JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE SORTING OF SPECIAL DELIVERY GUARANTEED (SDG) ITEMS IN YORK CONTAINERS

For the Immediate Attention of All: 

Postal Branches

Divisional Representatives

Area Processing Representatives

 

 

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE SORTING OF SPECIAL DELIVERY GUARANTEED (SDG) ITEMS IN YORK CONTAINERS

 

Dear Colleagues

 

In late 2015 the business approached the department in relation to the Trial of Sorting Special Delivery Items in Yorks at selected Mail Centres.

 

The trial, which was conducted and monitored by the Trial Coordination Joint Working Group, assessed Mail Centre to Mail Centre flows using zipped green sleeves from 19th October 2015 to 29th January 2016 between 13 routes at the following five trial sites:  

 

➢ Bristol​​​

➢ Croydon​           

➢ Greenford ​

➢ Manchester ​

➢ Newcastle         

​

The aim of the trial was to test the ability and benefits of moving away from bags and despatching Special Delivery mails using sleeved York’s as the primary sort and despatch container, between Mail Centres.

 

I can now report that following review the trial activity has been successfully completed and further to full joint evaluation the process change has been agreed as suitable for deployment at a further 22 Mail Centres.

 

Attached for the information of Branches and representatives is a copy of the Joint Statement that has been agreed to facilitate the change of process.  

 

Colleagues will note that there are no changes to the sorting and despatching of SDG items from Mail Centres to Delivery Offices. The Joint Statement also provides details of the high level operational processes that are to be applied and confirms ongoing full CWU involvement in the deployment activity.

 

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: 709.03

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

 

 

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE SORTING OF SPECIAL DELIVERY GUARANTEED (SDG) ITEMS IN YORK CONTAINERS

 

 

Background

 

Royal Mail (RM) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are working together in developing key business policies, mutual interest solutions and a new culture, all of which are at the core of the commitments in the Agenda for Growth, Stability and Long Term Success Agreement.

 

Both parties recognise that creating the right joint working environment is paramount to the success of the business and the commitment to employment security in all operational functions of the business.

 

Both parties recognise the pressures of the increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving environment and are committed to the strategic objective of creating and developing an agenda for traffic, product and revenue retention & growth and defining a tangible competitive response as a positive alternative to simply managing decline across the RM operational network.

 

 

Introduction

 

In keeping with the National Generic Trial/Deployment Frameworks both parties agreed to trial the sorting and despatching of Special Delivery Guaranteed (SDG) items in sleeved York’s as the primary container.

 

This new method has been successfully trialled in Croydon, Manchester, Greenford, Newcastle, and Bristol Mail Centres.

 

Following a National Review of this trial by the Trial Co-ordination Joint Working Group the following has been agreed for deployment, establishing a new standard for sorting and despatching SDG items between Mail Centres.

 

There are no changes to the sorting and despatching of SDG items from Mail Centres to Delivery Offices.

 

 

Operational Process

 

The new standard for despatching SDG items between 385 Mail Centre routes will be implemented at the 22 Mail Centres listed in Annex A. The new process will enable c48% of total SDG traffic to be processed in sleeved Yorks.

 

The following high level operational processes will be applied:

 

• Where a Mail Centre produces greater than half a York of SDG items per day for a single flow, they can scan and sort directly to a sleeved York

• SDG items transported by air will continue to be bagged

• SDG items will be despatched in green zipped sleeves sealed with a unique numbered security seal

• Each green sleeved York can accommodate up to 280 average-sized SDG items (the equivalent of 8 bags)

• Only the green zipped sleeves may be used for SDG. If an office runs out they will need to revert to bags as a contingency

• Where a Mail Centre has multiple MCSL selections, sleeved York flows will usually be reduced to one selection. To protect quality of service 3 Mail Centres will have more than the standard single selection. This will be reviewed in January 2017 with the anticipation that these Mail Centres will adopt the one selection standard  

• Sleeved despatch will apply Monday to Friday only, as volumes at weekends are lower. Mail Centres will revert to bags for Saturday despatches

• Heavy oversized items will continue to be despatched loose as per the current standard process

• The National Circulation Team will review flows annually taking into account changes in volume and amend the master list accordingly and communicate changes

 

 

Deployment

 

Deployment of the new process will commence in June and is scheduled to be completed by September 2016.

 

 

Operational Impact

 

The introduction of any revised duty/attendance arrangements will be negotiated at local level in line with the IR Framework.

 

Local discussions will take place prior to implementation and will take into account/focus on all possible concerns, risks or difficulties associated with this project. This will ensure any unforeseen employee concerns are also resolved as quickly as possible, local parties will also meet regularly to monitor and review deployment arrangements.

 

Timely negotiations will take place between local managers and CWU IR Representatives, and H&S Reps will be fully involved in all aspects of the planning for and actual deployment of the required new arrangements.

 

CWU Representatives shall be given appropriate additional release to facilitate this and enable them to consult with members on the proposed change.

 

Any questions of interpretation, implementation, or application of this Joint Statement shall be referred to the respective Headquarters for resolution.

 

 

 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

CWU

Francis Williams

Head of Parcel Design

Royal Mail

 

Date: ​10th May 2016

ANNEX A

 

List of Outward Mail Centres to Inward Mail Centres to Adopt the New Standard

 

Birmingham

Bristol

Chester

NW Midlands

Southampton & Portsmouth

Thames Valley

Warrington

Croydon

Gatwick

Greenford

Home Counties North

Jubilee

London Central

Medway

Nottingham

South Midlands

Peterborough

Romford

Sheffield

Newcastle

Manchester

Leeds