CAPITA TVL: MEMBERS ENDORSE 2022 PAY AGREEMENT

Further to LTB 376/22 dated 16th September 2022, I am pleased to advise Branches that our TVL members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the 2022 pay agreement.  The ballot result is as follows:YES VOTES20393%NO VOTES167%TURNOUT49%

I have notified Paul Johnston, Capita TVL Managing Director, of the ballot result and he has confirmed that arrears of pay backdated to 1^stJanuary 2022 and the pay increase will be made with October salaries.  For those members earning the London & South East allowances, the back pay for this will be made with November salaries.

The pay agreement, which is applicable for 15 months from 1^stJanuary 2022 to 31^st March 2023, is as follows:

2022 PAY AGREEMENT (FOR 15 MONTHS) – KEY FEATURES

• 6% Consolidated Pay Increase across the board covering all pay rates for all CWU Represented grades
• £900 lump sum (pro-rata for part-timers) payable in two instalments:

      o    £400 to be paid to members in post on the October pay date

      o    £500 paid with January 2023 salaries for those in post at that point

• Two New Pensionable Allowances from 1st July for Field Visiting Officers in London & South East

       o    London Visiting Officers £3,400 per annum

       o    South East Visiting Officers £1,700per annum

•  New Annual Pay Review date 1^stApril 2023

 

My thanks go to members and Reps for their patience and support whilst the negotiations have taken place to reach the agreement on Pay 2022.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

22LTB409 Capita TVL – Members Endorse 2022 Pay Agreement

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Post Office: New Strike Ballot Over Pay Disputes – 2021/22 & 2022/23

Branches are aware that our strike ballot expired on 28^th September 2022.  The Postal Executive has therefore decided to instigate a new ballot for a revised trade dispute as we now have two pay disputes over the pay freeze for 2021/22 and the inadequate 5% pay increase and £500 lump-sum for 2022/23.

The following ballot timetable has been endorsed by the Postal Executive:

• Friday 14^th October – Serve notice
•  Friday 21^st October – ballot opens
•  Thursday 17th November – ballot closes and results declared

The ballot will include the following questions:

• Are you prepared to take part in Strike Action?
•  Are you prepared to take part in Action Short of a Strike?

In regard to Action Short of a Strike, the ballot paper contains the following explanation:

 Action Short of Strike will take the form of:

Overtime & Scheduled Attendance bans along with Working to Rule, Withdrawing Cooperation.  Additionally, it will entail a Sales Boycott for Crown Office members.

The above approach and timetable has been discussed and is supported by our full-time Representatives.

Branches are urged to bring the contents of this LTB to the attention of our Post Office members.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

22LTB408 Post Office – New Strike Ballot Over Pay Disputes – 2021-22 & 2022-23

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 022 – RM Fleet Workshop Fire Involving The Misuse of ‘Flammable’ Brake Cleaner Spray/Fluid:

Background and Description 

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued RMG SHE Safety Flash FY22 022 following an incident in a fleet workshop when a vehicle caught fire after ‘Brake Cleaner’ was misused to clean oil residue from around a ‘Tail-Lift Power Pack’. When the tail-lift was operated, the electrical power pack contacts created a spark which ignited the flammable brake cleaner vapour and the vehicle caught fire and was damaged.

A number of previous incidents have occurred in fleet workshops, involving the misuse of brake cleaner which have led to minor fires. This included an incident when the brake cleaner was applied to a fleet workshop floor, following which a ‘Floor Scrubbing Machine’ was used. The machine ignited the vapours and caught fire, destroying the machine. In another incident brake cleaner was used to clean metal surfaces prior to welding. When the welding commenced a nearby ‘brake fluid soaked wipe’ burst into flames.

Impact 

Fire damage to a vehicle.

Key Messages and Learning Points 

Brake cleaner spray/fluid is highly flammable and must only be used for its intended purpose, for brake cleaning work and then only if an Aqueous ‘water-based’ cleaning machine is not available. Brake cleaner is volatile and should not be used for any other purpose, such as a general cleaner or degreaser, especially in an area where there can be heat, electrical sparks, welding flames etc.  Jet washing or Aqueous ‘water-based’ cleaning equipment or approved cleaning materials should always be used primarily.

The key message is “Don’t Misuse Brake Cleaner.” 

Actions:

PiC/Workshop Managers:

• Brief the content of the Safety Flash to all RMG fleet workshop staff to raise awareness of the above key messages and learning points, to ensure that ‘brake cleaner’ is solely used for the purpose of brake cleaning work and then only if an Aqueous ‘water-based’ cleaner is not available.
• Remind all RMG fleet workshop staff that all aerosols must be returned to secure COSHH cabinets at the end of the technicians’ shift and must not be stored in or on tool cabinets.
• Remind all RMG fleet workshop staff to ensure that Aqueous cleaners are the first choice for use for brake work.
• Ensure that Aqueous cleaning equipment is maintained and fit for use.
• Ensure that all workshop bins on in fleet workshops have lids and they are in place, in order to reduce the fire risk.

CWU ASR/WSR Action:

Please ensure that this Safety Flash is communicated and brought to the attention of all RMG fleet workshop members and that managers brief all staff and deploy the above actions.

Attachment: 

• Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 022 – RM Fleet Workshop Fire Involving The Misuse of ‘Flammable’ Brake Cleaner Fluid:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB407 RMG (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 022 – RM Fleet Workshop Fire Misuse of Brake Cleaner

SHE Flash FY22 022 – Workshop fires involving brake cleaner misuse

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 021 – Delivery Slip Accident on ‘Pressed/Stamped/Imprinted’ Concrete Driveway Surface Resulting In Multiple Bone Fracture Injuries:

Background and Description 

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued RMG SHE Safety Flash FY22 021 following an accident in which a delivery Postman/OPG slipped on a wet pressed concrete driveway whilst making a delivery to a private customer’s address. ‘Pressed Concrete’ is also referred to as ‘Imprinted Concrete’ and ‘Stamped Concrete’ (see images in the Safety Flash).

Pressed/Imprinted/Stamped concrete driveways are being marketed and becoming popular across the country as a quick, easy and cheaper, affordable alternative to better quality, longer lasting block paving but these surfaces can have downsides and present a slip hazard. Imprinted/Pressed/Stamped concrete, is non-permeable, so water lingers on the surface and can be a slip hazard. Also standing water yields ice and a slippery surface during downpours, making it potentially hazardous after wet and frosty weather. Even in dry conditions, depending on how the surface has been laid and whether it has been finished with an anti-slip, nonslip additive finish or not, the surface can present a slip hazard. Certain concrete sealers used on these drives can also make the surface become slippery.

The skid resistance value (SRV) of Pressed/Imprinted/Stamped concrete has passed testing by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRL) however the application and treatment of Pressed/Imprinted/Stamped concrete surfaces can vary from premises to premises. Some surfaces will offer good grip whilst other surfaces will offer poor grip resistance, like the surface at the customer’s premises where the accident referenced in the Safety Flash occurred.

Impact and Injuries Received 

The Postman/OPG sustained multiple collar bone fractures and serious shock.

Key Messages, Learning Points: 

• Raise awareness that Pressed/Imprinted/Stamped and Sealed/Coated concrete driveways can be treacherous even in dry conditions but particularly in wet or frosty weather conditions!
• Ensure all delivery workers wear good condition, approved, Royal Mail Footwear.
• Encourage delivery staff to approach such surfaces with caution and ‘grip test’ their footing when stepping onto any Pressed/Imprinted/Stamped patterned concrete driveways (especially in wet weather).
• If possible, take a safer route to the delivery point avoiding the potentially slippery pressed concrete surface.
• If slip risks are clearly evident and unavoidable, postal delivery workers should return the mail to the Delivery Office, report it to the manager and endorse the mail with a P6705 sticker (see image in Safety Flash).
• Postmen and Women to follow the Delivery SSoW.

Actions

PiC/Unit Managers Actions:

• Brief the content of the Safety flash to all delivery staff and check they are aware of and have been briefed on content of Deliveries SSOW document.
• Ensure all staff are in possession of good condition Royal Mail footwear and chase up any outstanding footwear orders.
• Incorporate the key messages and learning points into ‘First Class Safety Conversations’.

CWU ASR/WSR Action:

Please ensure that this Safety Flash is communicated and brought to the attention of all delivery members and that managers brief all staff and deploy the above actions.

Attachment: 

• Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 021 – Delivery Slip Accident on ‘Pressed/Stamped/Imprinted’ Concrete Driveway Surface Resulting In Multiple Bone Fracture Injuries:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB406 RMG (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 021 – Delivery Slip Accident on ‘Pressed Stamped Imprinted’ Concrete Driveway Surface

SHE Flash FY22 021 – Delivery Slip

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 020 – Vehicle Rollaway Accidents – Vehicles Left Running and in Gear Whilst Drivers Exited to Make Deliveries – Causing Personal Injury and Extensive Third Party Vehicles Damage – Risk of Serious Injury or Fatality:

Background and Description 

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued RMG SHE Safety Flash FY22 020 following two separate but similar incidents where Royal Mail van delivery drivers failed to follow the standard operating procedure and safe system of work whilst making deliveries.

In both incidents, the delivery drivers exited their vehicles with the engines still running and the vehicle still in reverse gear.

Impact, Injuries Received and Damage Caused

The first incident resulted in personal injury and the second resulted in extensive damage to several private vehicles.

In the first accident, the driver had one foot on the ground and the other in the vehicle foot well when the vehicle rolled backwards dragging the driver under the open door, resulting in extensive cuts, bruises, abrasions and soft tissue injuries to the head, back and legs.

In the second accident, the driver stopped his vehicle in the middle of a residential street between two rows of parked cars on either side. The driver jumped out of what was an ‘automatic hired van’ to deliver a small packet to a customer’s address. In doing so he left the engine running, the driver’s door fully open and the vehicle in reverse gear. As the driver left the van, it drove itself backwards down the street, crashing into and causing damage to five third party private cars. Fortunately, no personal injuries occurred.

Key Messages, Learning Points and Actions 

In both cases, the drivers wrongly exited their vehicles with the engine still running and the vehicles still in gear. There were no defects with either vehicle.

Drivers should always turn off the engine, remove keys from the ignition and follow the ‘HIT’ acronym (Handbrake On, In Gear; Turn Wheels) process before exiting the vehicle which should always be correctly parked and locked when making deliveries/collections to maintain personal safety and security of the mail.

Managers and drivers should make sure that drivers are familiar with the vehicles being driven and the safety controls for the vehicle.

PiC/Managers Actions:

• Issue the attached ‘Safety Flash’ to all collection and delivery staff who drive as part of their duty, ensuring the message is briefed to all appropriate staff and that it is clearly understood.
• Ensure all drivers are familiar with the vehicles being driven and the safety controls for the vehicles.
• Ensure drivers know that they must follow the driving SSOWs and HIT at all times.
• Incorporate the key messages and learning points into ‘First Class Safety Conversations’.

CWU ASR/WSR Action:

Please ensure that this Safety Flash is communicated and brought to the attention of all delivery and collection members and that managers brief all staff and deploy the above actions.

Attachments: 

• Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 020 – Vehicle Rollaway Accidents – Vehicles Left Running and in Gear Whilst Drivers Exited to Make Deliveries – Causing Personal Injury and Extensive Third Party Vehicles Damage – Risk of Serious Injury or Fatality.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB405 RMG (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 020 – Vehicle Rollaway Accidents – Vehicles Left Running and in Gear

SHE Flash FY22 020 – Vehicles Left Running

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Royal Mail Fleet – Dispute Update

Royal Mail Fleet have recently briefed our Fleet members and sent a communication to home addresses.

The communication outrageously claimed there had been talks with the CWU.

Despite a conversation taking place between the CWU National Officer and Fleet Director, where there was an opportunity to amend the communication, this opportunity was not taken and the communication went out without amendment.

Please find attached to this LTB a letter in response to the actions of the Fleet Director.

Will all branches please ensure this letter gets the widest possible circulation and our Fleet Members get sight of the letter as soon as possible.

Any enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference number 404 email: khay@cwu.org

22LTB404 – Royal Mail Fleet Update

Yours sincerely,

Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary
PTCS Department 

Letter to Robert Fowler Royal Mail Fleet Pay Offer Update 12.10.22

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Annual Leave Planning Within Deliveries (And Linked Documents)

April 2023 to March 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Since 2014, Royal Mail and the CWU have had in place a National Joint Statement designed to assist both representatives and managers within deliveries when discussing and concluding their annual leave planning and arrangements, with the annual leave planning due to be concluded by the end of October in line with the Way Forward Agreement.

Also in line with this, the Outdoor Department has been seeking to secure a refreshed National Joint Statement for 2023-24 annual leave arrangements. Disappointingly, but maybe not surprisingly, given the current wider industrial relations climate and Royal Mail’s behaviour towards our members, the union and our national agreements, to date, we have had no formal reply from them on this matter.

As such, and for those who have not already started planning and/or are in the process of planning their annual leave, and given the need for units to move forward and for Royal Mail to fulfill their contractual annual leave obligations, we are now re-issuing last year’s National Joint Statement and linked documents which were circulated to Branches and Representatives in Letter To Branches (LTB 387/21), issued on 13^th of September. Whilst some of the terms of this Joint Statement are a little dated and do not reflect the current timelines availability, and would have clearly needed to have been reviewed as part of any revised Joint Statement for 2023/2024, it nonetheless sets out the key process to be adopted for annual leave planning in Delivery Units and still hold the field in this regard.

In particular, Branches and Representatives are reminded of the following key sections and aspects of annual leave planning/arrangements and which have been in place and agreed upon with Royal Mail for the past number of years: 

Local Managers and CWU Reps will work together in a constructive manner (where this is possible), in line with our Joint Statement and National Agreements to establish their annual leave arrangements. Local Managers and CWU Reps will use the national annual leave Calendarisation Work-Aid in order to assist them to determine and agree the number of annual leave slots available for selection each week. This work-aid has been developed by Royal Mail to help managers and Reps to jointly make the decision on how best to fairly share out the total annual leave slots for their office against a national workload profile.  

The Calendarisation Work-Aid was subject to a former national joint review in 2019 and the ‘guidelines/information tab’ was updated to give managers and representatives a clear understanding on how to use this work-aid in a way that supports the processes and agreements we have that established annual leave entitlement. The Calendarisation Work-Aid is to serve as a guide only and should therefore be used accordingly.   

Once the unit plan is agreed, these local office annual leave arrangements will be shared with frontline colleagues, so they can choose their holiday weeks and allocation of leave completed normally by the end of October, in line with section 4 of the Way Forward Agreement. 

However, given the current industrial relations climate and wider delay, planning can be extended into the first few weeks of November where agreed locally.                                                      

The aim is to ensure that everyone takes a positive approach to this initiative which is about ensuring annual leave plans are transparent, robust, provide greater fairness and opportunity in the allocation of annual leave, whether that is weeks, days, or the chance to use up outstanding leave in line with the approach of accurate alignment of resource to workload, in an efficient manner whilst also ensuring that quality of service is maintained.  

Local annual leave plans for April 2023 to March 2024, should include all leave due in the leave year period, including purchased leave and any carried over/outstanding leave from the previous year/s.  

All annual leave plans for 2023/24 will need to be completed for each office by October/November 2022. 

Key Objectives

• To jointly produce an annual leave plan taking into account seasonal workload variations, utilising all available hours including overtime, that accurately aligns the leave opportunities in an efficient, fair and manageable way based on local factors and knowledge and in line with the current National Agreements.
• Weekly Resourcing Meeting(s) should now include sufficient prescheduled time to discuss and agree the annual leave plan for the forthcoming year which will set out the annual leave allocation for the office.
• Following an agreement on the local office annual leave arrangements this will then be shared with frontline colleagues so they can choose their holiday weeks by October/November in line with section 4 of the Way Forward Agreement. The aim is to ensure that all local plans are agreed and concluded by the end of October/within the first few weeks of November. When complete, all leave for 2023/24 should be booked into PSP.
• To provide additional annual leave opportunities in periods when workload is below model week, including the opportunity to ‘burn off’ any outstanding or carried over leave. Units will plan on the full year’s allocation of leave including Bank Holiday credits and purchased leave.
• To provide an opportunity and a way for people to take midweek to midweek leave and odd days of leave taking into account special and religious events.
• To look to reserve a level of leave slots where possible to account for the need for short notice/Ad Hoc leave requests during the leave year.
• To ensure that all employees annual leave will be included on an equal basis, whether full or part time.
• Whilst the aim is to ensure that all annual leave is planned for and taken in the year it is due, up to one week, a maximum of 5 days (or contractual equivalent for PT employees) can be carried over into the next leave year where it is requested by the individual employee in line with the Royal Mail Policy. Additionally, some employees may also have specific holiday/events planned that would require more than one week/5 days (or contractual PT equivalent) annual leave to be carried over into the following year in exceptional circumstances. In these situations, the arrangements as outlined within the Way Forward Agreement will apply and leave carried over will need to be authorised by their line manager.
• The Annual leave plans will not be based on any predetermined lapsing/absorption plans, however all annual leave plans must be built in an efficient, fair and manageable way making full use of all available work hours.
• Vacancies and leave reserve vacancies will remain under constant review to ensure adequate resource is available to meet the customer, the annual leave plan and operational requirement. Units must ensure the appropriate recruitment requests, where required, are submitted in time to facilitate this, identifying locally the number of foreseen vacancies in the coming months using current national agreements, joint statements and guidelines on resourcing issues.

Additionally, and as with previous year’s arrangements, further attention is drawn to Branches regarding the following:

The focus is on concluding a robust and reliable Annual Leave Plan/Agreement that includes all individuals’ legally contractual leave entitlements, as its primary driver, whilst also identifying extra leave slots in low traffic periods over and above those agreed to facilitate the taking of additional leave and therefore maximising choice of leave slots for individuals.

The existing National agreements, guidelines, agreed tools, procedures and processes are in place to support resourcing on an ongoing basis and are not affected. They remain firmly in place and will in fact be used to support the process and assist in providing a balanced approach to year-round leave allocation and resourcing.

Managers and Reps will also need to establish the total number of owed weeks above the leave year’s contractual entitlement, which will need to be documented in your agreements and arrangements agreed locally and put in place to deal with it.

It is essential when entering discussions that CWU representatives establish and allocate the unit’s contractual entitlement first which will in turn identify the number of leave reserves required to enable reliable resourcing. 

‘Vacancies and leave reserve vacancies should remain under constant review to ensure adequate resource is available to meet customer, the annual leave plan and operational requirement’.

When establishing leave demand, this needs to include all staff contractual leave, Bank Holiday credits for annual leave that coincides with Bank Holidays and rest days that fall on a Bank Holiday, purchased leave, and any leave days carried over from the previous year. Your relevant manager should have this information in their Manpower Plan (and recorded on the PSP) and you should check this information to ensure all ‘contractual’ and ‘carried over’ leave has been captured.

The number of weeks can be checked through this calculation below and should be cross-referenced with the number of leave weeks in PSP and that are in the Annual Leave Calenderisation Work Aide and the relevant adjustments made.

For example:

If the above added up to 600 weeks to be allocated and covered and 2 weeks were closed for Christmas Pressure the number of leave reserves to cover AWD would be 12, (600 divided-by 50) = 12. Add to this the leave reserves leave 12 @ 5 weeks = 60 weeks would mean another leave reserve (60 divided-by 50) = 1.2. 

In this example, that would mean that a minimum of 13 leave slots a week for 50 weeks should be available. If you then agree to open up, say, another 3 slots, due to agreed absorption through the summer weeks, then in the period from June to August, the number of open slots available should be 16.

This is just one flat line example. Units may decide not to employ against all 13 reserves and convert some to S/A, or overtime. This is subject to local discussion and agreement.

It is also relevant to remind Branches that in the ‘Joint Statement between Royal Mail and the CWU in regards to a joint review of Annual Leave Arrangements’ set out in LTB 409/19, that the following additional clarity was given around the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and displaying annual leave plans on workplace notice boards:

It has been highlighted that there may be some confusion since GDPR came into force.  The confusion relates specifically to displaying annual leave plans on notice boards and whether this is still permissible.  To be clear, displaying annual leave plans on notice boards does not contravene GDPR, as the sharing of names against annual leave slots is not considered as ‘sensitive personal data’.  It is in fact essential for units to display annual leave plans on notice boards, so that there is a common understanding of the annual leave plan. Please ensure annual leave plans continue to be displayed on notice boards in all units.

Branches and Representatives should progress any disagreements in regard to managers refusing to fully engage and adhere to these guidelines in establishing annual leave plans/agreements through the IR Framework as appropriate.

Clearly, from the union’s point of view, it was still considered right and appropriate to try and seek to secure a refreshed National Joint Statement for 2023-24 on annual leave planning and arrangements and to do so by September. Given Royal Mail’s failure to respond, we have now been left with no alternative but re-issue last year’s Joint Statement with the above further points, to seek to support and assist Branches in moving forward with annual leave planning at a local level.

Any queries to the content of the above, please contact the Outdoor Department, reference: 445, email address: njones@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 401.22 – Annual Leave Planning Within Deliveries (And Linked Documents) 12.10.22

21LTB 387