Royal Mail & Post Office pensions latest

To: All Branches with Postal Members

Dear Colleague

PENSIONS - URGENT INFORMATION

The purpose of this LTB is to advise Branches of imminent developments on pensions. It was reported to both the Liverpool Policy Forum and Annual Conference that the Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited had advised the Union that a further pension problem was looming.

The Union has today received formal proposals for Pension Changes from the Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited. The proposals relate to the ongoing funding of accrued and future benefits within the Royal Mail Pension Plan. It does not affect pensions covered by the Government scheme.

We have been advised that all Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited employees will receive a letter on Wednesday 29th May explaining the position of both companies. At this stage neither company has triggered the 60 day legal consultation, although we understand this will happen around the middle of June. Both companies have indicated that they are now seeking formal negotiations with the Union.

The Postal Executive will consider the formal proposals and its implications on privatisation when we meet next week.

As reported previously, it remains our position that if either Company trigger the 60 day legal consultation then the Union will call a Special Postal Group Conference or Policy Forum. Any attempt by either Company to introduce further pension changes by executive action will be opposed by all means necessary. This latest development has also been raised directly with the Government in our ongoing discussions with the Minister.

A more detailed LTB will be issued tomorrow which will include a letter to members to be handed out in the workplace. In the meantime, the content of this LTB should be immediately distributed to all representatives and workplaces.

This latest pension development is another reason why our members should vote yes in the consultative ballot. For our members in Post Office Limited it will only strengthen their resolve in our current dispute.

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS (P) Department.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P

O2 Outsourcing decision - a betrayal!

O2 outsourcing decision a “betrayal” says CWU

21st May 2013

Responding to Telefonica o2's announcement today (Tuesday) that it will outsource thousands of call centre jobs and make hundreds redundant from four sites - Bury, Glasgow, Leeds and Preston Brook (near Warrington) - to outsource giant Capita, the Communication Workers Union has branded the decision a "mistake" and "betrayal of staff who have built the company".

Up to 600 people will be made redundant and over 3,000 will transfer to Capita with no guarantees on their terms, conditions or job security. In total 3,670 jobs are affected. CWU has asked o2 to reconsider and is concerned that pay rates will fall to £7 an hour.

CWU has been told the work will transfer from 1^st July 2013 giving just 41 days notice - the usual period for such a large number of jobs has been 90 days. Staff are due to be told this morning. O2 work was off-shored to South Africa last year where Capita has operations.

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "People are being dispensed with in a cold accountancy exercise designed to save money. This is a betrayal of the staff who have built this company and made it successful.

"We're gravely concerned about the future of these jobs as how will savings be made if not through attacks on jobs and terms and conditions? These are decent jobs paying around £2.50 an hour more than other Capita call centre staff. A cut in pay would be bad news for the local economy in these areas and a disaster for families.

"We have been presented with a fait accompli. There has not been and apparently won't be any meaningful negotiation or opportunity to influence the terms of transfer or negotiate on behalf of our members. We've got no guarantees on the stability of jobs and terms and conditions - all we've been told is that this will be up to Capita. That's not much to cling to.

"Given the gravity of this situation for our members we cannot rule out industrial action."

Rumours of outsourcing have plagued call centre staff for weeks. CWU wrote to CEO Ronan Dunn last week asking him to clear up speculation about outsourcing.

CWU understands that Capita will take charge of the four sites, either buying them or taking on existing leases. Some staff will remain working for o2 at these sites while many will transfer under TUPE arrangements. Staff transferring per site are:

Bury: 927 staff

Glasgow: 811 staff

Leeds: 1,038 staff

Preston Brook: 1,095 staff

Last year o2 reversed its policy on offshore work, sending jobs to South Africa with Capita.

The average salary of current o2 call centre staff ranges between £17,800 and £23,000 or around £10 an hour. Call centre staff working for Capita at Dearne Valley on o2 contracts are paid on average £7 an hour.

Royal Mail results - a success for public ownership!

Royal Mail results show success in public ownership

Responding to Royal Mail’s results today (Tuesday) which show profits almost doubling to £403 million for the year 2012-2013, CWU says that modernisation in the public sector should continue.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “Today’s positive results are more compelling evidence of why Royal Mail should be kept in the public sector.

 “Improved productivity and modernisation has played a role in these good results. Privatisation isn’t necessary and it would destabilise the workforce and the good progress being made. The support of the workforce is crucial to the success of the company.

 “Price rises have also clearly played a role in the rise in profits. Fattening the goose in the short term may lead to volume decline as customers seek alternatives. One thing’s clear, under privatisation prices would rise further and services would be hit as private companies operate for profit, not for people.

 “But overall today’s results are positive. They show Royal Mail is doing well and that privatisation is not necessary. The company can afford to reward postal workers with a pay rise.”

 CWU is balloting members in Royal Mail starting Wednesday. Four questions will be asked, including whether postal workers oppose privatisation, whether they would support a private mail boycott in deliveries and questions on pay and workplace issues. The ballot closes on June 18 with the result due to be announced on June 19.

For more information please contact:

Sian Jones, Press Officer, tel: 020 8971 7267, mobile: 0779 3314249, e-mail:sbjones@cwu.org

May Equality Ezine available

This is our latest ezine in jpeg fromat. If you reuire the pdf it can be donwloaded here http://www.cwu.org/e-bulletin.html

Leeds north west Labour MP selection

 

Leeds North West Labour Party have started their selection process to find a candidate to take on Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland at the next general election in 2015.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to mount a campaign capable of exposing the Lib Dem’s record in government, then apply now!

Anyone wishing to apply needs to do so by Friday 24th May – you can find the CV and all the other details you’ll need at members.labour.org.uk/parliamentary-selections

Details of the timetable for selecting a candidate are as follows:

LEEDS NORTH WEST OPEN SELECTION

Applications Close: 5pm Fri 24 May 2013
Shortlisting Interviews: Sat 29 June 2013
Final Hustings and Count: Sat 27 July 2013
Procedure Secretary: Alan Slomson
Email: a.slomson@leeds.ac.uk

O2 outsource rumours

CWU seeks clarity on o2 outsource rumours

13th May 2013

CWU has today (Monday) written to Telefonica o2 boss Ronan Dunne asking him to clear up the rumours which are running through o2 call centres today regarding outsourcing.

"It appears to be an open secret that there will be an announcement regarding outsourcing" said CWU assistant secretary Sally Bridge. "The rumour mill is unbearable -it's being openly discussed in call centres this afternoon."

CWU passed a motion at last month's annual conference opposing outsourcing in o2 following media speculation on the issue. The policy was unanimously backed to "oppose by all means possible, up to and including industrial action".

Sally explained: "Outsourcing would be seen as a betrayal by the company's loyal and hard working employees. We won't sit idly by and let this happen.

"We do not believe that it is in the best interests of O2 as a brand, as a business or indeed as an employer to consider steps to outsource the Voice channel at a time when the co-operation and good will of its employees is required to meet the challenges both financially and commercially of the future."

CWU represents staff working in call centres, support functions and engineering roles in o2.


Emergency motion E8 in full:

"Conference notes the article in today's Sun newspaper which reports that hundreds of call centre workers are set to be outsourced by O2 under plans currently being considered.

"Whilst the CWU understands that this is a company that is transforming itself for the future, to take advantage of new technologies and in order to provide new services, any transformation plans need to take into consideration the CWU members that are affected and they need to be at the very heart of any decisions made.

"The CWU therefore instructs the Telecom and Financial Services Executive to oppose any move by O2 to outsource the majority of call centre work as it is not in the interests of the members we represent. To oppose by all means possible up to and including industrial action."

BT pay deal

Deal reached on BT pay of 2.8% plus £200

9th May 2013

Following difficult and protracted negotiations, the CWU has secured a final pay offer from BT of 2.8% plus a pensionable£200 lump sum. The offer will be put to members in a ballot and if accepted will be paid in June salaries.
The one-year pay deal covers the period April 2013 to April 2014. The 2.8% increase on base pay will be backdated to April 1 2013 for all Team Members who are NewGRID grades and Loyalty Advisor agents. This will flow through to all allowances automatically uplifted in line with the NewGRID agreement.
An additional £200 lump sum payment has been secured which, although unconsolidated, will be treated as pensionable and if accepted by members will also be paid in June 2013. The total brings the cash-equivalent payment to above the current rate of inflation.

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, has led the pay negotiations and explains: "It's been a difficult set of negotiations and it's clear to the team that this is the best offer we can secure for members through negotiation. We've pushed the company hard and have secured significant improvements on the original pay offer. We're now happy to recommend the offer as the impact will be that all members will receive in cash terms an increase that is above the current rate of inflation and above average pay settlements elsewhere.
"During negotiations, BT stated their wish to introduce a scheme for future years which should enable all employees to share more in the company's success and which would be linked to the company's performance. Transparent and public measures of the company's success such as free cash flow and customer service are likely to be used and the CWU has agreed to enter into discussions with BT on a 'without prejudice' basis, about how such a scheme could operate. However, we have secured assurances from BT that there is no intention to replace the annual pay review."
The CWU's Telecoms and Financial Services Executive is recommending the pay offer to members, set against the backdrop of difficult pay talks, very low economic growth and average pay settlements elsewhere of 2.5%.
The offer will be put to all affected members in a consultative ballot that will run until the beginning of June and, if accepted, will be implemented in the June 2013 payroll and backdated to 1^st April 2013.
Details of the ballot will be published as soon as they are finalised.

Please send us your views and questions to BTpay@cwu.org and also inform your local branch of your views.
For more information visit BT Pay 2013

BT Pension Scheme Survey

Air your views in the BT Pension Scheme trustee survey

9th May 2013

The Trustee of the BT Pension Scheme is conducting a review of how it communicates with scheme members and wants your feedback before any changes are made.
If you have a few minutes to spare and would like to have your say simply complete the survey found on the BT Pension Scheme website >here<.
A paper version of the survey has already been sent to pensioners with their pension increase notifications and there is also the opportunity for retired, active and deferred members to fill in the survey online.

Urging members of the scheme to take the opportunity to complete the survey, Nigel Cotgrove said: "Now is your chance to air your views on the way information about the BTPS is communicated and I encourage everyone to get involved."
The survey closes on the 20^th May

Moortown anti EDL demo pics

Thanks to all who made todays anti EDL demo in Moortown a success. The photos may be used in your union journals and not for profit or personal gain non racist publications. All I ask is that you acknowledge the source - me.




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