USO update

[Martin Walsh]

Good morning everyone.

I want to thank you for all the questions and points you have raised regarding the potential change to the USO and the 37 pilots.

We are going to produce a question and answers communication picking up the questions you have raised on here and others which been raised to us.

We will circulate this communication to every Branch asking them to make sure it is available in every unit.

We will also provide it available via social media.

We realise that any change is a challenge and members will clearly be concerned.

This is not new, back when we changed from two deliveries to one back in 2003 was the same. We had at that point 94% of Delivery members working a six day week Monday to Saturday, some did not want to move to a five day week or better. Very few would now go back to working a mandatory 6 day week.

Remember the CWU have not agreed to either USO reform or Royal Mail’s proposal for USO reform, the Optimised Delivery Model.

Instead we have agreed to 37 Delivery Units and 10 Mail Centres piloting the model.

Why because Of Com produced their consultation paper last week which said they were willing to support the proposal provided it worked within the Pilots.

This followed on the back of their report in November saying that they recognise that the current USO model is financially unsustainable.

When a regulator signals this it is highly likely that a form of USO change is necessary.

Therefore it would be a major mistake by the CWU not to agree to test in a live pilot the current model to see if can work.

We have agreed overarching principles which will determine whether the Pilots are deemed successful. These are .

1. It must achieve Of Coms Quality target. ( 90%, Royal Mail want the target to be reduced from 93.5% to 90%)

2. It must produce fair , manageable and achievable workload. Alongside making available a solution for fatigue for Delivery.

3. It must improve attendance patterns including ensuring that Delivery Staff work fewer Saturdays.

4. It must improve trust, confidence and morale in the workforce.

It also worth pointing out the agreement we have reached with EP also states that our support for any USO reform is conditional on making progress and resolving the following :

1. A Pay Rise from April 2025.

2. Equalising new entrants pay, terms and conditions over an agreed period with a first step within 3 months of the takeover.

3. Improve sick pay arrangements.

4. improved overtime and SA rates alongside a reduction in agency resource.

5. A perform incentive scheme based on local achievements.

6. Improved Voluntary redundancy payments.

7. A new resourcing model to address quality, retention levels.

It also with mentioning that EP will not be able to take any profit out of the company until they improve quality of service which is part of the agreement they have made with the Government.

We believe we are in strong position for all the above reasons.

We are going to support all 37 pilot units and a communication will go to each unit next week.

We do recognise what is happening in your workplace is wrong and needs addressing. I have been into over 80 Different units in the last 14 months across all four nations.

The stark reality is that the company has abandoned trying to get to 93.5% as they claim this would cost an extra 200 million and with the USO estimated by Of Com to being loss making by 300 million then things will not change.

Hence we need a total reset to address all your issues.

Please believe me that everyone who is a CWU representative at whatever level passionately cares and wants to deliver a real reset to address your concerns hence the Pilot and the agreement with EP.

However it is important recognises that the industry we are working has real challenges which needs to be addressed for the company to ever be successful and to therefore for our members to have long term job security and for their pay, terms and conditions to prosper.

Finally please enjoy your Sunday and we will update you within the next two weeks with the questions and answers.

Martin

[Rommagic]

Some still work six days a week now Martin.

[Idk]

What if we are happy with the current 1 in 6 and having a rolling day off? It certainly suits me.

(Heard there maybe the prospect of slightly longer days to make having Saturdays off fit which I'm not up for)

Also Rurals, how are they going to work in this brave new world ?

[Perseus]

The pilots have already been going on for 4 years or more though unofficially. Frames with 2-3 days mail aren't clearing now. People having to do tracked only on 2 duties can't do it, even before adding 1C letters into the mix.

[claretandblue]

The union mentioned making duties smaller to accommodate higher calls rates, has this now been abandoned in favour of longer days and more days off ?

[A2B]

Martin you say that EP will not be able to take profit out of the company until they improve quality, will they be allowed to take the pension surplus and use our money to fund their investment?

[ted_e_bear]

The union mentioned making duties smaller to accommodate higher calls rates, has this now been abandoned in favour of longer days and more days off ?

Pretty sure the answer is yes, tbh I don't think that would ever have happened as making duties smaller would have meant more staff required which is quite apparently not the plan.

[Valentina@1]

CWU = absolute turncoats

[A2B]

The union mentioned making duties smaller to accommodate higher calls rates, has this now been abandoned in favour of longer days and more days off ?

Pretty sure the answer is yes, tbh I don't think that would ever have happened as making duties smaller would have meant more staff required which is quite apparently not the plan.

Well they have increased hours for PT staff so while not extra bodies there should be a slight improvement on indoor workload

[Acca Dacca]

The union mentioned making duties smaller to accommodate higher calls rates, has this now been abandoned in favour of longer days and more days off ?

Pretty sure the answer is yes, tbh I don't think that would ever have happened as making duties smaller would have meant more staff required which is quite apparently not the plan.

Well they have increased hours for PT staff so while not extra bodies there should be a slight improvement on indoor workload

The part timers who were given permananent contracts/increased hours had already been doing those hours for years though so its not really putting extra hours in that werent already being put in before - albeit ''temporary''

[A2B]

Some yes but not all and they wouldn't be doing at the moment because of the overtime ban

[funkflex55]

It would be nice to have more than 2 Saturdays off in a year but I don't want to do longer days to get them. I and lots of others have commitments outside of work. We already all got moved later last year. I also don't want to change to a longer hours contract and I don't want to be penalized for saying no. Management at our office are lacking human decency.

[tramssirhc]

Good morning everyone.

I want to thank you for all the questions and points you have raised regarding the potential change to the USO and the 37 pilots.

We are going to produce a question and answers communication picking up the questions you have raised on here and others which been raised to us.

We will circulate this communication to every Branch asking them to make sure it is available in every unit.

We will also provide it available via social media.

We realise that any change is a challenge and members will clearly be concerned.

This is not new, back when we changed from two deliveries to one back in 2003 was the same. We had at that point 94% of Delivery members working a six day week Monday to Saturday, some did not want to move to a five day week or better. Very few would now go back to working a mandatory 6 day week.

Remember the CWU have not agreed to either USO reform or Royal Mail’s proposal for USO reform, the Optimised Delivery Model.

Instead we have agreed to 37 Delivery Units and 10 Mail Centres piloting the model.

Why because Of Com produced their consultation paper last week which said they were willing to support the proposal provided it worked within the Pilots.

This followed on the back of their report in November saying that they recognise that the current USO model is financially unsustainable.

When a regulator signals this it is highly likely that a form of USO change is necessary.

Therefore it would be a major mistake by the CWU not to agree to test in a live pilot the current model to see if can work.

We have agreed overarching principles which will determine whether the Pilots are deemed successful. These are .

1. It must achieve Of Coms Quality target. ( 90%, Royal Mail want the target to be reduced from 93.5% to 90%)

2. It must produce fair , manageable and achievable workload. Alongside making available a solution for fatigue for Delivery.

3. It must improve attendance patterns including ensuring that Delivery Staff work fewer Saturdays.

4. It must improve trust, confidence and morale in the workforce.

It also worth pointing out the agreement we have reached with EP also states that our support for any USO reform is conditional on making progress and resolving the following :

1. A Pay Rise from April 2025.

2. Equalising new entrants pay, terms and conditions over an agreed period with a first step within 3 months of the takeover.

3. Improve sick pay arrangements.

4. improved overtime and SA rates alongside a reduction in agency resource.

5. A perform incentive scheme based on local achievements.

6. Improved Voluntary redundancy payments.

7. A new resourcing model to address quality, retention levels.

It also with mentioning that EP will not be able to take any profit out of the company until they improve quality of service which is part of the agreement they have made with the Government.

We believe we are in strong position for all the above reasons.

We are going to support all 37 pilot units and a communication will go to each unit next week.

We do recognise what is happening in your workplace is wrong and needs addressing. I have been into over 80 Different units in the last 14 months across all four nations.

The stark reality is that the company has abandoned trying to get to 93.5% as they claim this would cost an extra 200 million and with the USO estimated by Of Com to being loss making by 300 million then things will not change.

Hence we need a total reset to address all your issues.

Please believe me that everyone who is a CWU representative at whatever level passionately cares and wants to deliver a real reset to address your concerns hence the Pilot and the agreement with EP.

However it is important recognises that the industry we are working has real challenges which needs to be addressed for the company to ever be successful and to therefore for our members to have long term job security and for their pay, terms and conditions to prosper.

Finally please enjoy your Sunday and we will update you within the next two weeks with the questions and answers.

Martin

Martin, there's offices on here that are reporting they are trialling ODM but are not on the list. Anything you say cannot be trusted and your claim that CWU reps care is bollocks. Local CWU reps haven't a clue what's going on because the lazy bag avoiding full time release lot can't be arsed to tell them. So much for caring passionately.

[sfxdby]

I do not want to work LATER into the day.
I understand that you are keen for us to get more days off, but I do not want to work LATER on delivery.
I think that what should happen is that when the trials are done and the USO is changed, there should be a revision and a repick everywhere, straight away. Already my boss is saying that when USO changes we will continue as we are and bed in the new changes before a revision.
I don't feel that's acceptable. I feel like the reset should include a revision and a repick everywhere.

[ted_e_bear]

I do not want to work LATER into the day.
I understand that you are keen for us to get more days off, but I do not want to work LATER on delivery.
I think that what should happen is that when the trials are done and the USO is changed, there should be a revision and a repick everywhere, straight away. Already my boss is saying that when USO changes we will continue as we are and bed in the new changes before a revision.
I don't feel that's acceptable. I feel like the reset should include a revision and a repick everywhere.

Similar here, long overdue a repick should have had one after the last crap revision but people were kept on/just put on duties, hopefully this time it will be different.