREED.
Steve Clarke
Area Distribution Rep
Eastern Number 5 Branch.
January 2015.
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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