LTB 059/21 – Joint Statement between Royal Mail / CWU – Safety and Operational Arrangements During the Covid – 19 Pandemic

No. 059/21

Date 16th February 2021

Joint Statement between Royal Mail / CWU – Safety and Operational Arrangements During the Covid – 19 Pandemic

Dear Colleagues,

Branches will be aware of the continuing difficulties being experienced within the operation due to the Covid pandemic. You will also be aware that our members’ heroic efforts to provide a fantastic service to the UK public, whilst also playing a key role in fighting the pandemic has proven extremely difficult.

This is due to constraints within the operation arising from single only use of vehicles, social distancing measures in space constrained buildings, particularly in DO’s, whilst also dealing with increased absence rates related to the pandemic. This has now been exacerbated due to the break out of virus variants resulting in local spikes in some cases and areas across the UK.

In addition to this, Royal Mail, as demonstrated in their recent announcements, have experienced a massive boom in parcel growth with record levels of items and in particular tracked items with YOY levels up considerably on those previously ecountered. These factors have placed enormous strain on our members within the operation and in many cases these have impacted on quality of service, in particular on USO and letter deliveries. This aspect has also been the subject of unwelcomed reporting from the media which has raised the focus on Royal Mail and the qulity of service which is being provided.

Accordingly, we have been in dialogue with Royal Mail in order to agree and put into place a structured approach in dealing with these issues and to engender a joint way of working which the Divisional Reps and SDL’s will oversee and for them to jointly monitor the current situation and in particular, concentrate help and provide assistance at pace where “hot spots” of absence and operational issues arise.

We have therefore concluded a Joint Statement, agreed today by the Postal Executive, which we believe will help to provide the process for this activity whilst also ensuring that our National agreements along with full involvement of the CWU are accommodated, and fully taken into account.

As you will note the Joint Statement includes issues that are specific to both the Processing and Delivery functions, whilst also including important commitments that are necessary in the current situation and will assist reps and Branches.

In addition Dave Joyce and the HSE department have been fully involved with those aspects contained within the Joint Statement which fall under his department’s remit.

Branches will note that the Joint Statement also includes the full involvement of the Divisional Reps, who will oversee the activity along with the direct involvement of the Area Reps, with an escalation of any issues that

cannot be resolved to the National Officers to raise with Royal Mail’s senior management team on the joint weekly operational call.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Branches, members and representatives for their fantastic efforts in carrying out a vital service to the public and as key workers during this very testing time.

Any enquiries with regard to the content of the above for Delivery Issues please contact the Outdoor Department reference 600 email address: njones@cwu.org

Any Processing, Area Distribution, Network enquiries please contact Sue Hayman

Reference 014.14 email address shayman@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch
CWU Assistant Secretary
Davie Robertson
CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 059/21 – Joint Statement Between Royal Mail and CWU – Safety and Operational Arrangements 16th February 2021

Safety and Operational Arrangements During the Continued Lockdown Period – February 2021