Summer Resourcing : Resourcing to Workload LTB

[dvbuk55]

The CWU have a simplistic one sided view of what actually goes on in delivery. One guy posted he hadn't seen an Area or Div rep in 2 years, well for me and my office it's 5 years - he popped out one morning when we were on the gate on picket. One of these revered reps can't even drive...................

[Chelseablue]

The bullies just keep bullying, see it on a daily basis and it's so frustrating that some linos are still in a job. How many complaints must someone receive against them! I know of three guys who've kept a diary of the treatment they receive from this so called manager including myself. They also have no people skills, will not listen take anything on board and talk to you like rubbish. Will you now do anything extra to help them out etc ,,,,erm no chance .so if this is the way this once good company's going ,it's doomed to failure.

[hampshireman]

Dvbuk the union has campaigned on those for years. Maybe the PDA will finally stop the praticse of starting early in most cases to finish early.

The union has dignity and respect agreement which should stop people from working past their finishing time without being paid and the PDA will confirm when they have.

Dvbuk the 20 trail offices included 2 in the North East and guess what it showed people finishing before their end of duty time .

Oh and let's tAlk about the fact that the CWU are very close legally in winning for part times including back pay the times when they are on leave when the their hours drop from what they are working when they are in work. So slag of the union but without it these things would not happen.

The PDA cannot stop people starting early (unless the idea is to strap it to you for life)

[Martin Walsh]

Hampshire the vast majority of OPGs start early in order to make time at the other end, if the PDA does not allow this by ensuring that you record the time on each day that you are finishing including how many attendance calls you have then some will cease to come in early.

Equally if someone is always going over their time due to the fact geo route was messed up , too few attendance calls were given for the walk or even if the fact that new delivery points have gone live the PDA will give all this information at 90 second intervals allowing the DOM , local rep and even the OPG to see their walk on screen , the route , where first time delivery was recorded or when someone had a welfare break.

[dvbuk55]

Hampshire the vast majority of OPGs start early in order to make time at the other end, if the PDA does not allow this by ensuring that you record the time on each day that you are finishing including how many attendance calls you have then some will cease to come in early.

Equally if someone is always going over their time due to the fact geo route was messed up , too few attendance calls were given for the walk or even if the fact that new delivery points have gone live the PDA will give all this information at 90 second intervals allowing the DOM , local rep and even the OPG to see their walk on screen , the route , where first time delivery was recorded or when someone had a welfare break.

How on earth could you know that dingo? In my office the early starters are generally part timers who don't claim but need the time to prepare the delivery and up to 7 D2Ds, they aren't making up time at the other end, it's information that is incorrect. What are the union doing about people coming in early, not taking meal reliefs, not using the proscribed equipment and not booking overtime.

[Martin Walsh]

If that is the case Dvbuk in your office what are you and other members doing about it. D2D is live mail and must be done in duty time therefore anyone coming in early to do it is wrong. Now if its down to the bullying manager in your office , then regardless of whether they are a member o not it should be stopped. If they are members then lets organise and stop it. If they are not members then the CWU should recuit them as being bullied is something which the union should be able to stop.

[chrisj]

I think dingo is over complicating things; just like most posties and devius managers.

If RM and the CWU are not going to actively put a stop to people coming in early then we need to move away from what time people finish their duties.

The most important thing is how much time is spent on the duty every day. Are people actually working their contractual hours or less. Then we can also ask if they are doing the job properly and so on.

I have said previously that it is so easy to measure the delivery side of the job using the PDA - you log on before you go out and then log off after you have cleared your work and returned the keys (and the PDA).

If we can measure the actual delivery times then the indoor aspect will be easy to add and then we can have the true picture (and no doing any work prior to start time).

So can we move away from what time people finish? Thanks.

* Dingo said some come early to finish early - correct. But then said most are finishing early without saying why (sort of implying that they are working less than contractual time). Which is which?

[clashcityrocker]

If RM and the CWU are not going to actively put a stop to people coming in early then we need to move away from what time people finish their duties.

I could turn up to work at 3.30am.There wouldn't be any work to do until the mail arrived at 6.30 am
Does it still mean I could finish at 11.30 having done my 8 hours?

We have start times and finish times. We don't have flexi time.

[chrisj]

If RM and the CWU are not going to actively put a stop to people coming in early then we need to move away from what time people finish their duties.

I could turn up to work at 3.30am.There wouldn't be any work to do until the mail arrived at 6.30 am
Does it still mean I could finish at 11.30 having done my 8 hours?

We have start times and finish times. We don't have flexi time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't shoot the messenger... I would be happy if we can all start at the time we are supposed to start but will that ever happen?

If some of us have to grudgingly accept that people start early and they cannot be stopped then my other points follows. There are too many posties focussed on finish time - even some of those that work for nothing strut around because they finish before their time (they conveniently forget doing coming in early, doing d2ds before start time and sometimes, waiting around for late mail).

I am not advocating flexitime but that is what happens.

By the way we have some that start at 5.30am in my place instead of 6.40am and they finish at 11.30am. That is still flexitime but not as the OTT example given

[Martin Walsh]

Chris , I have been in the job for 30 years next April and I have seen in that time dozens of campaigns some supported by managers to stop people coming in before their time all have failed in the long term because people chase time at the end of their duty. They may work the same amount of hours in a day but that is not the point , as every office has an agreed attendance and that is the implied hours of contract you work.

I have even seen years ago that an office used to keep their rebate ( mail sort ) locked away with a padlock and someone bought in bolt cutters to get in and get the mail sort.

There are very few industries where 1. people want to finish earlier then they are paid too even starting working before their time. and 2. That more work is the enemy rather then something which keeps people in a well paid job.

[chrisj]

So what is the solution?

Talking about finishing time only, clearly does not address how many hours the job takes.

I think it is the hours that the job takes that is really most important. It is the true hours that the planning and assessment should be based, IMO.

Can I just clarify that this debate is about 'Resourcing to Workload' not contractual hours?

The sad thing is that the people that gets affected the most from people coming in early and not doing the job properly are often the lower ranked, less senior or those with the heavier duties - and that is where the harassment and bullying is prevalent.

Furthermore, the harassed and the bullied are also further harassed and bullied by the work colleagues who wants to get out early; this is now a common occurrence in pair/shared duties..

You get a 27 hour paired with a full time staff and the part timers gets to work to find his frame not fully prepped and manager not enforcing the preppers to stay on and complete... Invariably most junior staff will start coming in early to get a head start and to stop the constant moaning and sulking from their partners.

So are we now going to get situations where people that have easier rounds that allow them to finish early have more work put on because of PDA info?

[dvbuk55]

If that is the case Dvbuk in your office what are you and other members doing about it. D2D is live mail and must be done in duty time therefore anyone coming in early to do it is wrong. Now if its down to the bullying manager in your office , then regardless of whether they are a member o not it should be stopped. If they are members then lets organise and stop it. If they are not members then the CWU should recuit them as being bullied is something which the union should be able to stop.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda -where are the Area and Div reps and the organisation and why would members become involved in non members affairs and who is responsible for recruiting - who gets the subs or a proportion of it. They aren't being bullied dingo they do it of their own recognisance - I know of full timers coming in an hour and a half early and part timers even more just to complete on time. You need to be based in an office and area where part timers make up 50% of the workforce and only 40% are unionised. Now how about the use of proscribed equipment which RM management turn a blind eye to - what pressure is the CWU exerting to ensure that it is being used . Have I seen an LTB or Joint statement stating that starting before duty time is now not acceptable and the non use of equipment proscribed will be considered a disciplinary offence - it won't happen and we both know why.

[Martin Walsh]

Dvbuk I am somewhat concerned that you keep posting about how bad the union are and how bad management are yet in your own office you and others have not made a stance. Yes I believe the area rep and divisional rep should be in their stopping any bullying and ensuring that the non members know it is only the CWU who will stop bullying.

In my opinion you don't need to sell the CWU in an office which has bullying and according to your post OPGs both full time and part time are starting early in order to complete.

Why are you not demanding someone from the Division comes down. Even with 54% membership by walking into the canteen the phone calls will start at senior management level and if bullying is like you say then that needs to be stopped.

[clashcityrocker]

Now how about the use of proscribed equipment which RM management turn a blind eye to - what pressure is the CWU exerting to ensure that it is being used . Have I seen an LTB or Joint statement stating that starting before duty time is now not acceptable and the non use of equipment proscribed will be considered a disciplinary offence

Maybe this one?

Joint Statement Delivery: Scotland
Postby fishtank » 03 Apr 2014, 18:14

In line with the new national Agreement between Royal Mail and CWU-Agenda for Growth, Stability and Long term Success 2014-the Royal Mail Delivery Management team and CWU in Scotland are committed to working together to bring this agreement to life on a consistent basis.

Our ambition is to continue to improve performance, professionalise the delivery operation and crucially ensure that our people working in delivery are treated fairly and with dignity and respect in the workplace. It is our intention that our people will work safely and deliver excellent costomer service at all times. We will ensure that our people will feel valued and treated with respect in an environment where workload is allocated fairly and efficiently on a daily basis.

In terms of professionalising the operation, we want to increasingly standardise processes, procedures and compliance with the agreed ways of working. Listed below are four areas we see an immediate opportunity to improve now that the business transformation revisions have been completed.

1. Weekly Resource meetings- These meetings between the local DOM and CWU rep must take place every week, giving people in the office clear early sight of the work they will be scheduled to perform the following week. By using the principle of resourcing to workload fairly and efficiently, we will allocate tasks on an individual basis and explain to people the rationale behind the decisions that affect them.

2. Start Time and Meal Reliefs- Our people will be expected to start their duty at the planned time and not before, Eg If your start time is 0700hrs you should sign in and be ready to start work at 0700hrs. If you are LTFT you will be expected to sign on and be ready to start work at your planned time on a daily basis. It will not be acceptable for any colleague to start work before their planned time unless authorised by their line manager on the day and is covered by either normal overtime arrangements or flexible working in line with the Pay and Modernisation Agreement 2007. We expect all staff to take their meal breaks in line with their duty structure. As a minimum standard all staff will be expected to take an element of their planned meal relief before they leave on delivery.

3. Using Delivery Method Equipment- Royal Mail has made a substantial investment in Lightweight Trolleys, HTCs, PDAs and additional vans in the delivery operation to help to compete in the parcel market and also take the weight off the shoulder of our delivery postmen and women. We expect all delivery staff to use the nominated equipment for their walks every day.

4. Cars on delivery- All new delivery routes post transformation will have been designed to perform the delivery operation using the designated equipment, either HCT or operating from a Royal Mail vehicle supported by the use of a lightweight trolly where appropriate. The practice of using private cars on delivery ceased in all delivery units on the introduction of the transformation revision where methods have been introduced. This includes all travel to and from delivery. Therefore no colleague will be allowed to use their private car during duty time going forward.

Both parties will work together over the coming months to ensure compliance to these standards is acheived on a consistent basis. Both the Agenda For Growth Agreement and previous national agreements commit us to work flexibly and we will work together to acheve this without compromising on compliance to core standards.

Signed by
Paul Kelly Delivery Director Scotland
Stuart McIntosh
Rab Storrie
CWU Divisional Rep Scotland

[dvbuk55]

Dvbuk I am somewhat concerned that you keep posting about how bad the union are and how bad management are yet in your own office you and others have not made a stance. Yes I believe the area rep and divisional rep should be in their stopping any bullying and ensuring that the non members know it is only the CWU who will stop bullying.

In my opinion you don't need to sell the CWU in an office which has bullying and according to your post OPGs both full time and part time are starting early in order to complete.

Why are you not demanding someone from the Division comes down. Even with 54% membership by walking into the canteen the phone calls will start at senior management level and if bullying is like you say then that needs to be stopped.

The local union is totally ineffectual at Area and Div level, unit support is non-existent and I believe that members deserve better. I personally have not seen a full time release official in years, have never seen a recruitment drive and they don't seem to be accountable to anyone. I think that CWU HQ should institute a Have Your Say where there is action taken when justified complaints are made. Should a unit rep or sub rep not arrange and demand to have meetings with the members where a full time release member is present? You need to have union organisation in order to ensure support and without it .........RM run riot knowing there is no comeback and TBH the current agreements do nothing but weaken any support.