Additional Deployment of Parcel Sorting Machines (PSM’s) in Mail Centres
Branches and representatives will be aware of previous activity relating to the deployment of Parcel Sorting Machines (LTB’s 355/18 and 267/19 refer).
For your information the department has now been made aware of a managerial brief that has been issued by the business relating to authorisation for the further deployment of PSM’s across the Mail Centre Network, in addition to the 4 currently in advanced planning or under construction as part of Phase 2a.
The brief outlines that the Royal Mail Group Board has approved the investment for a further deployment Phase (2b) including nine PSMs in eight Mail Centres, with the contract now signed with Solystic (the manufacturer).
The provisional Mail Centres included in the plan (in alphabetical order) are:
| · Cardiff | · Northern Ireland* |
| · Croydon | · North West Midlands** |
| · Edinburgh | · Romford |
| · London Central | · Southampton |
A copy of the full managerial brief is attached for your information.
As with the previous phases of the PSM deployment program the final decision on where to deploy the PSMs has sat solely with the business. On the basis of that decision at the end of this phase of the project, c32 PSM’s will have be deployed.
The Parcel Automation Joint Working Group will continue to monitor the activity to ensure that it is fully in line with the agreed framework (attached LTB 355/18). Any issues that cannot be resolved at the Joint Working Group level will be escalated to the National Processing Group (NPG).
The department is aware that the latest deployment plan will be disappointing to those Mail Centres who have not been included in this phase of activity and do not yet have a PSM. Royal Mail continue to provide commitments that further phases will look to introduce Parcel Automation to all Mail Centres
The policy of the department on all future Parcel Automation is to secure solutions that enhance the ability to grow parcel volumes while protecting all of our current processing sites. The department continues to pursue this agenda with the business via discussions in relation to the Pathway to Change agreement section Enhancing the Parcels Network, Opportunities for Growth and Developing a 24/7 Operation.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:
Processing: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 732.01.
Or
Engineering: Carl Maden, Acting Assistant Secretary, email: khay@cwu.org quoting reference number: 420.
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
Carl Maden
Acting Assistant Secretary
LTB 218/21 – Additional Deployment of Parcel Sorting Machines (PSM’s) in Mail Centres
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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