JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU ON THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON PARCELFORCE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL OPERATIONS

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU ON THE

IMPACT OF BREXIT ON PARCELFORCE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL OPERATIONS

Branches and representatives will be aware that planning activity relating to the upcoming end of the

agreed Brexit transition period, which will finish at midnight on 31st December 2020, has commenced

across RMG.

As with the rest of the business, the end of the transition period will entail operational changes to be

made to Parcelforce processes to address the revised Brexit customs arrangements. The planning

for this has however been somewhat hampered due to the ongoing EU negotiation process which

has yet to be concluded.

However, given the impending changes it was believed that it would be timely to provide an update

to employees/members on the current situation. Discussions have therefore taken place with the

business to conclude a Joint Statement that has now been endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy

of which is attached for information.

In summary the attached outlines that PFW’s planning has focused on the upcoming changes that

they are currently aware of and limiting the impact on customers from a service and cost perspective

as far as possible.

During November PFW also introduced their own Central Customs Bureau team based at the

International Hub, taking over responsibility for high value clearances from UPS. This has resulted

in the permanent transfer of some experienced customs agents from UPS into the PFW Coventry

team. This will be invaluable in helping the PFW International operation cope with the new demands

of the customs changes coming up in 2021, as well as creating the prospect of a significant number

of new job opportunities in the New Year.

Outside of the International Hub, there will also be a number of key changes required to operational

processes within the Coventry National Hub and PFW Depots, particularly in the way that customers

will have to prepare and present their parcels and paperwork to the business. Internally these new

requirements will mean that checks at Driver level, Depot level and in the International Hub will have

to be carried out to ensure that export parcels travel through the system smoothly.

Both parties have committed to working together in relation to the upcoming Brexit changes and a

series of joint communications at functional and local level will be issued during the remaining weeks

of December to provide more detail of any changes.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary,

email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 121.17

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 587/20