In 2004 and again in 2005, Dispatches went undercover to investigate the Royal Mail. These reports exposed serious systemic and individual failures within the organisation, resulting in an enquiry by the postal regulator, followed by a fine of almost ten million pounds. Five years on, the Royal Mail claims it is modernising and improving its service.

The reporters find an antiquated system with lax security, poorly trained agency workers – many of whom are clearly not up to the job – damaged and defective equipment and allegations of stealing.

Out on their rounds, they are bombarded with complaints from angry members of the public who have experienced damaged mail, delays and poor service, and behind the scenes some managers and workers express contempt for the customer and their concerns.

Joining just before the busy Christmas period, when an industrial truce has been publicly announced by both management and the unions, both reporters find that normal service is far from being resumed. Managers tell the reporters that disputes with unions over working times and the size of postmen’s rounds are causing continued disruptions to the service.

With over four million pounds a year being paid in compensation to customers for lost post and a recent dip in Royal Mail’s delivery performance, Dispatches asks if the organisation is fit for purpose.

Related posts:

1. Mandelson’s Comments Undermine Talks and are Untrue
2. Postal Strike To Go Ahead Within Hours
3. Royal Mail Group Announcement

Monday 12^th October
Avonmouth PDO
Axbridge SPDO
Brentwood delivery office, Essex
Bristol North, South, East, and South East delivery offices
City PDO
Clevedon PDO
Clifton PDO
Fishponds PDO
Keynsham
Kingswood PDO
Portishead
Nailsea PDO
Westbury on Trym PDO
Woolavington SPDO
Yatton PDO
Yate

SW London Offices:
Earls Court DO
Fulham DO
South Kensington DO
Stockwell DO
West Brompton Earls Court DO
Battersea DO
Barnes DO
Mortlake DO
Streatham DO
Wandsworth DO
West Wimbledon DO
Wimbledon DO
Wednesday 14^th October 2009
South London Mail Centre
Victoria SW1 DO
East London MC Distribution
East London MC Processing
Rathbone Place Distribution W1/ WC
Mount Pleasant Deliveries/Processing/ Distribution
EC Deliveries
LAMU
Cricklewood NW2 HUB Distribution
E1 Collection HUB Distribution
E10 Collection HUB
E14 Collection HUB
E15 Collection HUB
SE1 Collection HUB
SE No5 Collection HUB
North Finchley HUB
The Hyde HUB Collections/DO
SW11 Hub (Collections PM)
SW19 Hub (Collections PM)
Willesden NW10 HUB Distribution
Wimbledon HUB Collections
Battersea HUB Collections
Cricklewood NW2 HUB Distribution
Greenwich Collection HUB
Kensington Inner HUB
N1 Distribution & HUB
Tottenham N17 HUB Distribution
NW1 Collection HUB & Distribution
Acton Outer Hub
East London Distribution
East London VOC Transport Network
Greenford VOC
Nine Elms CCS Garage VOC Network
PRDC Network
PRDC VOC
Woolwich SE18
Southwark DO SE1
East London DO (E1)
Hampstead DO
Hornsey DO
Islington DO
Kilburn DO
Muswell Hill DO
NW1 DO
Poplar Docklands DO
Southwark DO
Stratford DO
Willesden DO
Woolwich DO
Abbey Wood & Thamesmead DO
Acton DO
Anerley DO
Balham DO
Barnes DO
Battersea DO
Bethnal Green DO
Blackheath DO
Bow DO
Brixton DO
Brockley DO
Camberwell DO
Catford DO
Charlton DO
Chelsea DO
Chingford DO
Chiswick DO
Church End DO
Clapham DO
Clapton DO
Cricklewood DO
Deptford DO
Dulwich DO
Ealing DO
Earls Court DO
East Dulwich DO
East Finchley DO
East Ham DO
Putney DO
Rotherhithe DO
Shepherds Bush DO
South Kensington DO
South Lambeth DO
South Norwood DO
South Tottenham DO
South Woodford DO
Southgate DO
St John’s Wood DO
Stockwell DO
Stoke Newington DO
Streatham DO
Sydenham DO
West End D.O (Rathbone Place) W1-WC DO
ELMC Victoria Docks DO
Eltham DO
FinsburyPark DO
Forest Gate DO
Forest Hill DO
Fulham DO
Golders Green DO
Greenwich DO
Hackney DO
Hammersmith DO
Hanwell DO
Hendon DO
Herne Hill DO
Highbury DO
Highgate N6 DO
Holloway DO
Homerton DO
Kennington & Walworth DO
Kensington DO
Kentish Town DO
Lee DO
Lewisham DO
Leyton DO
Leytonstone DO
Lower Edmonton DO
Maida Vale DO
Manor Park DO
Mill Hill DO
Mortlake DO
New Cross DO
New Southgate DO
North Finchley DO
North Kensington DO
Norwood DO
Tottenham DO
Tooting DO
Notting Hill DO
Paddington DO
Palmers Green DO
Peckham DO
Plaistow DO
Putney DO
Upper Edmonton DO
Upper Holloway DO
Walthamstow DO
Wandsworth DO
West Brompton Earls Court DO
West Ealing DO
West Kensington DO
West Norwood DO
Whetstone DO
Wood Green DO
Chelsea SW3 DO
Balham DO
Brixton DO
Clapham DO
Putney DO
South Lambeth DO
Tooting DO

Related posts:

1. Postal Strikes for w/c 28th September
2. Another Week of Post Strikes Ahead 31st August
3. Post Strikes for w/c 7th September

Image via Wikipedia

A two-day meeting took place with Royal Mail on the 2^nd & 3^rd September 2009.

Some progress was made with the company now clearly accepting that there is a requirement to negotiate further national agreements that will shape and take forward modernisation. Both parties explored, in more detail, the various elements that needed to be part of new national agreements. Royal Mail has also now recognised that the whole issue of what constitutes a fair day’s workload is a crucial part of finding a solution.

The talks also covered, at length, the urgent need for both parties to agree ground rules that would ensure a fairer approach to local deployment of change, including offices where managerial executive action has already taken place. Again, whilst there is a consensus for the need to set out fair and succinct ground rules, the company remains hesitant to stand down planned executive action because they believe this would signal to our branches an acceptance of no change.

To try and move this forward the union took the initiative and put forward a proposal that would break the current cycle, end all current disputes and conclude phase 4 national negotiations by the end of September ’09. We exchanged views on this proposal and Royal Mail called for an adjournment which lasted three hours. Subsequently position papers were exchanged and the intention is to build on this in meetings later this week.

Having given further consideration to all the issues raised at the meeting the union wrote to Royal Mail on the 4^th September summarising our position and detailing a formal offer that would achieve the following:

-       Immediately restore customer confidence by bringing an end to all current local disputes.

-       Ensure Royal Mail and CWU can both re-engage in the Industrial Relations Framework with a fairer approach to deployment of local change – in accordance with all existing national agreements.

-       Introduce at pace the transformation of the business by concluding phase 4 negotiations and reaching further national agreements by the end of September ’09. A positive outcome to these talks would resolve any potential national dispute.

For the purpose of complete clarity, we are setting out the detail and rationale behind the union’s offer.

CWU Fresh Offer

• All planned managerial executive action and local strike action should be immediately suspended.

• In offices where executive action has already taken place, fresh negotiations should commence immediately to reach acceptable agreements. Our regional / divisional and area teams should support the local parties in resolving their differences.

These negotiations should review the changes Royal Mail has made and ensure new local agreements are reached in accordance with ground rules agreed by the national parties and in line with all existing national agreements.

• There would be a process of parallel talks which would allow both parties to re-engage initially with area level teams overseen by our regional / divisional parties. Meetings at area level could then take pragmatic and informed decisions on the best way to proceed and facilitate positive local outcomes. This would also avoid immediate disagreements over what stage our respective local parties have reached in the IR Framework.

• To assist local solutions, parameters should be set by the national parties which state unequivocally that maintaining earnings and innovative attendance patterns must be part of local agreements.  These are key principals within existing national agreements including the 2007 Pay and Modernisation deal.

• Voluntary redundancy must only be offered in line with the MTSF agreement. This should be spelt out by sequencing the proper process for voluntary redundancy so that there can be no further misunderstandings.

• The level of savings targeted for local revisions must also be negotiable.  This should take account of a joint assessment of workload, the impact of any volume loss, safe working practices and ultimately what people can cope with.  The subject of what constitutes a fair day’s workload is proper for national phase 4 talks.  Local parties should be encouraged to take pragmatic decisions on what can be achieved in the short term prior to the introduction of new automation.  In the meantime, national negotiation should resolve the substantive workload issues in a way which everybody accepts is fair and objective.

• In order to facilitate a fairer approach to local change, agreement should be reached on a new mechanism to incentivise local change.

• Guidelines should be agreed by the national parties that would assist the local parties on what is relevant to local discussions and what is out of bounds for local parties because it is part of phase 4 national negotiations.

• Both parties should clear diaries and commit to concluding phase 4 by reaching further national agreements no later than the end of September ’09. Key issues should be prioritised and we should accept that a successful outcome requires the legitimate concerns of both parties to be resolved simultaneously.

Conclusion

It is clear that the pressure of local industrial action is now having an impact on Royal Mail both in their approach to negotiations and in the substantial build up of work as we come out of the summer period and enter what is traditionally a higher traffic period.

However, we must also acknowledge that key to making genuine progress is that Royal Mail must abandon managerial executive action and accept that change by diktat has no place in a modern industry. This issue is holding back genuine progress and as every week goes by further executive action, including the imposition of Network ’09 duty arrangements, makes finding a solution more complicated.

It is important that branches convey to our members the initiatives the union are taking to resolve the dispute and that our latest offer represents an entirely reasonable position.

In the meantime we must maintain the pressure on the company by doing everything possible to secure a “yes” vote in our forthcoming national industrial action ballot.

Further meetings are planned on the 9^th & 10^th September and we will advise you of developments in due course.

Related posts:

1. UPDATE ON ROYAL MAIL NEGOTIATIONS 6th Feb
2. Royal Mail Dispute: Ballot Postponement
3. National Negotiations Update

Monday 7^th and Tuesday 8^th September:
Network drivers’ 24 hours strike starting from 04:00 in:
· Birmingham
· Bridgend
· Carlisle
· Coventry
· East Midlands (Nottingham Airport)
· East London
· Essex
· Greeford
· National Distribution Centre, Northampton
· Nine Elms, Vauxhall
· North West Distribution Centre, Warrington
· Peterborough
· Princess Royal Distribution Centre, London
· Scotland Distribution Centre, Glasgow, Swindon
· South West Distribution Centre, Bristol
· Yorkshire Distribution Centre, Leeds

Peterborough mail centre
Southend mail centre
Chelmsford mail centre

Kings Lynn delivery office
Battersea DO (03.00 until the completion of duties)
Earls Court DO (03.00 until the completion of duties)
SLMC SW1 DO – 22.00 on Mon 7^th until completion of duty on Tues 8^{th -} for night duties
Wimbledon DO – 22.00 on Mon 7^th until completion of duty on Tues 8th ^- for night duties

Monday 7^th September only:
· Basildon DO (delivery office)
· Rayleigh DO
· Great Wakering SPDO
· Hockley DO
· Leigh on Sea DO
· Rochford DO
· Shoeburyness DO
· Stanford Le Hope DO
· Wickford DO
· Benfleet DO
· Canvey Island DO
· Chelmsford DO
· Maldon DO
· Ongar DO
· Sawbridgeworth DO
· South Woodham Ferrers DO
· Stansted DO
· Witham DO
· Brentwood DO
· Billericay DO
· Bishop Stortford DO
· Braintree DO
· Dunmow DO
· Harlow DO
· Boreham SPDO

Tuesday 8^th September/Wednesday 9^th September

(Night Duties – except Rathbone Place) All South West London Delivery Offices from 0300 – completion of duties on Tuesday 8^th September

· SLMC SW1 DO – 22.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties
· Wimbledon DO – 22.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9th ^- for night duties
· NW1 DO – 22.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^TH – for night duties
^· Willesden DO – 23.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{TH -} for night duties
· Poplar Docklands DO – 21.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^TH – for night duties
· Kilburn DO – 23.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties
· Hampstead DO – 00.00 on Weds 9^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties
· East London DO – 21.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties
· Cricklewood DO – 23.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties
· West End DO & Distribution Hubs – ( Rathbone Place)
· From commencement of duties on Tuesday 8^th until end of duties on 9^th for all duties starting after 18.30 on Tuesday 8^th
· From 0300 on Wednesday 9^th until 0300 on Thursday 10^th for all duties commencing after 0300 but before 09.59 on Weds 9^th
· From commencement of duties till end of duties on Weds 9^th for all duties commencing after 10.00 on weds 9^th
· Southwark DO – 22.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9th ^- for night duties
· Stratford DO – 21.00 on Tues 8^th until completion of duty on Weds 9th ^- for night duties
· Woolwich DO – 00.00 on Weds 9th until completion of duty on Weds 9^{th -} for night duties

Wednesday 9^th September
· All South West London Delivery Offices from 0300 – 20.00 on Wednesday 9^th September
· SLMC SW1 DO – 22.00 on Weds 9^th until completion of duty on Thurs 10^{th -} for night duties
· Wimbledon DO – 22.00 on Weds 9^th until completion of duty on Thurs 10th ^- for night duties
· All East London Delivery Offices from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September – except Walthamstow which is 02.00-02.00
· All South East London Delivery Offices from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September
· All West London Delivery Offices from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September
· All North West London Delivery Offices from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September
· All Collection Hubs from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September
· All North London Delivery Offices from 0300 Weds 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September – except for the following:
· Hornsey DO – from 22.00 on Wednesday 9^th September until completion of duties on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing after 21.30 on Weds 9^th September
· From 0300 on Wednesday 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing after 0300 but before 21.30 on Weds 9^th September
· Islington DO – from 21.00 on Wednesday 9^th September until completion of duties on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing after 20.00 on Weds 9^th September
· From 0300 on Wednesday 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing after 0300 but before 20.00 on Weds 9^th September
· Muswell Hill DO – from 00.00 on Thursday 10^th September until completion of duties on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing at 00.0 on Thurs 10^th September
· From 0300 on Wednesday 9^th September until 0300 on Thursday 10^th September for all duties commencing after 0300 on Weds 9^th September

Thursday 10^th September
All South West London Delivery Offices from 0300 – 20.00 on Thursday 10^th September -
SLMC SW1 DO – 22.00 on Thurs 10^th until completion of duty on Fri 11^{1h -} for night duties
Wimbledon DO – 22.00 on Thurs 10^th until completion of duty on Fri 11^{1h -} for night duties

Saturday 12^th September:
Network drivers’ 24 hours strike starting from 04:00 in:
· Birmingham
· Bridgend
· Carlisle
· Coventry
· East Midlands (Nottingham Airport)
· East London
· Essex
· Greeford
· National Distribution Centre, Northampton
· Nine Elms, Vauxhall
· North West Distribution Centre, Warrington
· Peterborough
· Princess Royal Distribution Centre, London
· Scotland Distribution Centre, Glasgow, Swindon
· South West Distribution Centre, Bristol
· Yorkshire Distribution Centre, Leeds

Rochdale delivery office

Related posts:

1. Postal Strikes for w/c 28th September
2. Another Week of Post Strikes Ahead 31st August
3. Growing Postal Strikes and a National Ballot as Royal Mail Refuse to Negotiate