Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains. Karl Marx.
CWU Death Benefit
In accordance with the terms expressed in CWU Rule 4.1.11 Branches are advised that from the
1st October 2019 the CWU Death Benefit payment will be increased to £839.
This information will also be published in the Voice.
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
Fleet Solutions Branch Forum / Consultative Committee Meeting – 30 October 2019
As advised in LTB 426/2019 the next meeting of the Fleet Solutions Consultative Committee takes place on 30 October at 11am in Conference Room 1 at CWU HQ.
Please be reminded that those branches with members employed by Fleet Solutions will be eligible to send one delegate to the Consultative Committee. Delegates should be preferably employed by Fleet Solutions and the cost of the branch delegates attending this meeting will be borne by the branches. The National Team will be in attendance but are not entitled to be delegates.
Please provide any agenda items and the name of the person attending to Julie Quaife on jquaife@cwu.org so that visitors’ security passes can be prepared in advance.
Provisional Dates for 2020:
29 January 2020
29 April 2020
29 July 2020
28 October 2020
Yours sincerely,
Allan Eldred
Assistant Secretary
We’ve seen five episodes of Royal Mail TV in the last few weeks aimed at convincing you to vote no.
We’ve had actors, actresses, managers and even the CEO on camera.
To save you we’ve summed their efforts up in 2 minutes
#WeRiseAgain 🦁
Last chance to vote – As we enter the final days of voting it’s time for one final push. We would ask branches to concentrate on getting into bigger offices – Mail Centre’s, Hubs, MPUs etc. As we know from previous ballots, thousands of papers will still not be returned so we need to keep going until the end. Branches / Area reps doing around the clock meetings at big centres could make a critical difference #WeRiseAgain
Average Pay on Leave (Holiday Pay Claims) Against Royal Mail Group Limited
Further to LTB 575/19 circulated to Branches on 4th October 2019, the DGS(P) Department has been advised that from 1st October 2019 all new holiday pay Early Conciliation (EC) cases in England and Wales will automatically be issued with an ACAS certificate as no further conciliation will take place.
Branches covering England and/or Wales should also be aware that an ACAS certificate will now be issued for all current EC cases that are in progress and have yet to receive an offer. As a result Branches are likely to see an increase over the coming days in ACAS certificates and should be aware that these may be time critical in some cases.
In addition, Branches will also need to contact the appropriate ACAS Conciliator to highlight the cases where offers have already been accepted or a recalculation has been requested. This will ensure that such cases do not slip through the net and are brought to a conclusion.
Once again, thank you for your ongoing efforts and further updates will be provided in due course.
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)
POST OFFICE: BARCLAYS – DECISION TO DENY ITS CUSTOMER ACCESS TO CASH AT POST OFFICES
Today we have been alerted to a disappointing development in regard to Barclays’ decision to withdraw from the Banking Framework agreement with the Post Office, thus meaning that from 8th January 2020 customers with Barclays bank accounts will no longer be able to access cash at the nation’s 11,500 Post Offices. A link to the Daily Mail article with the following headline is below:
“Barclays bosses deliver blow to Post Offices by stopping savers from withdrawing cash from branches”
Worryingly, the article states “Barclays drove another nail into the Post Office network’s coffin – as it prepared to ban its savers from withdrawing cash at local branches”.
Also below is a link to a BBC news article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49971170
Branches and our members will be only too acutely aware that bank branches have been closing at a rapid rate across the nation in recent years. According to Which, it is estimated that Barclays has closed 481 sites in the last 5 years which is a third of its network. At this stage, it is difficult to fully understand the real implications of this shocking decision by Barclays. However, we are particularly worried about the continued viability of Post Offices that specifically operate in areas where Barclays banks have closed in recent years, the impact of which could have a disproportionate effect on the ongoing sustainability of these particular Post Offices. Accordingly, it does bring into question the Post Office’s recent publicity surrounding increased fees for Postmasters performing cash withdrawing services. Consequently, we can well imagine many Postmasters being very worried about their future.
Rachel Reeves, Labour MP and Chair of the BEIS Select Committee has responded to this unwelcome development with the following statement – the full article is taken from DeHavilland (Political Research):
08 October 2019
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has commented on the move by Barclays Bank to stop its customers withdrawing cash from post office branches.
* Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee Chair’s comments
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee said:
“Barclays need to think again. Barclays unjustifiable decision to stop customers accessing their own money from post offices is a deeply retrograde step which lets down their customers, potentially leaving people in many places without access to their own cash, and which undermines the post office network.
“Access to free cash withdrawals at post offices is vital to people, especially those who are elderly and vulnerable, and this decision comes at a time when, across the banking sector, high-street branches are closing and free cash-points are under threat. It’s essential that to secure the future viability of the post office network and this decision from Barclays suggests they are forgetting their wider social responsibilities. The Business Committee has been examining the future of the post office, including looking at ways for the branches to provide more banking services, and we expect to come forward with a report and recommendations later this month.”
As part of its inquiry into the post office network, the Committee questioned (on 25th June), Minister Kelly Tolhurst and BEIS Department officials on issues around the provision of banking services in post offices and on the stability and viability of the national post office network. The session also examined the range of services offered, the franchising of Post Offices and problems facing sub-postmasters, the reduction of Government subsidies, and the long-term resilience of the service.
In the first session of this inquiry, the BEIS Committee questioned on 21st May witnesses from the Communication Workers Union, National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, WH Smith PLC, Association of Convenience Stores, and Post Office Ltd about a range of issues affecting the Post Office network.
CWU echoes the sentiments expressed by Rachel Reeves MP and is extremely disappointed with the situation whereby Barclays customers will effectively be denied access to cash via Post Offices. We will be considering this development further and as such will be talking to Gill Furniss, Shadow Post Office Minister to see what further
pressure can be placed on government, who in turn should call upon Barclays to reverse this appalling decision. Of course, all of this further demonstrates why it is absolutely necessary for the Post Office to establish and operate a Post Bank, which is a key and fundamental Labour Party policy.
Further developments will be reported.
If you have any questions in relation to this LTB, please contact Lea Sheridan – lsheridan@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary
19LTB578 – Post Office – Barclays – Decision to Deny its Customer Access to Cash at Post Offices
An update video from the DGSP fresh out of mediation. Key message – VOTE
#WeRiseAgain
Colleagues,
We have entered the final week of voting in the Industrial Action Ballot in Royal Mail Group. We are asking all Royal Mail members to vote YES and all Parcelforce members to vote YES in both of the ballots they have received.
We have sent home mailings, held thousands of membership meetings and used our social media channels to reach as many people as possible.
Now, only you can make the difference. This ballot is just too important for you to forget, leave on the mantlepiece or think it’s nothing to do with you. The plans of Royal Mail group will negatively impact on every one of us.
We need you to vote as if your future depends on it – because it does.
If you have not voted yet please do so because: Every. Single. Vote. Matters
#TheCWU
It’s World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10th October and I’ve been putting up the posters and information cards all around Peterborough MC and starting to send posters and info cards out to every Delivery Office in the PE postcode area.
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER – OPPORTUNITY MODEL
Branches and representatives will be aware that Royal Mail previously engaged Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) in 2016 to advise their managers of activity utilising the “Opportunity Model” in Mail Centres (LTB 609/16 attached).
The business has now informed the department that it is their intention to undertake further activity involving PWC at the following Mail Centres:
As previously conveyed it is entirely a business decision to engage a third party and was not a matter of consultation or agreement with the Union.
That said we believe that it is essential that the activity is monitored by our representatives to ensure, in line with our agreements that we continue to have full involvement in any proposals that may be developed as a result of the activity.
The business has confirmed that the principles as issued previously via LTB 609/16 will continue to be applied. The department would therefore recommend that representatives engage with the business in order that the nature of the specific activity at each site is fully understood and can be monitored, ensuring that all relevant agreements are being adhered to.
We would reiterate however that any workplace changes that are identified or proposed as part of the Opportunity Model should be progressed in line with the IR Framework and existing agreements.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 052
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
LTB 577-19 – Price Waterhouse Cooper Opportunity Model
No. 609/2016
17th October 2016
For the Immediate Attention of All:
Postal Branches
Divisional Representatives
Area Processing Representatives
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER – OPPORTUNITY MODEL
Dear Colleagues
Branches and representatives will be aware that Royal Mail has recently engaged Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) to advise their managers in activity utilising the “Opportunity Model” in Mail Centres. Royal Mail has developed the Opportunity Model to assist managers in identifying opportunities to re-establish standard layout and operating procedures and apply business as usual (BAU) processes to improve the efficiency of the plant.
This business decision to engage a third party was not a matter of consultation or agreement with the union. However, following a number of enquiries from the field in regard to the role of PWC the department has sought clarification on the nature of the PWC activity and assurances that their involvement does not affect nationally agreed processes for the consultation and negotiation of workplace change.
The department therefore wrote to the business and following a subsequent meeting received written assurances that PWC’s remit is solely to assist Royal Mail in identifying where the application of the Opportunity Model may be of benefit. Any projects or proposals identified by the plant team after reviewing the spreadsheet will become part of the unit’s business plan, which will be the subject of consultation with the CWU in line with the terms of the IR Framework.
The business has also confirmed in correspondence that the following is the advice that has been communicated to their managers in relation to the role of PWC:
1. To help educate team in understanding the opportunity model
2. To help coach your team in how to use the outputs from the model to focus
attention in the right work areas
3. To coach your team in how to review the selected work areas, observe the
operation and undertake root cause analysis to help identify the causes of
loss. This activity is supported by Industrial Engineers and other RM
operational managers
4. Alongside the IEs, to coach the plant team in the undertaking of activity and
observation sampling
5. To help you and your team to turn the root cause analysis into meaningful
action plans which can be deployed in a relatively short space of time.
The PWC team are not in your plant to undertake any of the following:
1. Manage either your management team or front line staff
2. Direct your management team or front line staff
3. Lead on team briefings or huddles, although they can be called upon to
assist these
4. Lead consultation with the staff representatives
5. Provide industrial engineering skills and/or advice.
If members of your front line team do not wish to engage with the PWC team members when on site that is their choice and they will not be forced to engage. Similarly if staff representatives do not want to engage that is also their prerogative. However, if either members of the front line or their representatives do approach the PWC team they will respond in a positive and cooperative manner.
Throughout the process, the Mail Centres will have support from the IEs and the support from CWU IEs is also welcomed as with all BAU activity.
Any recommendations that come out of this process will form part of the unit’s business plan and will follow the BAU process and discussion with the CWU, in line with established IR arrangements and agreements.
It is anticipated that the activity will be rolled out to all Mail Centre sites and at the time of writing we have been informed that Opportunity Model activity has commenced at the following:
Manchester Edinburgh
Warrington Home Counties North
Birmingham Southampton
Medway Glasgow
Romford Bristol
Leeds Northern Ireland
Swindon Newcastle
London Central
Activity is due to commence this week at Jubilee, Nottingham and Chester.
The department would recommend that representatives engage with the business and PWC in the Opportunity Model, in order that the nature of the specific activity at each site is fully understood and can be monitored, ensuring that all relevant agreements are being adhered to. We would reiterate however that any workplace changes that are identified or proposed as part of the Opportunity Model should be progressed in line with the IR Framework and existing agreements.
Should any Branches or representatives require the assistance of a CWU Industrial Engineer you are requested to contact the department in order that the relevant arrangements can be made.
Branches and representatives should note that additional activity involving PWC under the banner of ZBB or AVA in relation to the review of non-operational functions is separate from this activity. At present the ZBB/AVA activity is the subject of National discussions.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 052
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
