LTB 322/17 – TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU ON THE TABLE OF SUCCESS NATIONAL HATFIELD PROCESSING CENTRE (HPC) JOINT WORKING GROUP

Dear Colleagues

TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU ON THE TABLE OF SUCCESS NATIONAL HATFIELD PROCESSING CENTRE (HPC) JOINT WORKING GROUP

Branches and representatives are informed that further to the successful introduction of the North West Processing Centre in 2013 and in line with our joint commitments to the Growth Agenda, Parcelforce Worldwide has recently reviewed their current processing footprint. This activity was undertaken to ensure that the capacity exists to both grow volume and provide market leading customer offerings, which are increasingly dependent on the availability of later, Latest Acceptance Times (LAT’s). This review has concluded that a further Processing Centre in the South of the UK would provide tangible benefits to the business in meeting the ongoing commercial challenges of the increasingly competitive marketplace.

The lease break in relation to the site formally utilised for the Home Counties Distribution Centre (Hatfield), provided an opportunity to establish such a Processing Centre and extensive negotiations with the landlord have recently concluded with Parcelforce acquiring the lease.

The lease acquisition will enable PFW to relocate the existing Welwyn Garden City LD operation onto the Hatfield site and also create the new Hatfield Processing Centre (HPC). Currently the site is also home to the Royal Mail Northern Home Counties VOC and they will continue to share and run services from the site.

In line with our established Table of Success processes it has been agreed that it is now appropriate to formally progress proposals on the operational and people’s issues associated with the introduction of the new HPC site and associated activity.

Attached for the information of Branches and representatives are the Terms of Reference that have been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive to allow the joint activity to commence.

Colleagues will note that it is anticipated that the Hatfield Processing Centre (HPC) will supplement and enhance the current Processing estate by producing opportunities for volume growth across the network and provide avenues to meet customer demand for enhanced LAT’s through increasing regional access points to the network.

Equally, it has been reaffirmed that the National Hub at Coventry will remain the principal Parcelforce Worldwide Processing Centre, supplemented by both NWPC and the new HPC.

The Joint Working Group process will be in accordance with the principles agreed within “Agreement on Reinvigorating the Table of Success July 2011” and will report into the Table of Success NSG as part of the overall governance process.

In addition to the above the Hatfield site will continue to accommodate the NHC VOC operation. The JWG will therefore also liaise with RM Logistics and the relevant CWU, Divisional and Area Distribution Representatives to ensure that any operational issues that are identified in relation to the VOC can be addressed at pace and that the existing O’ Licence remains compliant. Any cross functional issues of concern that are identified as being out of scope of the JWG will be referred to the NSG for resolution as a matter of urgency.

To ensure that any H&S aspects are fully covered consultation has taken place with the H&S Department and they have nominated an Area H&S Representative for inclusion in the JWG.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 111.14

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary