The New Agreement
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The new agreement between the Royal Mail and the CWU is out as I’m sure you’ve heard. I’m looking at a copy now. It’s called – in a phrase which is both ominous and bland at the same time – “Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond.”
It’s a total dog’s dinner of a document, almost impossible to make sense of, full of obfuscation and vagary, with strings of letters representing various previous agreements, and a general attempt to hide its message behind obscure language. For instance, the phrase “MTSF Agreement” is used a number of times. When, eventually, you discover that this is the “Managing The Surplus Framework Agreement” you’re still not any the wiser. It takes a degree of digging to figure out that “The Surplus” means surplus jobs, so that “Managing The Surplus Framework Agreement” is referring to job losses.
Or, try this: "RM and CWU agree that the length of delivery span can be an enabler in bringing about mutual benefits. From now on, within the process of duty revision negotiations, spans must be looked at in the context of an enabler rather than a fixed amount of time to be aimed at."
What does that mean? Simply translated “an enabler” means the opportunity to impose longer delivery spans. They can't come out and say it directly because they know we are already overworked and will protest, so it's hidden away in this obscure form.
But, to summarise, the agreement makes a number of significant changes to our working conditions and working practices. One of the most problematic is door-to-door (that is “junk mail”). Currently we take out 3 items per household per week and are paid separately per item. On average we would take home about £30 for this. The new agreement lifts the cap on the number and transfers it into our workload. We will no longer be paid separately. Instead we will be given a weekly supplement of £20.60, pro rata for part-timers. That figure also includes compensation for the loss of the early shift allowance.
In other words what this amounts to is a significant cut in pay for a significant increase in work: more work for less money. It will be even worse for part-timers as the pro-rata element means they will be taking out the same amount of door-to-door for half the money of their full-time colleagues.
This must be the first time in history that a workforce has gone out on strike in order to achieve a pay-cut.
Another problematic area will be longer Saturdays. Traditionally Saturdays have always been a short day to allow posties the benefit of a Saturday afternoon with their families. From now on Saturdays will be like any other day: maybe even worse, as there’s talk of Saturday-only door-to-door deliveries too. With the combination of later start times which will be rolled out for the entire week, this will mean some posties still being out on their rounds at 4.00pm on a Saturday afternoon. Too late to catch their boys out on the playing field or any other leisure activity.
Vague platitudes about “family-friendly” policies and half-hearted nods towards issues of stress and fatigue are no compensation for the very real damage this will cause to postal worker’s home lives and conditions at work.
- Roy Mayall | guardian.co.uk
Roy Mayall is a pseudonym for a postal worker who has been in the job for about five years and works in a delivery office somewhere in the south-east of England. He writes a blog at roymayall.wordpress.com - Roy Mayall London Review Blog
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Have the ordinary, common or garden postmen and women not realised, by now, their union is just another tier of management? Perhaps it's time the postmen/women had another tier, of their own, to protect their Rights from their union. Or would that be too much to expect, considering most workers act, and re-act, like whipped dogs, resignedly accepting everything thrown at them by Management?
I would suggest people take time to read the overall position rather than the bits which are not popular. I for one went on industrial action because management would not negotiate. The agreement is now a negotiable position and although people will have to decide whether or not the agreement is good enough we also need to reflect back to the position we were facing prior to this agreement. We are the union everyone of us who is a member of it!!!
Great hub!
Typical of management!
I think the new agreement is geared towards serving businesses better. The real gauge of this success is the feedback of the recipients though.
A Ray 23 months ago
A deal for all... not a chance of that, how the CWU top people can agree with this “2010 and beyond” can only be described as a sell out of all the hard working postmen and woman around the country, why is this do they position themselves for their own political objectives...
6.9% over Three years ...mmmmm not really we did not get a pay rise for two years so in real terms it is over five years .... And so many string to achieve each payment. Not a standard pay rise at all we are giving up much more to achieve this. Yes be better off if they keep it.
Door to Doors becoming a slave to an uncapped amount each week... 3,4 --- 10 yes lets break our back and destroy the word forests at the same time for just over £20 including and shift allowance in the amount what a steal by RM. Which reminds me..?
Our pensions well they already attacked them now we don’t get a final salary as n is now it is worked out one the first day salary you know when we join RM... The difference in a week’s wage and week’s wage 30 -40 years later is big means our pension becomes small. That’s happened now as sick as I am what about our so called trusties ... they should already announce the status of our pensions and that forever getting bigger Black hole and what will be done about this. I see not mention on this.....??
A better service for all really all I see is a worst service in postal deliveries steadily declining. People, Businesses, all really want mail in the morning... letters, birthday cards for children how lovely to hit the mat 7 to 9 in the morning for kids before school, not at 4, 5 or 6pm evening, tenders, hospitals appointments, bills, invoices, solicitors letters, court papers the list goes on to what can be dealt with no longer the same day. Quality of life and the fabric of society been slowly ripped apart by our Government achieving the assassination of Royal Mail as we know if. Proud to be British and delivering British values slowly disappearing forever. Thank you our Government
The “Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond.” And what it really means:-
Can we get our big bones even bigger for the bones driven chairman, directors and mangers of RM ready for another attempted of privatisation to cream some more...
Much more Rubbish in that 2010 Doc but tied up in words travailing round & round not meaning very much but to make one tired .... The honest way would be to give details direct with facts and specifics
Vote not for that Deal and don’t let the money from the share deal (Colleague Shares dividend) that you already have and are entitled for without this deal swing it...
VOTE NO TO “Business Transformation 2010 and Beyond” BECAUSE IT’S RUBBISH!