Pathway to Change Agreement – Culture and the Interim Trust Survey Headline Results
Further to LTB 378/21 that was circulated on 8th September 2021, Branches will recall that the next phase of the interim Trust Survey commenced on 13th September 2021 for the Northern Ireland and West Scotland, Yorkshire, Essex and Anglia, Home Counties South SDL areas and Engineering and Fleet. The Chief Commercial Officer Area was also surveyed although this is mostly a managerial audience.
The headline results were supplied to the DGS(P) Department on 27th September 2021 following the closure of the interim survey the previous day and are attached for the information of Branches and Representatives. These were also shared and discussed at the Postal Executive on 5th October 2021. The overall return rate for this interim survey was 72% compared to the previous Big Trust Survey of 48%. In terms of the actual trust score (which is based on five particular questions) this was 68%.
As with all average scores, there is obviously a range from unit to unit and it can be seen that of the frontline units which returned results, the lowest score for a unit delivering a trust score was just 19%, whilst at the other end of the scale the best unit was at 98%.
Branches and Representatives will be aware that the need for action plans to be agreed in each workplace and shift continues to be of paramount importance. The requirement to address the issues that have been raised, together with agreed timelines for resolution, forms a key part of our joint ambition to improve culture and the working environment. In relation to the number of action plans that have been agreed by SDL (or equivalent) area, Braches should note that these latest interim results illustrate that awareness of this stands at 63% as opposed to the 67% in the August interim survey and that 85% believe that their unit is making progress against the action plan as opposed to 87% in August. This demonstrates a slight decrease on both counts compared to the previous interim results whilst illustrating that there is still work to be completed in getting action plans agreed although the awareness of the agreed action plans is still at a high percentage.
The DGS(P) Department is still waiting for the unit by unit figures to be provided. Once these are received they will then be circulated to the relevant Divisional Representatives and Area Representatives (or equivalents) therefore enabling them to jointly consider the results on a unit by unit basis.
It has also been agreed that a further deep dive briefing for SDL’s and Divisional Representatives will be held at 09:30am on 14th October 2021with another session for Fleet and Engineering to be held after at 10:45am. This process was previously followed for those areas involved in the first interim survey and will again allow for the results to be considered and a discussion held around what has been good and bad in terms of getting members in the respective areas involved in the survey.
These briefings will also enable dialogue to continue on identifying the units that have yet to produce an agreed action plan in each specific area or those that have not returned a response. This will help in the process of planning joint remedial action which will undoubtedly contribute towards ensuring that local CWU Representatives are supported in concluding agreements that move the cultural issues that have been identified in the workplace in the right direction.
In order to start the process of identifying function specific issues and to commence a more detailed analysis of how national agreements are being implemented, the DGS(P) Department has also been involved in agreeing a number of tailored functional specific questions. Royal Mail Group has experienced some challenges from a technical point of view in terms of making these specific functional questions available to only those in the relevant function and these have taken time to resolve.
I am however now pleased to report that it has been agreed that the October and November surveys will trial functional specific questions in Delivery and Collections that have been developed in conjunction with the Outdoor Department. The business has confirmed that they can add these questions by utilising Operational Manager areas to identify those members eligible for the additional functional questions.
The output and results from these targeted functional questions will provide additional useful information that can then be used to drive further improvements to culture and the working environment in line with the joint commitments in our national agreements. These questions provide an opportunity to measure how well our joint agreements are landing in the workplace.
Branches and Representatives should also note that the next interim survey is to commence on 11th October 2021 to those in West Midlands, East Midlands & Peterborough, South Coast, Croydon & South East SDL areas and Parcel Operations. It will be interesting to see how the results from these areas continue to compare when assessing the overall cultural picture and strategy going forward.
In closing, I would like to thank all Representatives for ensuring that our members continue to become involved in the Trust Survey Questionnaires and please be assured that your work is helping to ensure that the matters raised will be addressed.
Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.
Yours sincerely,
Terry Pullinger
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
LTB 424/21 – Pathway to Change Agreement – Culture and the Interim Trust Survey Headline Results
Attachment to LTB 424/21 – Trust Check-in_September_Headline Results
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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