Re: Royal Mail – PiC (Person In Charge) Cover in the Event of Industrial Action by

Unite/CMA Members – Health & Safety Duty of Care

 

The Health, Safety & Environment Department have had a number of enquiries from Area

Health and Safety Reps regarding the impending Unite/CMA Industrial Action scheduled

to take place from mid-day Tuesday 31 May to mid-day Wednesday 1 June in respect of

there being no Person in Charge present in operational units and therefore compromising

Royal Mail’s health and safety legal duties,  duty of care, risk management, ensuring the

safety of the workforce and dealing with emergency situations etc.

 

This has been discussed with Royal Mail and the Royal Mail Group, Logistics Head of Health

and Safety has detailed the approach being taken by Royal Mail as follows:-

 

“During any periods of Industrial Action where there may be a short period where the PiC is

not on site. How this is managed is Referenced in the RM PiC Handbook, extract below;

 

Unsupervised Sites In some Cases units will be in use without a manager present at the location for Example to provide access for drivers and vehicles. In these circumstances, you or a deputy PiC must be available by means of telephone call to deal with any issue that arises on site. The relevant telephone numbers must be displayed prominently on site.

In recognition of this, and to mitigate any risk, we have created a Safety One Pager, which

will be issued to all those who are supporting during this time.  In each region, either a Head

of SHE or SHE Manager will be available on the phone (numbers have been published), and I

(Lisa Durrant Mail Group, Logistics Head of Health and Safety will be in CPC (Central Postal

Control). I hope this helps, and gives you sufficient reassurance to allay any fears amongst

your members. As ever, happy to discuss further if necessary.” Regards Lisa Durrant

Attached for your information:-

 

Ø  Copy of the above reference communication from Royal Mail Group, Logistics Head of

Health and Safety.

Ø  Copy of the Safety ‘One Pager’ Guidance.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

Click on the link below to view the attachment

safety-one-pager-may2016 (1)

Unite/Royal Mail Pay Dispute 

Branches will be aware that Unite/CMA will be holding an official one-day strike starting at midday on Tuesday 31st May and ending at midday on Wednesday 1st June.

 

The letter issued by Unite to their members says they will be “holding a picket line in major sites with a strong Unite presence”. Clearly this is a situation we have not faced in recent times – the last occasion managers took strike action in Royal Mail was back in 1979. While recognising the history of previous disputes, the CWU fully supports Unite and its members in their efforts to secure a satisfactory settlement to this dispute.

 

In light of legal advice, the CWU are issuing the following guidance to Branches:

 

• Members should report to work as normal.

• Members should not undertake the work of managers – or be asked to undertake the work of those taking part in official industrial action.

• Members are reminded that management cannot require them to work outside of their contractual duties.

 

On the question relating to the Person in Charge (PIC), LTB 337/16 issued earlier today by Dave Joyce, sets out the approach Royal Mail will be taking based on current guidance.

 

In the meantime, Branches are asked to give this LTB and the advice it contains the widest possible circulation.

 

Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to Ray Ellis, DGS(P) Department, quoting reference 13000.

 

Yours sincerely

​​​

​​​                                

Dave Ward​​​​Ray Ellis

General Secretary​​​Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

Ofcom Review into Royal Mail – Update on People’s Post Campaign 

As you may have seen, Ofcom published a number of proposals this morning in the latest stage of its review of the way Royal Mail is regulated. The union’s press statement which was issued in response to this is attached.

 

Ofcom launched its review following the withdrawal of Whistl from the delivery market and in the wake of this it originally intended to introduce a number of stronger measures to further promote competition, potentially re-introduce damaging price controls and impose efficiency targets.

 

In its announcement today Ofcom has not gone as far on new regulatory measures as anticipated and we believe this is a direct result of the People’s Post campaign and the increased scrutiny this has placed on Ofcom’s actions. It is important that you convey to our members the role our campaign has played in softening some elements of Ofcom’s approach.

 

However, while it has held back from introducing specific targets on efficiency, Ofcom has again called on Royal Mail to adopt “flexible” employment models and is emphasising the need for Royal Mail to take further steps to improve efficiency. Ofcom has also failed to limit unfair cherry-picking competition or introduce protections for customers from poor practices by competitors in the parcels industry.

 

The CWU is highlighting the aforementioned in our public response to today’s announcement, with particular emphasis on saying that Ofcom’s approach to efficiency places unnecessary pressure on our members and represents an undercutter’s charter for all workers in the industry.

 

These developments underline the importance of the People’s Post campaign and the need for us to continue to put Ofcom and the Government under pressure. The next stage of this campaign is the public rally in Birmingham on 4th June and we would urge all Branches to send a delegation and make this a priority commitment.

 

Further information on Ofcom’s announcement will follow in due course.

 

Yours sincerely

​​​​

 

Dave Ward​​​​​​Ray Ellis

General Secretary​​​​​Acting Deputy General Secretary (P)

 

 

 

CWU criticises Ofcom for an undercutter’s charter for workers in the postal industry

 

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) which represents 130,000 employees in the postal industry responded to Ofcom’s review of the regulation of Royal Mail, which was published this morning, by criticising the regulator for again pushing for insecure and inferior employment standards in the postal industry.

 

The CWU cautiously welcomed the fact that Ofcom had publicly recognised the need to put the protection of daily deliveries at the heart of regulation, in line with the union’s People’s Post campaign, by opting not not to introduce new forms of price controls on Royal Mail.

 

However, it also highlighted the fact that Ofcom was storing up problems by leaving in place cherry-picking competition in a market under pressure from e-substitution and that it had failed to take any action to protect consumers in the parcels industry.

 

Dave Ward, General Secretary of the CWU, said ‘Ofcom is again telling postal workers that they have to work harder, faster and cheaper in a report that represents an undercutter’s charter for people working in the postal industry.

 

‘It is completely unacceptable for a regulator to be calling for the adoption of insecure and so-called “flexible” employment models piling pressure on 130,000 jobs in Royal Mail. The role of the body in charge of the industry should be to safeguard employment standards rather than taking its cue from city investors and pushing for a race to the bottom.’

 

Ray Ellis, Deputy General Secretary (Postal) of the CWU, said ‘We welcome the fact that Ofcom has backed off of repeating previous mistakes with regulation having pushed Royal Mail to the brink of insolvency in 2011. But it has left in place cherry-picking competition in a letters market in long term decline and has done nothing to protect consumers in a parcels market that is like the wild-west for service standards.’

 

The CWU will be holding a major public rally as the next stage of its People’s Post campaign in Birmingham on 4th June when it will be calling for new protections on employment, an end to unfair competition and Royal Mail to be brought back into public ownership.

CWU & Royal Mail – Forward Agenda
Please find attached for your information a joint communication agreed between the DGS(P) and Sue Whalley following the 2 day talks between Postal Officers and Royal Mail Managers in Bournemouth on 14th/15th April.
The original intention was to publish the joint communication soon after the talks but this was delayed as a result of the CWU’s Annual Conference and Terry’s unfortunate recent illness.
Colleagues will note that the Statement reaffirms Royal Mail’s commitment to our agreements, the key principles of Agenda for Growth and their consistent deployment. It also includes important commitments from the business to address the four key strands from the CWU Policy Forum in March (around implementing our current agreements, future change, pay and pensions) as well as “delivering the 6 day USO for years to come”. The discussion on this Forward Agenda will now be conducted through the Parallel Ops Executive.
While the Forward Agenda aims to provide added high-level commitment to continued joint working, the Union recognises that there are still significant challenges and problems that we need to address with the business. We therefore continue to talk to Royal Mail about finalising a new resourcing statement that will provide greater ‘buy in’ from Senior Operational Managers that ensure our resourcing agreements and principles are properly applied in the field and factor in the key resourcing issues and policies agreed by the Union at the Policy Forum and Annual Conference.
Yours Sincerely,
Ray Ellis Andy Furey
Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Assistant Secretary

Mark Baulch Davie Robertson
A/Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary

Carl Maden
A/Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
· LTB 327/16 CWU & Royal Mail – Forward Agenda

· Attachment 2: Attachment to LTB 327-16 Royal Mail and CWU -Development of a Forward Agenda 230516

EU Referendum Campaign 

 

As branches are aware it was agreed under motion E3 at this year’s Annual Conference that the CWU should recommend a vote to remain in the EU to our members in the forthcoming referendum.

 

The purpose of this LTB is to update branches on the activities planned by the union, how we will be conducting the campaign and to make Branches aware of the legal requirements the union will need to comply with.

 

In relation to the activities we are planning, we have set out the following time line for our campaign:

 

– CWU leaflet focusing on workers’ rights in the EU to be sent to branches – week commencing 6th June.

 

– CWU-led cross-union public rally – week commencing 13th June.

 

– CWU online video on the union’s position – week commencing 13th June.

 

– Home mailing to members explaining the union’s recommendation – to arrive on 18th June. This will be separate from the Voice.

 

These events are focused on the build-up to the referendum itself on 23rd June, when we believe our members will be giving the issues the most attention. We will also be using the media to publicise the union’s position more widely.

 

In relation to the way in which we will be engaging in this campaign, there are two points it is important to emphasise.

 

Firstly, in making a recommendation on the referendum, the CWU will make it clear that we respect and understand the fact that our members will cast their vote on a range of issues. However, we will also explain that it is important that the trade union movement does not allow the referendum to be a choice between two competing visions of a Conservative Party future.

 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, as agreed under motion E3 at Conference, we will be putting forward a distinct trade union argument for staying within the EU and we will not be involved with the official Remain campaign, which fails to recognise the need for fundamental economic and democratic change in both the EU and this country.

 

We are recommending a vote to remain within the EU, primarily to safeguard our members’ employment rights. This is not about defending the status quo and we will be explaining this fully in the information we provide to members. This information will also cover industry specific issues, migration and the need to reform the EU.

 

While we will be producing campaign materials from CWU headquarters, should Branches and Regions wish to conduct any campaigning themselves we would ask that you do so in line with these principles agreed at Conference.

 

Finally, it is important for Branches and Regions to be aware that any campaign spending by the CWU in campaigning on the referendum will need to be reported by the union centrally to the Electoral Commission. Any campaign material that is produced by the union will also need to include a specific imprint, stating that it has come from the CWU as a registered campaign body.

 

Branches and Regions should therefore contact gsoffice@cwu.org in advance of any campaign activities they wish to undertake to ensure that this will comply with the legal restrictions for the referendum and can be registered in the required way.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

                                

 

Dave Ward​​​​​​

General Secretary​

National Referendum – In or Out Campaign 

Dear colleagues,

 

National referendum material will have begun arriving in Delivery Offices. This LTB is being circulated to hopefully provide some clarity around the documents/leaflets and what will be paid for under the terms of Election Material Agreement.

 

Unit payments are due for the delivery of all poll cards.

 

Unit payments are due for all referendum communications posted by the two designated campaign groups (Stronger In Europe and Vote Leave). Each campaign is sending one addressed mailing to each elector on the register. This will mean more than 1 item per household where there is more than 1 person eligible to vote. All will attract the unit payment.

 

The mail pieces are marked as ‘referendum communications’ which will distinguish them from other items.

 

As addressed items they have a 3 day delivery specification.

 

It is expected that the ‘Stronger In Europe’ and ‘Vote Leave’ campaigns will produce further versions of the referendum communications. Although each campaign can send only one referendum communication to each elector, they might send different versions at different times to addresses with more than one person eligible to vote. This could mean that different people in the same household receive a different version of the referendum communication and all will qualify for the unit payment

 

 

Any enquiries should be addressed to outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference 535.09

 

Yours Sincerely
Bob Gibson

CWU Assistant Secretary – Outdoor

 

For the Immediate Attention of All: 

Postal Branches with RMSS Members

Parcelforce Regional Organisers

RMSS Representatives

Fleet and Maintenance Services Representatives

Area Health & Safety Representatives

 

AGREEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL SPECIALIST SERVICES AND THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MINOR REPAIRS BY RMSS DRIVERS

 

Dear Colleagues

 

Branches and representatives will be aware that the department has been engaged in ongoing discussions with Royal Mail Specialist Services (RMSS) on a range of issues broadly designed to meet our commitments in the Business Transformation 2010 and Agenda for Growth agreements, to develop our working relationship and a progressive agenda going forward.

 

In line with the above aims, the department has recently been in discussions with the business to allow RMSS drivers to undertake minor vehicle repairs when necessary, as already occurs within other RMG functions.

 

The department is pleased to inform you that an agreement has now been achieved in relation to this issue and is attached for your information.

 

Branches and representatives will note that:

 

➢ The agreement covers minor vehicle repairs to RMSS Relay and hire vehicles, where this is agreed as part of the hire contract

 

➢ An agreed training package will be provided on a specific range of agreed minor repairs by experienced Fleet and Maintenance Services technical staff who hold the relevant Train the Trainer qualifications  

 

➢ The final decision on whether to attempt a minor vehicle repair will rest solely with the RMSS Relay driver

 

➢ There will be no liability or referral to Royal Mail HR Procedures for damage caused to or by a vehicle resulting from a previously trained driver attempting an agreed repair using the appropriate minor repair routine  

 

When strictly following the Safe Systems of Work the range of vehicle minor repair tasks that can be undertaken by a trained RMSS Relay driver are as follows:

 

➢ Light Bulbs – All accessible light bulbs

➢ Fuses – Changing a like for like rated fuse (on a single occasion)

➢ Wiper Blades – Accessible wiper blades

➢ Mirrors – Fitting of “stick on” self adhesive backed replacement mirror glasses

 

Any changes to the agreed list above or extension of tasks to new vehicles will be subject to joint review and agreement at National level which will be led by Fleet and Maintenance Services.

 

The importance of adherence to relevant safety documentation, ‘Safe Repair Area’ requirements, authorised tools etc. are clearly stipulated in the agreement.

 

Any additional time used by drivers to undertake minor repair tasks in excess of their normal duty span, will be recorded on the day and recompense will be made in cash or time in lieu at the end of each week. The effectiveness of the agreement will be subject to ongoing joint review at periods of three months.

 

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our RMSS members are made aware of this LTB and the attached agreement at the earliest opportunity.

 

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 218.20

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

AGREEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL SPECIALIST SERVICES AND THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MINOR REPAIRS BY RMSS DRIVERS

 

 

Royal Mail and the CWU have worked together to deliver the commitments agreed in the Business Transformation 2010 Agreement regarding OPG drivers undertaking jointly agreed minor vehicle repairs. The purpose of this agreement is to extend the principle of minor vehicle repairs to RMSS Relay Drivers.

 

The main responsibility of the RMSS Relay Driver will continue to be to drive vehicles on behalf of the business. However, it is recognised there may be times where an RMSS Relay Driver undertaking a minor vehicle repair can improve efficiency and safeguard the integrity of the service to the customer. In order to do this, they will be trained on how to carry out an agreed range of minor vehicle repairs safely and effectively in line with this agreement.

 

The scope of this agreement also applies to hire vehicles, where this is agreed as part of the contract with the vehicle hire company.  

 

 

RMSS Relay Driver Training and Discretion

 

Training will cover a specific range of minor repairs, which have been jointly agreed with the CWU as suitable for a trained RMSS Relay Driver to carry out. Training will be given using step by step guides (Flash Cards), Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) and manufacturers vehicle specific handbooks and delivered by experienced Fleet and Maintenance Services technical staff who have a Train the Trainer qualification and who have been pre-trained on the agreed course format and material content.

 

Whilst all drivers will receive training it is accepted that not all drivers will have the same technical aptitude or confidence and it is jointly recognised that even after training the driver is best placed to decide whether he/she has the confidence and feels both safe and competent enough to carry out any agreed repair operation. It is therefore jointly recognised that the final decision on whether to attempt a repair will rest solely with the RMSS Relay Drivers.  

 

It is also important to note that there will be no liability or referral to Royal Mail HR Procedures for damage caused to or by a vehicle resulting from a previously trained driver attempting an agreed repair using the appropriate minor repair routine.  

 

 

Agreed Minor Repairs Tasks

 

When strictly following the Safe Systems of Work the range of vehicle minor repair tasks that can be undertaken by a trained RMSS Relay Driver are as follows:

 

➢ Light Bulbs – All accessible light bulbs

➢ Fuses – Changing a like for like rated fuse (on a single occasion)

➢ Wiper Blades – Accessible wiper blades

➢ Mirrors – Fitting of “stick on” self adhesive backed replacement mirror glasses

 

ANY CHANGES TO THE AGREED LIST OF MINOR REPAIR OPERATIONS OR EXTENSION TO ANOTHER NEW VEHICLE MODEL WILL BE SUBJECT TO JOINT CWU/RM REVIEW AND AGREEMENT AT NATIONAL LEVEL WHICH WILL BE LED BY FLEET AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES.

 

WHERE ANY OF THE REPAIR TASKS ARE UNDERTAKEN AND INCUR TIME OVER AND ABOVE THE NORMAL DUTY SPAN THEN THIS WILL BE RECORDED ON THE DAY AND PAID IN CASH OR TIME IN LIEU AT THE END OF EACH WEEK. ALL CLAIMS FOR EXTRA TIME WILL BE PAID IN GOOD FAITH.

 

 

Safety

 

Safety remains the number one priority and all repairs must be carried out using the associated Safe System of Work (SSOW). Depot Managers are responsible for ensuring that repairs are carried out safely and ensuring that SSOW are followed.  

 

Details of accidents, near misses and the subsequent investigations arising from minor repairs will be compiled and shared with the CWU Nationally at the quarterly review meeting.

 

 

Safe Repair Areas

 

Minor repairs will only be undertaken in a specifically designated ‘safe repair area’ of the yard or depot, which should be clearly identified for the purpose and subject to a joint risk assessment with the CWU Area Safety Representative. Where a ‘safe repair area’ cannot be identified minor repairs and the associated training must not be carried out at that site. In these circumstances all repairs should be dealt with via Fleet and Maintenance Services (F&MS).

 

 

Authorised Tools

 

These will be site specific, as determined by the above risk assessment and limited to those items required to carry out the range of repair operations that can be undertaken at that depot. Under no circumstances should personally owned tools be used or replacement tools sourced, other than from Fleet & Maintenance Services approved sources.

 

 

Safe Repair Guidance (Flash Cards)

 

The primary reference for performing the task(s) safely is the relevant Safe System of Work. A step-by-step repair guide for each vehicle type and manufacturer limited to only those approved vehicles or tasks and are safe to perform will be held on site and updated through the dedicated Intranet portal following consultation with the CWU. The Depot Manager must ensure that the most current version is always available (through checking against the on line portal) and issued before repairs are commenced.

 

 

Spares

 

These will be held on each site and will be limited to those required to perform the agreed range of repairs. Responsibility for the storage, replenishment and security of the stock will remain with the local Depot manager.  

 

 

 

 

Top-up Fluids

 

CoSHH regulations relating to the storage, handling and use of top-up fluids must be adhered to at all times, and remains the responsibility of the Depot manager. Persistent loss of fluids should be reported to F&MS via the Vehicle Defect Reporting (PMT1) process.

 

 

PMT1 Vehicle Defect Reporting Process

 

This must be used to record all vehicle defects and any minor repairs and should be signed off as each repair is completed by the trained RMSS Relay Driver or referred to the F&MS Service Centre for further attention.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

ANY ISSUES OF INTERPRETATION, IMPLEMENTATION OR APPLICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE REFERRED TO THE RESPECTIVE HEADQUARTERS AND WILL BE DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE IR FRAMEWORK.

 

THIS AGREEMENT WILL REMAIN SUBJECT TO ONGOING JOINT REVIEW AT REGULAR INTERVALS OF 3 MONTHS TO ENSURE IT IS BEING APPLIED CORRECTLY AND TO RECTIFY ANY PROBLEMS OR ISSUES OF CONCERN. THESE REVIEWS WILL ALSO ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF THE DEPLOYMENT IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION, COMPETENCY, SAFETY AND FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS.

 

 

​

ALEX WARNER​ ​ ​DAVIE ROBERTSON

MD RMSS​ ​ASSISTANT SECRETARY

RMSS RELAY ​CWU

 

 

DATE: 19TH APRIL 2016