Ltb 224/15 Joint Statement : Catering Services

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches




No. 224/15
Ref: 311.02
Date: 7th April 2015


For the attention of:

All Postal Branches




Dear Colleagues

Joint Statement – Catering Services

Branches and representatives will be aware of LTB 677/14 which publicised the terms of reference between the CWU and Royal Mail for the Review of Catering Services.

Further to the aforementioned LTB please find attached for your information a Joint Statement which provides an update in regard to both the past and future activity in relation to this initiative.

The department would like to extend our thanks to all those involved for their help and support in the positive activity that has taken place to date.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number 311.02.

Yours sincerely



Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary





Joint Statement
Catering Services

You will be aware Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union are working together on a joint review of catering facilities in Royal Mail Group to improve and sustain the long term provision of catering facilities for the employees of Royal Mail Group. We aim to achieve this via an improved offering which provides better value to both the company and customers of catering services consistent with the agreed terms of reference for this review.

Eight Focus Group sessions lasting approximately one and half hours each have now taken place, involving eight difference sites, a mixture of staff and a range of shifts. The Focus Groups were hosted by an independent company called CM Insight and they have now provided Royal Mail and the CWU with a full presentation on their findings. The information received covered some of the following issues:

Opening hours
Value for money
Variety
Quality
Freshness
Vending and the food itself

It was evident from the highly engaged and enthusiastic responses from those who participated in the Focus Groups that the catering provision is highly valued by employees.

Following the positive feedback from the Focus Groups Royal Mail have now engaged IPSOS MORI to undertake a survey and it is hoped that a sample of 4,000 staff at randomly chosen sites will participate. A variety of methods will be employed to encourage participation in the survey including email and tablets being set up in some work places.

In addition to the above and following the work undertaken in conjunction with Quadrant as part of the review activity the canteens at Tyneside, Greenford and Southampton Mail Centres will be refurbished and utilised as trial sites. To make them more user friendly and appealing to customers they will include additional tills to reduce queuing time, comfortable seating areas for large groups, a games area and a TV room. These ideas were shared locally in December 2014 to allow for feedback at which time possible new menu items were also trialled and discussed.

Against this backdrop the trial sites, while keeping items that are currently popular with you the customer, will also introduce new menus and pricing options to provide alternatives which could include for example more choice on healthy options, different types of bread and fillings, additional vegetarian options, street food, locally sourced homemade foods and themed days. Each of the trial sites will set up a local canteen committee to monitor the reception of the new menus and consider new items or quick changes where necessary. These committees will also enable staff based at the sites more input and influence in what they have in their canteens.

In the meantime talks continue on all other aspects of the review and further information will be shared with you as it becomes available.

Terry Pullinger Mumtaz Arif
Assistant Secretary Director of Workplace
Communication Workers Union Royal Mail – Group Property

Date: 2nd April 2015

[hans solo]

CATERING we get a coffee machine 40p per plastic cup vile stuff
choc and crisp machine 75p per mars bar and 60p per pkt crisps
700 watt microwave its like a dolls house appliance
toasters fcuked
now thats what i call catering for over 100 personel

[Lounge Lizard]

CATERING we get a coffee machine 40p per plastic cup vile stuff
choc and crisp machine 75p per mars bar and 60p per pkt crisps
700 watt microwave its like a dolls house appliance
toasters fcuked
now thats what i call catering for over 100 personel

We've got no coffee machine , no choc and crisp machine , no microwave and no toaster .

[eian687]

we got nothing but a kettle, no cold drinks machine or snack machine............sod all

[Pompey Boy]

A lot of our 600 drivers are pissed off because they are being forced to take their meal break at SOMC, but there are no facilities when they get there, other than the temp canteen. Unlike Pompey there are no shops in and around SOMC.

[Tman]

SOMC is probably the worst MC in the entire country. It's truly vile and I pity any of your colleagues who're transferring there. Awful dump.

[Pompey Boy]

Chatting to some pissed off 600 drivers today. Seems like the new canteen is open, but closes at 6pm - not much use to most of them!

[2pints]

I transfered to another office that has no canteen,i really miss my full english on fridays But i am noticing the financial benifits i used to spend a fortune in that place.