LTB 068/24 - Network Window Joint Statement
No: 068/24
16th February 2024
TO: ALL POSTAL BRANCHES
BRT&G Agreement – Network Window – RM/CWU Joint Communication
Dear Colleague,
Branches and members will be aware that the CWU has been actively seeking to provide updates in relation to Network Window and the publication of the Delivery Office start and finish times that will be published on Monday 19th February on Delivery Office notice boards.
As such talks have continued between Royal Mail and the CWU as we jointly recognise that the revised Network Window represents one of the biggest changes to the operation and its associated impact on employees’ start and finish times.
It is jointly recognised that there has been a lot of good joint working at all levels which have helped mitigate start and finish times in the vast majority of the UK, achieving a much improved position from that originally envisaged when the BRT&G Agreement was signed.
The headlines are as follows:
1000 Delivery Units below 60 minutes
360 Delivery Units with less than 15 minutes change
610 Delivery Units with less than 30 minutes change
82% of Delivery Units last letter by 15:30.
96% of Delivery Units last letter by 16:00.
Both Parties however recognise that the impact on start and finish times is a concern for employees in a small number of units where the start time has moved by over 60 minutes.
As such we have agreed a further Joint Statement which is attached that confirms the following key principles:
Royal Mail and CWU have agreed the facility for a unit to take 15 minutes meal relief between wave 1 and 2. This will help mitigate the start and finish time by 15 minutes. This option must have the support of the Delivery employees, local CWU representative, and local manager within the unit. This option only applies to those units who are over 60 minutes.
Both Royal Mail and the CWU are continuing to explore options in Scotland to advance the flow of work from other Mail Centres into the Inward Mail Centres in Scotland. The aim of this work is to try to find further mitigation to start times. In addition, Royal Mail will also continue to look at a small number of other sites where further mitigation may be possible.
Both parties remain committed to working together at all levels to try and find pragmatic and workable solutions from the impact of the Network change on employees and CWU members. We will closely review the implementation of the Network Window changes through the first 12 weeks of live operations and additionally post peak 2024.
For the avoidance of doubt, the start times published on 19 February are your new start times. If they do change then these will be published in your unit. We would like to jointly remind you that the Exceptions Process opens on 19 February 2024.
In addition to the above we have also issued a CWU communication which confirms that you early next week, the CWU will:
Call an all reps briefing online on Monday.
Produce our own online spreadsheet where members can see details of the proposed changes for their offices.
Hold multiple live events for with the members next week.
Produce a range of other communications.
I know this is a very difficult and challenging issue. However what is absolutely clear is the interventions of the union and the support of you as members continue to put pressure on the company to put further mitigation on the table.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to DGSP department.
Yours sincerely,
Martin WalshDeputy General Secretary (Postal)
