LTB 039/18 - RE: IMPROVED GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

[General Mannerheim]

LTB 039/18 - RE: IMPROVED GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

No: 039/18

Date: 24th January 2018

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS



Dear Colleagues

IMPROVED GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Conference Motion 88, reproduced below was carried in 2016 and the Union started engaging with Royal Mail immediately after Conference 2016.

88 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the Postal Executive to open negotiations with Royal Mail on the Grievance Procedure.

Conference congratulates the Postal Executive on the good work already performed with the new Conduct and Attendance Agreements.

The Grievance Procedure is the next personnel process that requires an overhaul as Royal Mail management, in many locations, do not afford the credence that this statutory provision demands.

This lack of acceptance of an individual’s legal right to challenge back to the employer through a grievance in today’s workplace does need to be given a new approach that brings the best chance for early resolution.

Anglia Co-Ordinating Committee

Motion 100 reproduced below, was carried at Annual Conference 2017.

100 CATEGORY A: Conference notes concerns over the excessive and unclear timescales when progressing individual grievances through the Grievance Procedure.

With reference to the Bullying and Harassment Procedure, there is a clear prompt of timescales and actions which are accessible on the PSP system.

Conference instructs the Postal Executive to negotiate a similar system on PSP for use in the Grievance Procedure.

Portsmouth and District

Following protracted negotiations the Postal Executive has now agreed an improved procedure.

The revised procedure covers off the issues raised in the two motions.

The procedure has three stages, an informal and two formal stages, with a right to Union representation at all stages.

The improved Grievance Procedure is attached to this LTB, along with the guide for Reps and Managers. Hard copies of the policy booklet will be sent to branches in due course.

There are significant improvements to the procedure, including:-

Informal Resolution.
All formal stages recorded on PSP.
Set timescales for each stage.
Prompts for managers to ensure the process is completed on time.
Automatic escalation if the case is not dealt with.
The improved Grievance Procedure went live on PSP on 22nd January 2018. This means the new procedure, letters and prompts are active for any new grievance starting after this date.

CWU will be reviewing the procedure with Management on a regular basis to ensure the new procedure is working as intended in ensuring grievances are dealt with properly on a timely basis.

Any enquiries should be addressed to PTCS department, quoting reference PTC/RE/kj/021 Email address: khawkins@cwu.org

Yours sincerely



Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary

18LTB039 Improved Grievance Procedure http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-oaikjd-ztkjiuyil-i/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Grievance Policy http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-oaikjd-ztkjiuyil-d/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Grievance Policy Booklet – An Update for Managers and Reps http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-oaikjd-ztkjiuyil-h/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

View Online http://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-oaikjd-ztkjiuyil-k/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Creditshampoo]

So is there a time limit?!

[clashcityrocker]

Bit early for an April Fool but well done for trying.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

So is there a time limit?!

Yes, but there was in the old version.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Oh official LTB is downloads - we'll leave this here for discussion https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 36&t=83837" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[patrickstar14]

Congratulations to Union HQ this is worse than the old procedure!!!
Appeal can take up to 42 days to resolve at 3rd stage. Onus on employee to raise it with HR if the case has not been dealt with by line manager

[Creditshampoo]

So is there a time limit?!

Yes, but there was in the old version.

So 15 days then 28 days then 42 days.
So it could take a max of 85 days to get the response you’d like..

[Lincox]

So is there a time limit?!

Yes, but there was in the old version.

So 15 days then 28 days then 42 days.
So it could take a max of 85 days to get the response you’d like..

No, more likely a minimum of 85 days with the response you do not like.

[TheBushBaby]

Why the hell would you agree anything longer than the minimum statutory time period of twenty eight days ? Once again it raises some question over the £20 million ?

In the lipstick world of Royal Mail, if you feel your wages have been deducted unlawfully you have to wait 84 days. Then you would have be timed out on an Employment Tribunal.

However, I would advise colleagues to file for ACAS Early conciliation at the same time.

Another issue is what if you have a grievance about HR, where do you go then ? They are responsible for running and enforcing the whole procedure.

[Lincox]

You wouldn,t quite be timed out. Employment tribunal is 3 months so even if you include February which is only 28 days you would still have 89 days, but I agree with you, it should not take 84 days for Royal Mail to complete their investigations including the Appeal Stage. I would personally approach ACAS long before the Appeal Stage was completed.
From experience with Royal Mail it took me 18 months to go through all of their previous Grievance Procedure so I would have no confidence that this company has any chance of knocking it down to 84 days because their Managers do not give a toss about grievances and it is the last thing that they are interested in getting sorted because the bulk of grievances are against them so why would they bother.

[TheBushBaby]

You wouldn,t quite be timed out. Employment tribunal is 3 months so even if you include February which is only 28 days you would still have 89 days, but I agree with you, it should not take 84 days for Royal Mail to complete their investigations including the Appeal Stage. I would personally approach ACAS long before the Appeal Stage was completed.
From experience with Royal Mail it took me 18 months to go through all of their previous Grievance Procedure so I would have no confidence that this company has any chance of knocking it down to 84 days because their Managers do not give a toss about grievances and it is the last thing that they are interested in getting sorted because the bulk of grievances are against them so why would they bother.

18 Months that is incredible !!

[Lincox]

It is incredible. When HR appointed the first appeal they appointed the DSM of the manager who I had a grievance against. Both my Area Union Rep and me totally rejected this. These are the type of stalling manouveres that HR play around with in order to get you to chuck in the towel. They then reappointed a Transport Manager to chair the appeal and he had no clue about how managers were trying to manipulate the flexibility agreement or what it even was. There were weeks and weeks of stalling but I was as belligerent as them.

[TheBushBaby]

The advice from our Branch is to apply for one of these straight away https://ec.acas.org.uk/Submission/Create" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as soon as you submit a formal grievance.

[TheBushBaby]

ACAS are now issuing certificates on the day you register your request for conciliation.