Tuesday. Postal Group Conference Motions:

This list is not exhaustive.

If negotiations are not completed by 1st July 2010 the Postal Executive shall consider implementing a ballot of the membership under National Rule 13.

However, Conference is concerned that they have become the over-riding factor in driving efficiency in the eyes of management and that this has been at the detriment of our Engineering members in Romec.

The PEC is therefore instructed to do its utmost to:

This list is not exhaustive.

Emergency motion 6 was not carried

Section 1B | Tuesday 11.05 – 12.05

at the same time or performed the same tasks as full time employees .

The PEC are instructed to achieve an agreement that ensures that part time workers within Royal Mail receive the full allowance payment for any shift/skills payments and not pro-rata as it currently stands within the business.

If Royal Mail continue to pay allowances on a pro-rata basis then the PEC are instructed to write to Branches and ask for volunteers so we can take a number of cases up legally on the grounds of discrimination against part time members by no later than September 2009.

York and District Amal

Leeds No1 Amalgamated Branch

North East Divisional Committee

North East No1

Durham County Amal

Cleveland Amal

Newcastle Amal

Fell

"The introduction of the PSS allowance is due to commence on 1st April 2008".

Conference further notes that, despite the interim POL/CWU Joint Statement of July 2008, this allowance has still not been introduced, thereby reducing the earnings potential of our members.

The PEC is therefore instructed to engage with POL in order to secure the implementation of this allowance (where it can be shown statistically, such as Bureau and/or where a PSS acts in the absence of FSS) as a matter of the utmost urgency.

Conference agrees that given no progress was made at a meeting with Royal Mail on the 3^rd June over the company’s current approach and future plans, we have now reached the stage where unless there is a change in the ideology of Royal Mail’s senior management team, then a national postal dispute is inevitable.

Whilst such a scenario is not ideal and may complicate the ‘Keep The Post Public’ campaign, Conference agrees the Union has no choice other than to defend our members and our fundamental Trade Union right to negotiate and agree major change. 

Therefore, Conference agrees to implement the following policies which are designed to give Royal Mail a final opportunity to bring about the successful transformation of the business before major industrial conflict becomes necessary. 

1. Moratorium

We will seek an agreement or a 3 month Moratorium on industrial action and managerial executive action to create the right environment for meaningful national negotiations to achieve agreement on modernisation. 

The Moratorium will include the following:- 

• A joint Royal Mail/CWU vision of what modernisation really means.
• An immediate resolution to all outstanding issues, relating to Mail Centre closures that have already been announced.
• An immediate resolution to all the issues associated with the current industrial action ballots.
• An agreed agenda for national negotiations including:-

-         Commitment to agree a new improved job security package with a review of MTSF to ensure we have a package that will help employees deal with the scale of change envisaged throughout the transformation programme 

-         Commitment to an improved pay and benefits package and earnings incorporating this year’s pay claim and prioritising the urgent need to make progress on the Union’s Shorter Working Week policy

-         Commitment to necessary operational change and reaching acceptable agreements on the Delivery Blue Print/New Delivery Model, the Mail Centre Network and Network 09 and weekend Network

-         Commitment to agree a new Industrial Relations Framework and a fresh start on employee relations to ensure there is unity of purpose on the future direction of the company

§    An agreed procedure to deal with local flashpoints that supports the spirit of the Moratorium.

§    Agreed ground rules covering how local offices will deal with day to day operational challenges during the Moratorium

§    A renewed commitment to honour all existing national agreements, bringing to an end Royal Mail’s abuse of voluntary redundancy procedures, flexibility and resourcing practises.

2. Industrial Action/Non Co-operation with Royal Mail

Until such time as agreement is reached, as outlined in Para 1 above, the Union’s policy of non co-operation with Royal Mail’s budget savings and revisions will continue to be enforced.

In the meantime, Conference recognises that the company’s unacceptable attacks on local jobs and conditions has resulted in growing requests for local ballots and will mean that the Union will increasingly be notifying the Royal Mail of industrial action. The Postal Executive will continue to support all local industrial action requests associated with these management attacks.

Furthermore, if we cannot make acceptable progress on the policy contained in this Emergency Motion by the 2^nd July, then Conference recognises that the Postal Executive will have no alternative other than to publish a timetable for nationwide industrial action ballot(s).

3. Galvanising Membership Support

Immediately following Annual Conference and with the support of the Postal Executive and Divisional Reps every branch will be expected to draw up an action plan, which will involve holding workplace meetings explaining the policies contained in this Emergency Motion to all Members

A communications pack will be designed to support Branches and local representatives and ensure that at all times the Union’s policy is conveyed through consistent key messages.

Emergency Motion 3 was carried. As a consequence of the carriage of this motion an number of other motions fell.

South Central Wales & West Regional Parcels Committee

Western Counties Branch

Fell

Conference therefore agrees that the PEC negotiate at the earliest opportunity for GFP to be included in the national bonus scheme and the maximum annual payment be increased accordingly.

This scheme should use the efficiencies which the business will gain through the DMS no savings made by the business should be ruled out, e.g.

fuel savings, arrival to time savings on fleet costs due to more efficient vehicles etc.

on the higher shift attendance pattern.

1 Our claim will be for a thirty two (32) hour gross working week.

2 A maximum five (5) day attendance.

3 No loss of basic pay, compared to the existing forty (40) hour week.

4 Paid meal reliefs will be in line with the current entitlement depending on hours of attendance per day.

ownership issues are finalised the CWU will set out an industrial

policy statement in Royal Mail as follows:

1 Any reduction to the Mail Centre network must be agreed as a whole.

2 A 35 hour working week to reduce working time is the key to protecting jobs.

3 A nationally agreed solution to the future of the RDC network.

4 Any reduction in full-time jobs must be negotiated nationally and not fall below a nationally agreed global figure.

5 Any future introduction of walk-sort technology or new mechanisation mustbe agreed in tandem with the above points.

The CWU will campaign to achieve each of these policies through national agreement by no later than three months after the ownership issues are resolved; following which each will be subject to a Branch ballot for ratification. A failure to achieve these policies will result in a National ballot for strike action.

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly.

Therefore the National Officer will seek to:

This list is not exhaustive.

Any future agreement on the Shorter Working Week must include:

1 No loss of pay.

2 The retention of fully paid Meal Relief breaks.

3 Achievement of the goal of a 35 hour Gross Shorter Working Week, by the end of pay negotiations April 2010.

If this is not achieved then the Postal Executive is instructed to ballot the membership for industrial action using National Rule 13.

Any Modernisation Agreement must include a 35hr gross working week.

Any final National Agreement on Modernisation of the Royal Mail shall also

be put to individual ballot of the appropriate membership.

Any future agreement on the Shorter Working Week must include:

1 No loss of pay.

2 The retention of fully paid Meal Relief breaks.

3 Achievement of the goal of a 35 hour Gross Shorter Working Week, or a Gross Shorter Working Week of less than 40 hours as movement towards this goal.

during their first 6 months of service.

However, Conference agrees that due to the very small number of employees who are upgraded, that it is now time to enhance this policy to ensure a clear presumption of automatically upgrading an individual to the full adult rate after 3 months as long as the criteria laid down is met.

Given the potentially significant financial impact on individuals and their families there will be a right of appeal where the criteria is deemed not to have been met.

Conference is further concerned that no assessment of this work was carried out by the CWU prior to the Rewarding Skills going live, and that the "Basket Measures" agreed do not reflect the work those on nursery actually do. Conference also notes that this work was previously carried out at the ex-LA grade prior to being moved into the Drake House contact centre.

The 2006 Reward Skills agreement made clear that new SL4 and 5 jobs would be created in the area of "Business Customer Retention" and "Directly generating Sales revenue" areas.

Conference resolves that as nursery is "Business Customer Retention" and that it had previous attracted the higher rates of pay, that it should attract either SL4 or 5 rates of pay. Therefore the incoming Postal Executive is instructed to negotiate this change at the earliest possible opportunity.

1 An Agreement to cover each eventuality going forwards.

2 Deals with issues surrounding the claw back of hours.

3 Includes a date by when local arrangements should be agreed

4 Increases the Christmas Supplement.

This means that all CWU graded employees at Bangor are required to be more skilled before employment, than their colleagues at other call centres.

This higher skill has to be recognised.

Therefore Conference instructs the incoming Postal Executive to secure the payment of a language allowance for all CWU employees at Bangor Customer Service Centre by the end of September 2009.

Moreover, Conference recognises that this is not simply a Mail Centre/RDC problem – increasing numbers of Delivery Offices are also facing closure and indeed have closed.

Against this background, the incoming Postal Executive is instructed to commence immediate negotiations at close of Conference to secure a comprehensive agreement which deals with all Offices under threat of closure.

Whilst negotiations are continuing, all retrievable Office closures will cease until an acceptable agreement is reached.

Failure to secure an agreement by 3rd September 2009 will result in the National Leadership considering all means at the Union’s disposal to bring this policy to a satisfactory conclusion.

North West Central Amal

If Carried 37 and Comp 39 fall NW / NW Divisional Committee

Fell

That Royal Mail continues to bully & harass our members with its own false interpretation of flexibility.

That in spite of the Pay & Modernisation Agreement our members are being bullied to flex on a daily basis.

That our members are being bullied to do overtime under the threat of discipline.

That our members are being bullied for not doing overtime on demand.

Conference therefore instructs the Postal Executive to remove all flexibility from the Pay & Modernisation Agreement. If Royal Mail fails to accept this then the Postal Executive is instructed to ballot the membership for industrial action using National Rule 13.

Any final National Agreement on Modernisation of the Royal Mail shall also be put to individual ballot of the appropriate membership.

Anybody who wishes to leave the business shall be allowed to under a Mail Centre closure or transfer of working centre.

Anybody who wishes to stay in the business shall be allowed to under a Mail Centre closure or transfer of working centre.

Improved Excess Travel Payments up to 4yrs for anybody prepared to transfer to another site (subject to tax implications).

Part or full travel time to be taken as duty time.

CWU facilties, (office, phone etc.)

CWU Lifelong Learning Faciltiies.

Where necessary transport provided to assist members who do not drive.

Subsidised driving lessons with paid release for members who do not drive and who wish to learn.

Any new or transferring sites to include family friendly duties and shift patterns.

The new centres will include Health Facilities, including Fitness Centres and Relaxation Areas.

A commitment by RM to continue to recruit from the areas they have moved from.

This list is not exhaustive.

Finally, CWU Headquarters should devise and supply a support pack that gives direction to any unit facing closure on requirements that would allow that unit to produce and present a professional, comprehensive and factual based presentation for an end state agreement. Consideration should also be given to appoint a Postal Executive Council member to any unit facing closure for purposes of support, advice and report back.

Essex Amal

Northern Home Counties Postal

Fell

Conference notes that either national agreements are not honoured in full, e.g., the Pay and Modernisation Agreement or Royal Mail discuss an issue so far and then decide that after all no National Agreement needs to be reached with the CWU on the subject matter in hand e.g., Georoute or Indoor Workload Tool etc. This had led to many and varied problems for Branches including the reality that there are now different working practices around in relation to delivery spans, what is meant by "flexibility", the information inputted into Georoute etc.

Conference also notes the position of the Union over the last year which has culminated in a policy of non co-operation on budget and other savings in Units. This policy has never been properly explained and it is noted that much discussion went on both Nationally and at Branch level around whether even an LTB should be issued in the name of the National Union or not with some discussion centring on whether such a nationally expressed policy would mean the CWU had stepped outside of the IR Framework. It is noted that Branches and workplaces have interpreted this "directive" as best they can, with some areas very clear on what is meant and other areas or local units, having differing views in relation to unagreed lapsing or co-operating with Georoute or agreeing changes locally that a Branch might not be aware of.

Conference agrees that this lack of specific direction has lead to fragmentation in the field over a period of many months with some offices and areas able to confidently ballot if Executive Action has been notified and other areas or workplaces not being strong enough due to the views of members in those localities.

Conference agrees that whilst the picture will hopefully be much clearer by the time of Annual Conference 2009, that for the future we cannot end up in a position whereby we are not co-operating, but that we have not agreed upon how such non co-operation will take place and have not agreed the specifics of that non co-operation.

Conference therefore agrees that in the future should such a policy be under consideration, that a briefing of Branches, Area and Divisional Representatives must take place to ensure proper and constructive feed back to the National Officers.

Conference also agrees that serious and immediate consideration should be given, in consultation with Branches and Divisional Committees on a Newcastle style event which will allow honest and open dialogue to take place to enable and assist the National Union and Branches to fully appreciate what is going on in different parts of the country in relation to the adherence or not to National Agreements.

Conference therefore instructs the incoming PEC to seek to secure an agreement with all Royal Mail Group Business units to provide a programme of regular breast screening to all women who work nightshift.

This Conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC to approach all relevant Royal Mail Group employers, to re-introduce a system that clearly identifies all items weighing over 10kg, whether this item is accepted directly into the Mail Centres or via Post Office Ltd counter, to help reduce the risk of injury from manual handling such items.

This also should cover all internal boxes of stores that are sent out from the supplies department, and from any type of external suppliers that the employers are using that are not currently displaying this information.

Cornwall Amal

Western Counties

Accepted

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly

Withdrawn