Volume 8 Issue 27. Paragraphs 382 - 395 18 July 2003
Volume 8 Issue 27. Paragraphs 382 - 395 18 July 2003
WEEKLY INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
SUMMARY
GENERAL
382 Constituency
Development Plans
383 Regional Project
Worker - Norfolk
384 Architect of
'Two-Tier' Deliveries Dies
385 Kenny Ritchie: An Obituary
386 Reminder - Equal
Opportunities I Course
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
No items this week
HEALTH AND SAFETY
387 OHS in BT
388 Royal Mail Cycle
Helmets: Private Purchase Scheme
TELECOMS
389 Attendance Management
in Network Operations
390 Project Score
FINANCIAL SERVICES
No items this week
POSTAL
391 "Have Your
Say" (Formerly Employee Opinion Survey)
392 Postal Outdoor
Department - Annual Conference Decisions
393 Top 2000 Flat Sorting
Machines Update
394 Royal Mail Uniforms
395 Cars on Delivery
LETTERS TO BRANCHES
LTB/413 Proposed Re-organisation and Structural Changes in
ClientLogic (Sally Bridge)
LTB/414 RoMEC Ltd. Cleaners' Pay and Associated Issues (Bob Gibson)
LTB/415 Nomination for Assistant Secretary Postal (Outdoor)
(Steve Baguley)
LTB/416 Election Material for Assistant Secretary Outdoor
Election (Billy Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/417 Royal Mail Pay 2003 (Dave Ward, DGS{P} Elect)
LTB/418 Intranet Access (Grace Mitchell)
LTB/419 RoMEC Pay Result (Ray Ellis)
LTB/420 Union Liability: Equal Opportunities Commission (Billy
Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/421 BT Estate - Disposals (Simon Sapper)
LTB/422 Project Watford (Ian Cuthbert)
LTB/423 Project Sage (Ian Cuthbert)
LTB/424 BIS Integration into Global Services - Organisational
Structure (Billy Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/425 Save Mail on Rail (Billy Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/426 Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (Billy Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/427 Cuban Solidarity (Billy Hayes, G.S.)
LTB/428 Tailored Delivery Services: Server Update (Bob Gibson)
LTB/429 RoMEC Pay Review (Ray Ellis)
LTB/430 Royal Mail UK Pay 2003 (Dave Ward, DGS{P} Elect)
LTB/431 Retirement Age (Bill McClory)
LTB/432 European Week for Health and Safety at Work (Dave Joyce)
LTB/433 Branch Accounts (Tony Kearns, Senior DGS)
GENERAL
382
Constituency Development Plans
BOB No.21, paragraph 279, gave the names of those persons selected by
the CWU to be placed on the Labour Party Parliamentary Panel.
Together with those Members of Parliament who are involved in the CWU
Constituency Development Plan Agreements (formerly known as sponsored
MPs), provided our nominees are successfully selected to fight Labour
seats (and we retain the other seats), this will expand the CWU's
influence in the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The General Secretary has been approached with the suggestion that we
expand the CWU Group further by taking on a number of existing MPs by
agreeing CDPAs. The total number of suggestions being put forward
numbering seven.
The Political Fund Management Committee will be giving consideration
to these requests. The purpose of this notice is to advise Branches
and Regional Committees that it is the intention to close the time
for receipt of suggestions for Constituency Development Plan
Agreements at Noon on Monday, 1 September 2003.
Existing CDPAs:
Birmingham Yardley; Blaydon; Bootle; Derby North; Falkirk East;
Islington South & Finsbury; Morecambe & Lunesdale; Neath;
Northampton South; Shrewsbury & Atcham; Vauxhall; Watford.
CWU Parliamentary Panel Members:
CLOUDER, Pat London South Central Branch
DAVIES, Huw London North Western C&C Branch
FAIRCLOUGH, John Girobank Bootle Branch
GRAHAM, Phil Darlington Amal Branch
HARROD, Bryan South & East Thames Amal Branch
MOHER, Jim CWU/GMB
O'BRIEN, Brendan Birmingham Branch
QUINN, Kieran Greater Manchester Amal Branch
RYAN, Gerry London City West
VAUGHAN, Winston London City West
WOODINGS, Linda East Midlands Branch
Any enquiries about this paragraph should be addressed to the General
Secretary, c/o Pam Dunn.
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383
Regional Project Worker - Norfolk
Last year with the support of the Union Learning Fund we launched our
ambitious and groundbreaking Learning Centres Project (England),
which aims to introduce a new culture of workplace learning.
We are now seeking to second a new member to our team, whose role
will be to build on the groundwork that has already established
workplace learning centres in every English Region. Applications are
therefore invited for the secondment position of:
Regional Project Worker (part-time) - Norfolk
7 month fixed-term contract
The successful candidate will have:
Well-developed communication skills, both written and presentational.
For further information and to receive an application pack for these
positions, please telephone the Personnel Department on 020 8971 7482
or email tpalmer@cwu.org quoting
'Project Worker'.
Closing date:
12 noon, 1st August 2003
Interviews:
19th August 2003
Additional information on the CWU can be obtained from our public
website www.cwu.org
The CWU is committed to equal opportunities in employment.
Any enquiries regarding the content of this paragraph should be
forwarded to Tracy Palmer, Personnel Department.
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384
Architect of 'Two-Tier' Deliveries Dies
CWU leaders have paid tribute to former Outdoor Assistant Secretary, Willie
Failes, who died last month, aged 90.
Willie will go down in the annals of Postal Industry history for
negotiating the ground-breaking Two-Tier Letter agreement in 1968,
which paved the way for the introduction of first and second class mail.
Former Glasgow Branch Secretary Willie was actively involved in CWU
politics as recently as 1996, when he was invited by the then Outdoor
Assistant Secretary, Billy Hayes, to contribute his views to
discussions about major changes to the delivery specification.
National Honorary Member Willie is survived by his wife Ann and sons
Don, Bill and Drew, who have requested that any donations in memory
of Willie should be addressed to: Cancer Research (UK) c/o
Co-operative Funeralcare, 108 Stafford Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 9AY.
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385
Kenny Ritchie: An Obituary
Branches across Scotland were shocked to learn of the tragic death of Kenny
Ritchie, the Motherwell branch secretary on June 7th. A
similarly stunned reaction came from the branch activists, colleagues
and managers he dealt with, and the warmth of the tributes was
reflected in the large attendance at his funeral on the 16th June.
"This can only give us an appreciation of the feeling of loss,
which has been experienced by his wife Jean, son Graham, and daughter
Kirsty" RDA secretary for CWU Scotland Lawrie McMenamin told the Voice.
"I worked with Kenny over a number of years on the Payphones,
Business Systems, and Customer Services Co-ords, and always
appreciated his honest and forthright manner. Apart from the obvious
great loss to his family, Kenny will be missed by the CWU members in
general, but particularly within the Motherwell branch area."
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386
Reminder - Equal Opportunities I Course
The Communication Workers Union has organised an Equal Opportunities
I Course, to be held at the Union's Education & Training Centre
at Alvescot Lodge. All courses held at Alvescot Lodge are accredited
with the National Open College Network. This is a fully integrated course.
The course will be held from
1 - 5 September 2003.
This course is targeted at all CWU members who recognise the
importance of Equality & Diversity. The course objective is to
equip members with a thorough grounding in Diversity & Equality
issues at both a theoretical and practical level. In a society which
continues to have economic winners and losers, it is important to
avoid approaches which lead to polarisation around racial identity,
gender, sexual orientation, skills or language as this helps to
divide workers. Loss of jobs, reorganisation and casualisation all
contribute to insecurity and fear and the need to blame others.
Procedures and practices in the workplace and in the union that are
unfair should be challenged as this further contributes to resentment
and recrimination.
Main Themes
Identifying and dealing with racial discrimination in employment
Special Leave with pay applies.
All courses at Alvescot are residential. The cost of tuition, food
and accommodation will be met from the General Fund. Branches are
required to meet the cost of travelling and subsistence payments.
Branches requiring financial assistance from the General Fund to
enable them to send students to the course must submit the request
with the nomination, to enable the Trustees to consider the request
in time.
The Education Centre can offer child-minding facilities for a maximum
of three under school age children at any one time. If any applicant
from your branch would like child-minding facilities, can you please
advise the age and sex of the child on the application form. Further
information on the child-minding arrangements will then be sent to
successful applicants.
Please indicate whether the applicant is employed in BT, Posts or
Girobank. Nominations should be made on the form for Education
Courses, and returned to Alvescot Lodge by the closing date shown. If
you nominate more than one member (a maximum of two please), indicate
the order of preference if necessary and please apply for only one
course at a time. If a member if refused a place, due to
oversubscription, then indicate this on a subsequent application for
another date.
Application forms should be addressed to: Trish Lavelle, Head of
Education & Training, CWU Education & Training Centre,
Alvescot Lodge, Alvescot, Bampton, Oxon OX18 2PY. Telephone: 01993
843373 Fax: 01993 840960 email: mtodd@cwu.org
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HEALTH AND SAFETY
387
OHS in BT
The Health Safety and Environment Department is continuing to receive
complaints from Branches over the way members are dealt with when
referred to BT's OHS.
The Department is compiling information on the problems our members
face and the issue is to be discussed in the near future when the BT
Unions meet with BT.
I would ask Branches, as a matter of urgency, to please send direct
to Steve Mann, Telecom Health and Safety Officer, smann@cwu.org
any experiences of members who have dealt with BT's OHS and BMI.
Any enquiries on this briefing should be addressed to Dave Joyce,
Assistant Secretary quoting reference NS140.
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388
Royal Mail Cycle Helmets: Private Purchase Scheme
Following a number of requests from branches, representation was made
to Royal Mail Group regarding this scheme to enable the private
purchase by individual members who wish to buy the newly agreed cycle
helmets for private use.
This has now been agreed and introduced and the details are as follows:-
For £29.90 you can buy a cycle helmet pack which consists of
helmet, visor, waterproof breathable cover, cold weather skull cap
and spare pads. You can also buy a spare visor (£3.90), spare
skull cap (£7.90), spare waterproof breathable cover (£4.85)
and spare pads (£3.25) as separate items. The prices include
postage and packaging.
If you would like to order any of them, send a cheque made payable
Two Wheel Trading Co Ltd and post to: Two Wheel Trading, 1 Oxleasow
Road, Redditch, B98 0RE.
This scheme has been published in the June edition of Royal Mail
Courier and communicated internally. The above prices represent a
discount on the retail price.
All enquiries to Dave Joyce, National Health, Safety &
Environment Officer, quoting ref. C2
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TELECOMS
389
Attendance Management in Network Operations
The Union nationally has been notified that over the next few months,
Network Field Operations will be migrating their data from CSS/RAMS
to a new system called AAM5. No processes/procedures for booking
absences will change however, this will be web-driven and provide
greater visibility to field engineers and managers.
Primarily, management will be migrating a T1 group at the beginning
of July and hopefully have a T3 pilot group using the system by the
end of the same month. All being well, Network Field Operations will
be completely migrated by the end of September. The AMU will be
providing training material and comms throughout.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary
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390
Project Score
Branches were advised in BOB 23, paragraph 319 of the intended job
losses as a result of Project Score which were being generated by
falling volumes and operational efficiencies. It was further reported
that by the end of June we would have had discussions with management
to receive notification of their intended plans.
During the discussions it became apparent that a number of sites
would be selected for closure. The Executive team insisted that the
forecast volumes be further reviewed, the outcome although reducing
the overall posts to be lost has not prevented management from
deciding to close certain sites. As it was clear that management had
a draft list of sites for closure for some time, the Executive argued
that management should have made this known to members so that they
could have considered this against the enhanced terms available at
the time. On further representations to BT Group, it has been agreed
that these terms will be made available with a LDOS of 16 August. The
sites nominated for closure are:
Site Strategy
Phase 1:
Completion by 31 August 2003
Site closure of Bristol (PC provision)
Closure of FLM Job Control team in Croydon (ISDN30 Provision)
Phase 2:
Completion by 30 November 2003
Site closure of Birmingham
(PC Repair)
Phase 3:
Completion by 28 February 2004
Closure of second FLM Job Control team in Croydon (ISDN30 Provision)
A briefing for local Union branches in Bristol, Croydon, Maidstone
and Birmingham will be issued locally by management no later than
09:30 on 16 July although it will be embargoed until 10:30 to allow
second line managers to brief their people. There will also be a
conference call to any homeworkers covered by these sites and a
separate call to those first line mangers whose sites will not be affected.
Within two weeks of the briefing line mangers will hold a 1:1 session
with all people in the affected sites to discuss their options and to
answer queries.
The sites in line for closure have been selected by management as
they believe that they present the greatest opportunity for
redeployment, particularly into other functions which are in need of
extra resource. The Union awaits more precise detail as to the nature
of the functions as it is believed that is in some instances a
banding mismatch exists. In BT Wholesale Markets, if in the event of
members relocating to posts within this unit - which will be on Group
Move Terms - this will lead to agency displacement particularly in
the Broadband area of operations.
The associated local briefing and line managers guidance is attached.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary
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POSTAL
391
"Have Your Say" (Formerly Employee Opinion Survey)
Branches will be aware that as part of Allan Leighton's "Great
Place to Work" initiative the Business have revamped and indeed
re-launched the former Employee Opinion Surveys under the guise of a
"Have your Say" questionnaire. This has occurred across the
whole of the Post Office Group.
Both Jane Loftus and David Wilshire have been asked to oversee the
development of this project on behalf of CWUHQ and to date the Union
has been kept fully involved in the process.
Allan Leighton is taking a keen interest in the results from each
office and has demanded that any "improvement plans" that
are identified as a result of staff feedback are copied directly to
his Office.
The Union has already written to the Employer to request that;
"any local action points that evolve from this exercise and
contradict any of our local or national agreements, will be subject
to the respective negotiating procedures in the relevant Business".
The Business confirmed this approach by stating that;
"if actions do arise that fall outside existing agreements,
either local or national, then the negotiating procedures of the
relevant Business would come into play. I am not aware that we intend
to cut across any existing arrangement".
As part of the ongoing involvement of the CWU, the management team
who are in charge of this process have also confirmed that they;
"will keep you (the CWU) fully abreast of changes to the
improvement planning process" and "would welcome working
with you (the CWU) on developments to the improvement planning process".
Further ongoing meetings are to be arranged so that the Union can
monitor the development of this process and indeed ensure that we
have a continued voice in this project. Future changes to "Have
your Say" will also be subject to full consultation with the CWU.
Further updates will be given as they occur but in the meantime
Branches should ensure that the contents of this paragraph are given
the fullest circulation.
Any enquiries should be addressed to Dave Ward, Deputy General
Secretary (Postal) Elect.
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392
Postal Outdoor Department - Annual Conference Decisions
The decisions of Annual Conference on issues within the
responsibility of the Postal Outdoor Department are published below.
These have been communicated to Royal Mail management and a meeting
sought in order that the policies can be amplified.
Any enquiries to Bob Gibson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Postal
Outdoor Department, Reference 780.12
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393
Top 2000 Flat Sorting Machines Update
Following the successful trial at NWMMC of the Top 2000 flat sorting
machines, and the Business decision to purchase five additional
machines, an exercise has taken place to scope where they should be
sited. The selection criteria used was Geographical, Accommodation
Costs, Own Office Flats Traffic and Catchment Area/Network Accessibility.
Having taken these factors into account the five sites selected are:
Edinburgh, Manchester, Peterborough, Gatwick and Bristol.
Joint discussions will now take place regarding the traffic that will
be concentrated onto these machines from their catchment areas. A
national enabling agreement to facilitate the phased deployment of
the machines is now being progressed.
The first additional machine is due to be delivered at Gatwick in
November 2003, going live in February 2004. The remaining machines
are due to be delivered between January and June 2004.
Further information will be circulated at regular intervals as the
project progresses.
All enquiries regarding the content of this paragraph should be
addressed to Martin Collins, Assistant Secretary Indoor Department,
quoting reference number L.685.20.
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394
Royal Mail Uniforms
The attached report has been provided by Dave Wilshire, NEC,
following a recent meeting he attended with management on behalf of
the Postal Outdoor Department.
Any enquiries to Bob Gibson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Postal
Outdoor Department Ref. 500
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395
Cars on Delivery
Further to BOB No.26, paragraph 378, owing to an error the full text
of our most recent letter to management was not published. The
department would apologise for this mistake and the full
correspondence is now published below:
Cars on Delivery
The correspondence published below has been exchanged and is
published for the information of Branches:
"10th July 2003
Steve Hannon
Royal Mail
Dear Mr Hannon
Cars on Delivery
Thank you for your letter of 3rd June addressed to Dave Ward. As you
are aware, Dave has now moved on to his new role and I am the Acting
Officer responsible for this subject.
The terms of your letter are at variance with our understanding as to
what we had agreed, in that it was both sides' intention that the
practise of using cars on delivery should cease, you are now implying
that practise can be continued to be authorised. In your letter you
state that following the 1998 agreement;
"we recognised that individuals may want to use their private
cars to convey them to and from delivery and so introduced a policy
whereby an individual could apply for authority from his/her manager
to use his/her private vehicle in delivery".
"we" in this sentence cannot mean Royal Mail and CWU
because there was certainly no such understanding.
There was a recognition that in some areas there were practical
problem with an immediate ban, and pilot sites were identified to
test out the implications, elsewhere there was, and is, a complete
ban which led to a number of our members being disciplined up to, and
including dismissal.
You say that the unilateral policy introduced by management is not
changed by our draft TDS agreement. It could also be said that the
use of cars is not mentioned either.
It has been suggested in some discussions that Royal Mail are
reluctant to change their unilateral introduction of authorisation of
private car use because of legal advice that the business would be
liable if a delivery officer was involved in an accident while
travelling to and from delivery in their private car, if the
insurance facility was not on offer.
Despite requests from ourselves, no such legal advice has been shared
with us. Our own view is that provided the business can show that it
used every reasonable effort to inform its employees that the use of
private cars on delivery is prohibited and took active steps to
enforce such a ban, it would not be liable for the actions of its employees.
The problem with the current position is that our members could be
quite justified in saying that the policy varies so much from one
area to another that it is entirely unclear what they are supposed to do.
If there is legal advice along the lines you have indicated we would
give it close consideration and seek an opinion from our advisors,
but in the absence of that we expect the business to withdraw
authority where it has been given and to apply a single national
policy which will be understood by everybody. That is that the use of
private cars is banned.
My understanding is that the tragic case in Glasgow which resulted in
a fatality earned by the criminal behaviour of a single individual
did not lead to any legal repercussions for the business and the
quoting of this incident cannot support Royal Mail's current stance.
You will also be aware that our Conference carried the following
amendment in connection with the draft agreement on deliveries and we
will be seeking to incorporate appropriate wording into the final draft:
Add at end: except that all revisions will be planned and implemented
on the basis of the cessation of the use of private cars on delivery
with all existing private car use authorisations being withdrawn and
only the use of official acceleration vehicles and methods be allowed.
The purpose of this letter therefore is to formally advise you that
the terms of your letter are not acceptable to the Union and I am
advising our Branches accordingly.
Since drafting this letter I have received your letter of 9th July
indicating that Rhona McCloud will be dealing with all delivery
issues from the end of July and I am therefore copying this letter to her.
Could I give you my best wishes for the future following your
departure from Royal Mail.
Yours sincerely
Bob Gibson
A/Assistant Secretary"
3 June 2003
Dave Ward Assistant Secretary
RM Outdoor
Dear Mr Ward
Cars on Delivery
You wrote to me on 15 May concerning the use of private cars on delivery.
Our current policy on Cars on Delivery is set out in the Agreement on
Delivery Issues in 1998. This gives a commitment that revisions will
not be planned on the basis of using private vehicles.
However, we recognised that individuals may want to use their private
cars to convey them to and from their delivery, and so introduced a
policy whereby an individual could apply for authority from his/her
manager to use his/her private vehicle on delivery. In such
circumstances the individual must, as a minimum requirement, complete
a personal declaration and produce annually and/or on demand by Royal
Mail management a current driving licence plus a certificate of
insurance and MOT certificate for the vehicle concerned. In addition
the individual must certify the condition of the vehicle on a monthly basis.
This policy is ostensibly unchanged in the TDS Agreement, which has
been endorsed by the Union's executive council. Your letter implies
that you may now be seeking a total national ban on the use of
private vehicles. I believe such a course would be short-sighted and
may have potentially serious legal and financial consequences for
individuals who choose to use their vehicles in any event without
adequate insurance.
I hope that you will continue to abide by the agreement we have made.
In considering this matter you may wish to note that approximately
18,000 postmen and postwomen currently signed a declaration enabling
them to use their private vehicles. The fact that they do is
undoubtedly one of personal choice and convenience.
In summary we will not plan to use cars on delivery but individuals
should be allowed the choice to use their cars in line with business
policy. I believe this is a sensible approach which endeavours to
manage the risks faced by individuals who want to use their cars on
delivery in a safe and responsible way.
Yours sincerely
Steve Hannon
Delivery Specification Director
15th May 2003
Steve Hannon
Royal Mail
Dear Mr Hannon
Cars on Delivery
You will know that we have discussed this issue at some length. In
particular, I have explained to you that the Union will need to see
the legal advice you have been given, which apparently precludes
Royal Mail from an outright ban of cars on delivery as part of the
TDS agreement.
It is essential that the Union receives this advice prior to Annual
Conference, where I have no doubt the issue will be debated again.
Any final decision the Union takes on cars on delivery will to a
certain extent be dependent on your legal advice, which we in turn
would need to check with our solicitors.
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
Assistant Secretary"
Any enquiries to Bob Gibson, A/Assistant Secretary reference 450