TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE DEPLOYMENT OF LARGE PARCEL AUTO DIVERT CONVEYORS IN PSC’S
Branches will be aware of the drive by Royal Mail to increase automation capability. In line with this desire, the business have informed the department that they wish to employ automation in the form of Large Parcel Auto Divert Conveyors in Parcel Sort Centres (PSC’s) for use during peak periods.
The department became aware that the business had already commenced installation and made representation that a Terms of Reference was required for the introduction of this equipment. Discussions have now taken place and a copy of the document that has been concluded, which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive, is attached for the information of Branches.
In summary the deployment of four auto-divert conveyors has been jointly agreed (Atherstone x1, Milton Keynes x1 and Northampton x2). Like existing Caljan/SICK technologies already deployed in RDCs, the auto-divert conveyors will measure dimension, weigh and scan (DWS) each parcel before diverting to “secondary” lanes. The parcels are then picked and sorted manually to a total 300 selections; comprising 252 Delivery Office and 48 Mail Centre selections. Each conveyor will require 16 operators including porters.
The conveyors are designed for Format 3 and Format 4 larger parcels, although they can also process larger Format 2 items. There is no OCR fitted so only products containing a delivery postcode in the barcode can be processed by the conveyor.
It has been confirmed that that the deployment of the auto divert technology at the PSC’s does not change the status or purpose of these facilities, which will continue to be to support the Mail Centre Network by handling additional/surplus volumes only. Workload should only be diverted to the PSC’s where it cannot be handled within the parent Mail Centre.
The department has also received written confirmation that it is planned that the PSC’s at Northampton and Milton Keynes will be closed following peak and mothballed until Peak 2022.
The normal safeguards in terms of IR, H&S and engineering involvement have been included in the document and the operation of the auto-divert conveyors will be jointly monitored locally to confirm safe and effective operation.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 711.03 or Carl Maden, Assistant Secretary, PTCS department quoting ref 120 e-mail address khay@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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