LTB 501/21 – Joint Statement – Pathway to Change Agreement – PFW Depots – Flexible Duty Resourcing
No: 501/21
26th November 2021
For the Immediate Attention of All:
Postal Branches with Parcelforce members
Parcelforce Regional Organisers
Parcelforce Depot Representatives
Dear Colleagues
Joint Statement – Pathway to Change Agreement – PFW Depots – Flexible Duty Resourcing
Branches will recall that discussions on 7-day working in Parcelforce date back to the Four Pillars Agreement in 2018. Within the Resourcing Principles section of the Parcelforce Annex of the Four Pillars agreement, there was a commitment to joint working group activity to look at resourcing options to facilitate a 7-day operation.
Parcelforce currently delivers across the weekend; however, Sunday volumes remain low due to the fact that the business continues to charge a premium for the service. PFW have reported that the lack of a uniform 7-day service is becoming a commercial barrier to the retention of current contracts and the attainment of new business.
The Four Pillars commitment led to the conclusion of a Terms of Reference in September 2018 for the creation of a JWG and activity for trialling a range of resourcing options resulting in an agreement for trial activity at Oxford Depot to test a range of inventive resourcing solutions. The aim of this activity was to create a menu of options that could be deployed to make weekend working more attractive. Although the list was not exhaustive the agreed range of options could include:
Four day weeks, which may or may not span the weekend
Nine day fortnights
A notional value to weekend hours
Weekend duties
Rotations
Activity commenced in 2019 but was adversely affected by the strained IR relationship during that period and the Covid Pandemic again moved focus away from the issue. This effectively ended any real activity.
The discussions which led to the Pathway to Change Agreement revisited the intention to address the issue. The Summary document agreed with PFW in August 2020 as a precursor to the final agreement picked up the Resourcing Principles issue.
A key commitment of the Guiding Principles/Four Pillars agreement was a review of resourcing principles in PFW, to ensure that the operation remains fit to deal with the evolving nature of customer demands for a 7-day service provision.
Both parties reaffirm the commitment and recognise that with regard to weekend coverage in particular, the solutions of the past no longer appear attractive. Discussions will take place, at pace, to revisit the joint work undertaken on this issue prior to the National dispute, with a view to developing and agreeing mutual-interest solutions for trial and deployment which align resource to demand and provide capacity for growth.
Of course during the period since that statement was made Royal Mail have commenced Sunday Deliveries which has brought renewed focus onto the PFW offering. Discussions therefore recommenced on Resourcing Options and these have now concluded in an agreed Joint Statement which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive.
Building on the commitments in the 2018 Terms of Reference, Pilot activity will take place at a number of Depots to test different resourcing options. This will be part of a flexible resourcing approach and will continue to take account of local earnings packages. Equally, the importance of family friendly arrangements and work life balance is fully understood and any new duty structures introduced will avoid compulsion where possible.
It has now been agreed that pilot activity will be relaunched in Cleveland, Glasgow and Medway Depots, to explore a full range of resourcing options.
The pilot activity and the options generated will be reviewed by the JWG in February 2022 with a view to concluding guidelines which would be used to shape revision activity in Depots.
To address some of the pressing concerns where the business cannot attract sufficient volunteers to provide weekend coverage, it has been agreed that FTC arrangements can include weekend attendance however these arrangements would be subject to review when the agreed guidelines are concluded.
In the view of the department it is imperative that PFW are not left behind by the moves made by Royal Mail in the Sunday delivery arena. The department is committed to ensuring that Parcelforce remain the provider of premium parcel services within RMG and to do so we must ensure that the product and service offering evolves to meet the requirements of the customer base and match the competition. Initial soundings have indicated that there is an appetite to look at alternatives and the pilot activity will provide a platform to test a range of options.
The department would ask that Branches bring the contents of this LTB to the attention of our Parcelforce members.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 054.06.
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary