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UPDATE ON ROYAL MAIL NEGOTIATIONS 6th Feb

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:12:42 +0000

You will be aware that negotiations have been taking place for nearly 3 months since reaching the interim agreement in November 2009.

We understand that CWU members will be concerned about the lack of detailed information and how long talks are taking.

However, the length of negotiations really does reflect the fact that the scale of change involved and the challenges that lie ahead are unprecedented.

Furthermore, whilst we would like to provide more detailed information, the negotiations are taking place under the auspices of an independent chair with the support of ACAS and all parties agreed to retain confidentiality. Despite this we believe it is important to remind everybody what we set out to achieve.

The CWU has consistently stated that we cannot afford to face away from change – but that change must be introduced through negotiation and in a way that aligns the interests of customers, the workforce and the company as a whole. We set out our key objectives as follows:

• The need to reach an agreement covering all aspects of operational change, the introduction of new machinery/new technology and how this affects jobs.

• The need to reach an agreement that ensures we protect as many jobs as possible -with no compulsory redundancies – alongside a package of measures that will provide greater long term job security.

• The need to reach an agreement that provides an improved benefits package covering higher basic pay, overall earnings opportunities, a shorter working week and family friendly policies.

• The need to reach an agreement that will fundamental improve industrial and employee relations.

• The need to reach an agreement that will ensure future workload is based on fair, objective and transparent measurement systems.

We must also recognise that our aspirations are set against the environment the business now operates within and the company’s own objectives, which include the introducing of a standarised six day work plan.

The current position is that whilst there are a few of major issues to finalise, we have made real progress and we want to conclude an agreement very soon and communicate in more detail. At the same time we continue to pursue a pensions resolution through all available channels.

A further update will be provided in due course.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

Deputy General Secretary (P)

Adam Crozier – Chief Executive, Royal Mail

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:04 +0000

Today it was announced that Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, has resigned. He is to take up the post of Chief Executive of ITV, in the next few months. Royal Mail have now commenced the process of searching for a new Chief Executive. During this period, Adam Crozier will be continuing his role with Royal Mail.

Royal Mail Group News Release

ADAM CROZIER TO LEAVE ROYAL MAIL LATER THIS YEAR TO JOIN ITV

Royal Mail today announced that Adam Crozier, Group Chief Executive, will be leaving Royal Mail later this year to take up the post of Chief Executive of ITV.

Royal Mail Chairman Donald Brydon said: “Adam has done and continues to do a remarkable job in leading Royal Mail through a major transformation in extremely difficult market circumstances. The Group benefits from his strong leadership and commitment to ensuring that Royal Mail has the strength and profitability to continue to support the Universal Service and to build the platform for our future growth.

“Adam remains as Chief Executive of Royal Mail for the next few months and during that time I will continue to work closely with him to ensure that our momentum is maintained right across the Group and to ensure a smooth transition to his successor.”

Royal Mail will make a further announcement in due course.

CWU Says Public Service Ethos Key for Royal Mail

Responding to the announcement that Royal Mail’s Chief Executive Adam Crozier is to quit the company, the Communication Workers Union says that his replacement must have a strong public service ethos.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “What Royal Mail needs is a Chief Executive who is committed to a public service ethos.

“It’s crucial now that Adam Crozier’s final days at Royal Mail secure an agreement on modernisation that provides a successful future for the company, its workforce and customers.”

National Negotiations Update

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:23:03 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

National Negotiations – Future of Royal Mail

It has been agreed to extend talks into next week on the basis of progress made and the recognition of the crucial importance this set of negotiations will have on the future of Royal Mail.

Please find below a communication from Roger Poole, the Independent Chair confirming this position. Further information will be sent out in due course.

Message From Roger Poole, Independent Chair

Royal Mail and the CWU continue to make good progress in what are very complex and wide ranging negotiations concerning the whole Letters business.

We will also soon be approaching the stage of negotiations where parties will need to report back and consult with their constituencies.

Further negotiations will take place next week. Both parties are still committed to achieving an agreement which will enable Royal Mail and its employees to secure a better future for everybody in the organisation.

£70k Won for CWU Dog Attack Victim

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:39:18 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

A postwoman who was left scarred for life after a vicious dog attack has been awarded £70,000 in compensation.

She was delivering post to a farm in February 2007 when a German Shepherd dog attacked her.

The dog attempted to bite her face but when she protected herself, she suffered severe injuries, her ring finger being almost completely torn off by the animal.

The victim – a CWU member who does not wish to be identified – recalled that both her and her colleagues had feared that the dog could, potentially be dangerous. “It was usually on a leash but even then, we always said that if it ever managed to escape, it could kill us,” she explained.

“As the dog jumped over the gate and headed towards me growling and snarling I honestly thought that was it for me.”

According to NHS statistics, the number of dog attack victims attending hospital emergency departments after a dog attack has risen by more than 40 per cent in the past four years and the CWU estimates that some 6,000 of these are postal workers attacked in the course of their duties.

The postwoman’s injuries were so severe that she had to be transferred from her local hospital to receive specialist plastic surgery.

“Luckily my hand looks ok now,” she pointed out, “but I’ll never be able to bend my finger properly and it is also difficult to grip with it.”

Unusually, the dog was not destroyed after the attack – something which the victim is extremely concerned about.

“I can’t bear to imagine what would have happened if it had been a mother and child that day,” she added.

CWU national health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce welcomed the compensation figure, which was part of an out-of-court settlement reached between both parties, but insisted: “It’s clear that this dog was a menace and preventative action should have been taken prior to this horrific attack.

“Whilst welcoming this significant victory in relation to personal injury compensation, it does emphasise the importance of the ongoing CWU Biteback campaign which continues to fight for tougher laws to protect postal and other workers and members of the public from dangerous dogs.

“There must be changes in the law and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 must be amended so that it is the behaviour of dogs, rather than a particular breed, that is punished,” Dave urged, adding:

“It is the deed, not the breed.”

The CWU, along with a broad and growing coalition of organisations and individuals, is campaigning for new laws giving the police and local authorities the power to issue control orders – “Dog ASBOs” – on owners of dogs that are a threat before an attack takes place.

And, in another key reform, the union wants all workers to be given full legal protections if they are attacked on private property while carrying out their duties.

Nagam Din, of solicitors Simpson Millar, represented the postwoman and advises a growing number of clients who have suffered dog bite attacks.

“We deal with hundreds of dog bite injury claims ever year and recently we have seen some particularly horrific cases with very tragic outcomes,” said Ms Din, adding: “These cases could have been avoided if the owners had acted responsibly.”

And Ms Din agrees with the CWU that legal changes are urgently needed. “A tightening of the rules governing animal ownership would be welcomed and highly appropriate given the number of injuries sustained each year,” she said.

CWU response to DEFRA Public consultation On Dangerous Dogs

Royal Mail Transformation Progress Report

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:59:26 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Royal Mail Transformation Progress Report on Negotiations.

Intensive negotiations have taken place since my last report. Groups covering Delivery, Processing, Network, RDCs, MDEC, Fleet and Maintenance Services and Engineering have all been meeting to discuss key topics and reach agreements on a complex and wide-ranging set of issues.Talks have also commenced about Reward with useful meetings taking place to negotiate and agree a new employee reward package.A separate group has also been looking at how a final agreement will be deployed.

We have made good progress and many issues are agreed in principle, although there are some important issues still to be agreed.

All agreements in principle are of course subject to what the final overall agreement looks like.

Acas and I have been helping as necessary and have been encouraged by the constructive approach which both management and the union are taking towards the talks. At local level, review negotiations continue and good progress has been made with 411 out of 764 now concluded with agreements reached. The timescale we were set by the interim agreement was always going to be a challenging one. The priority has to be to reach good agreements which stick rather than quick agreements which unravel when implemented so we have allowed ourselves a short extension of the talks into the New Year.

We will next meet formally on Tuesday 5 January and redouble our efforts to conclude an agreement by 22 January Groups may well be swapping drafts over the break but I hope they will all find time for a well-earned rest. I wish them and you seasons greetings and best wishes for 2010. Roger Poole Independent Person