DM26 Peak/Christmas Operations – Joint Guidance
Dear Colleagues,
Further to the Joint Statement which was cascaded via LTB 285/26 – Update on DM26 Talks – Government Intervention and the Future of the Company on Monday as a result of the outcome of intense talks between RM and CWU.
The Joint Statement committed both parties to the following regarding DM26 and Peak operations:
Detailed discussions will commence this week, with the aim of finalising Peak 2026 arrangements no later than 30 October 2026. Should these arrangements not be finalised by that date, the matter will be escalated to the signatories of this agreement.
As a result of the above, discussions took place last week on seeking to agree and finalise an overall approach to the design of DM26 through the Peak / Christmas period via Joint Guidance. We have now agreed the attached Joint Guidance, which confirms that all Delivery Offices will need to review their current DM26 operation against the wider guiding principles:
- Review all resourcing / manpower, vehicles and PDAs planning to ensure sufficient staffing and equipment to meet increased delivery volumes during the Peak / Christmas period;
- Review the current DM26 model / design plans alongside all options to accommodate additional workload across all walks / routes – this can be a 4th OPG / Duty to support the POD design in line with the workload demand;
- Review all DOs and ensure that all units have built night opening and / or early morning duties – utilising annual leave reserves, PT to FT and underpinned by SA resource where required;
- Plan parcel deliveries via PDA through pre-starts and deliver from 7-10am, review all DPR operations and ensure supplementary Parcel Deliveries to guarantee that each unit has a plan and align resource to ensure Premium Products are delivered on the same day.
In relation to the POD Design, 50/50 duties and Singleton Duties, the joint guidance confirms that the overarching design principle is that a 4th OPG is added to the POD / PODs aligned to indoor and outdoor workload demand. Shared route pairs continue to operate as a Heavy Call rate/Light Call Rate pairing rather than taking the additional workload in the POD design.
All singleton duties would remain 50/50 and the full duty content reviewed. Where a deployed 50:50 duty currently takes additional outdoor workload across Monday to Friday, consideration must be given to returning resource to the core route and ensuring it is fully resourced/covered.
The joint guidance also gives units the full autonomy to plan when that introduction takes place and how plans are adapted and resourced during w/c 9th November, consider the introduction of a 4th full duty between two PODs to support the delivery operation and then from w/c 23rd November when Annual Leave ceases and support from reserves becomes available.
Where there are insufficient annual leave reserves to provide a 4th person to a POD, it has been agreed that all units can look to cover both indoor and outdoor workload through allocation of overtime, SA via day off cover volunteers or seasonal agency resource.
The joint guidance also seeks to promote that attention needs to be given to Saturday operations via DM26 and that the units which have not deployed DM26 review implementation of the DtS algorithm ahead of the deployment of DM26 structural changes in January 2027 to support the delivery of a successful peak. Likewise, where it has been switched on and is causing operational issues and / or is not already switched on (circa 28 units), RSGs are asked to review how the application of the algorithm can support peak operations.
Finally, the governance process makes it clear every office will need to create a revised operational plan with input and support from ADRs and OPLs as necessary, is signed off by the RPMs / RODs and Divisional Reps and where there are units unable to reach an agreed plan, then this should be escalated to the RSG in the first instance to resolve or if needed the National Delivery JWG to support resolution.
Therefore, the attached Joint Guidance document ensures that CWU Reps will be able to actively review the whole DM26 operations for their offices and adapt the current design to ensure that the units can operate effectively during the peak period and put in place the correct resource needed against the workload both via duties and underpinned by SA/overtime resource as required.
Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: pharacz@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary
LTB 300/26 – DM26 Peak Christmas Operations – Joint Guidance
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