LTB 110/24 – Royal Mail and CWU Joint Communication – GeoRoute Delivery Revisions Q4 2023/2024 and Q1 2024/2025 (Including Units Involved in Delivery 2.0)
No. 110/24
Date 15th March 2024
Dear Colleagues,
Royal Mail and CWU Joint Communication – GeoRoute Delivery Revisions Q4 2023/2024 and Q1 2024/2025 (Including Units Involved in Delivery 2.0)
Branches and Representatives will recall that in the Royal Mail/CWU Joint Communication Covering Section 2.5 Improving Quality of Service, as set out in LTB 017/24 (Letter To Branches) issued on 15th January, there is a further commitment that a small number of units are to go through a full GeoRoute Structural Revision or Indoor Methods trial activity during Q4 and that both parties are going to meet to review the proposed plan and approach for this activity.
Whilst LTB 081/24 issued on 27th February set out the Royal Mail and CWU Joint Communication Regarding Delivery 2.0 Trials (the Indoor Methods trial), the discussions with Royal Mail in terms of GeoRoute revisions activity have been prolonged, difficult and subject to unnecessary delay due to Royal Mail’s internal governance process, which has delayed the conclusion of an agreed set of words regarding GeoRoute revision activity for some three plus weeks.
However, we are now able to report that a Joint Communication has finally been reached in terms of GeoRoute revisions activity, in line with the commitment set out in Section 2.5 Improving Quality of Service, which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive.
Although the Joint Communication and linked FAQs are self-explanatory, the following key points should be highlighted:
- Both parties recognise successful revision deployment is best achieved through collaborative working at all levels, including local level. The Joint Communication emphasises collaboration, engagement, incorporating feedback, safety, and ongoing review to optimise GeoRoute revision planning and execution.
- Both parties see this as an opportunity to review and refresh GeoRoute planning alongside wider revision activity and aim to gather feedback from the listed units to refine the approach for future deployments.
- Both parties will jointly review the Royal Mail Sub Task activities and supporting documentation during the revision process to incorporate feedback and improvements both in terms of current activity and going forward. The Royal Mail Sub Task activities and supporting documentation will be used and viewed as a guide only by both parties.
- Local CWU Representatives will be fully involved in the revision activity, with agreed release arrangements, and alongside the Units Lead COM. Area Delivery Representatives and Operational Process Leaders will provide support and review progress.
- Both parties confirm safety remains a key priority and therefore revision deployment is subject to all the required H&S requirements being met. Any planned changes to the current SAC1 and other required H&S processes will need to be confirmed with the CWU Health, Safety, and Environment Department.
- Additionally, Area Safety Reps, alongside Royal Mail SHE Advisors will play a key role in supporting revision safety activity.
- Ongoing joint reviews of all GeoRoute revision activities will be conducted by a National JWG to refine the approach going forward and this will be done at pace and in advance of the further GeoRoute planning activity beyond July 2024, with such further planned activity being subject to further discussions between Royal Mail and the CWU.
Additionally, the Joint Communication sets out key parts of the GeoRoute revision process to be jointly undertaken. It also confirms the Menu of Duty Options where units choose to review attendance arrangements, as well as the level of details to be issued locally alongside new proposed delivery routes and a process for constructing duties.
The Joint Communication and linked FAQs further confirm an escalation process, if issues cannot be resolved locally. They also affirm that further support materials and limited targeted training will be further developed and that joint Deployment Reviews are going to take place four weeks after each local revision has been deployed. Finally, it ensures that where necessary a unit’s WIPWH (Weighted Items Per Work Hour) local optimised level will be revised and based on the GeoRoute hours and the reduced IWT (Indoor Workload Tool) level.
In setting out the above, we again need to advise that Royal Mail has pressed on with aspects of GeoRoute planning activity in most of the listed units despite the delays they have caused in the conclusion of this Joint Communication. So once again, we find ourselves playing catch up. However, and given this, the Department has been liaising with Divisional Reps and relevant ADRs to offer interim assistance as necessary for the past number of weeks.
Although the whole process of securing this Joint Communication has been problematic and unsatisfactory, we have continued to remain engaged in order to ensure that such GeoRoute revision activity covering a total 45 Delivery units remains subject to national oversight and safeguards, and that any final position reached with Royal Mail was underpinned by genuine and meaningful joint engagement for the union at all levels.
Any queries to the content of the above please contact the Outdoor Department reference 555, email address: JRODRIGUES@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Baulch
CWU Assistant Secretary