LTB 147/24 – Terms of Reference – Collections Proof of Concept Trial Transfer of Collections Work from PFW to Royal Mail in the Stoke Area

No. 147/24

30th April 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Terms of Reference – Collections Proof of Concept Trial Transfer of Collections Work from PFW to Royal Mail in the Stoke Area

Branches will be aware that Section 5 of the Business Transformation, Recovery and Growth agreement (BRT&G) included commitments in relation to Section 5 – Establishing an Optimised Single Parcel Network for Larger Parcels.

Collections is an area with the potential to further test the “once over the ground” principle, as both PFW and RM cover the same geography and, in some cases, the same locations when collecting customer parcels. This Collections trial will further support the assessment of the potential for a Single Parcel Network.

RM have dedicated collection drivers often covering the same ground as PFW C&D drivers and, in the case of POL sites, visiting the same locations. The attached TOR for a trial in the Parcelforce Stoke Depot catchment area is being undertaken to test the ability of moving some PFW collections to RM collection drivers and to further test the principle of “once over the ground” in a collections scenario. The PFW-collected items will be returned to the RM Collection Hub, then get collected by PFW drivers in the area to deliver the traffic to Stoke LD, ensuring they enter the PFW outward network ready for dispatch.

The trial will test:

  • Ability of RM Collection Drivers to cover PFW collections, including vehicle capacity, cubic volume / size of parcels;
  • Test RM collection capacity, synergy and absorption potential;
  • Productivity opportunity for PFW C&D drivers – creating delivery-only routes by removing collections and ‘must return’ time to meet posted network trailers;
  • QofS / connectivity to get PFW-collected items into the PFW network via RM collection hubs to the LD – to consider all available options (e.g. via MCs, direct to PFW hub);
  • RM Collections QofS;
  • Parcel visibility i.e. PDA scan events;
  • Customer feedback.

The trial will take place in Stoke LD and will include the surrounding RM Collection Hubs over a 3-week period from 29th April 2024.

Both departments have been informed that wider comms were incorrectly issued in some areas not covered by the trial. For the avoidance of doubt, the agreed activity only applies to the Stoke area and all current collection arrangements in other areas are unaffected by the trial activity.

Additionally, in relation to Section 5 of the BRT&G Agreement, the departments advise we have agreed to ‘pause’ the ongoing trial outlined in the Joint Statement Between Royal Mail Group and the CWU Covering the Deployment of Parcelforce Rural Parcels Volumes into Royal Mail.

The Trial activity will be jointly reviewed before any further expansions are agreed.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: sbanbury@cwu.org quoting reference 054.13 or Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary, email address: Pharacz@cwu.org quoting reference 580. 

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson    

Assistant Secretary            

Mark Baulch

Assistant Secretary

LTB 147/24 – TOR PFW Collections Trial

Att: TOR PFW Collections Transfer – Proof of Concept Trial Stoke Area 26-04-2024