LTB 054/25 - Royal Mail Group: Special National Briefing & Postal Policy Forum – Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd May 2025

No 054/25

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail Group: Special National Briefing & Postal Policy Forum – Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd May 2025

Branches are advised that we are making plans for a combination of a Special National Briefing and Postal Policy Forum to be held on the following dates – Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd May 2025 at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 4PH (in the International Suite).

The current thinking is as follows:

• The first day will be the Special National Briefing commencing at 09:30 until 17:30 and the purpose of this day will be to provide extensive updates on a range of key issues linked to the EP takeover, USO pilots, the plan to transform IR/ER in every workplace, and other important matters.

• The second day will focus on the Postal Policy Forum commencing at 09:30 until 17:00.

These are provisional plans as the situation is extremely fluid due to the delay linked to the Romanian Government.  The dilemma we are facing is the takeover transaction is taking longer than originally anticipated and potentially may not take place until late May, and this potentially could mean that an in-principle Agreement reached could be in breach of the takeover panel protocols as EP would not be the owners at that point.

All Branches will appreciate that the delay in the transaction has added more complexities to the way we had originally planned the Policy Forum. Our plan had been to produce an Agreement on all of the matters below and present this to Branches in advance.  If possible, we will still aim to present an in-principle Agreement linked to Section 5 of the Agreement.  In this regard, we are due to commence negotiations on pay and associated issues as follows from 31st March:

• Pay

• The first step on equalisation of new entrants’ terms and the following stages

• Agreed steps to reduce agency

• Pathway to improve overtime/SA

• Improving sick pay first step

• Improved VR terms

• A proposed incentive scheme

• A pilot on new ways of working

• 
  

Below is a list of Representatives invited to attend the two-day Event:

• Senior Field Officials:

  • Regional Secretaries

  • Divisional Representatives

  • Territorial Engineering Representatives

  • Parcelforce Regional Organisers

  • Fleet and Maintenance Service Territorial Representatives

  • RMPFS National Representatives (Cleaning and Engineering)

  • RMPFS Regional Cleaning and Engineering Representatives.

• Branches:

  • Branch Secretaries

  • All Royal Mail Area Representatives (Delivery, Processing, Distribution, including Network and Logistics, Health & Safety, Admin and Engineers)

  • Customer Experience Representatives

  • Two Unit Representatives, one of which must be a woman in line with our proportionality requirements.

  • 
    

Due to space constraints at the meeting venue, unfortunately we cannot accommodate visitors on this occasion.

Branches are expected to cover delegates’ travel and subsistence costs associated with attendance at the Event in line with previous instructions and advice issued.

Once we have greater clarity on these matters, further details will follow.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department hford@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey       

A/Deputy General Secretary (Postal)  

Mick Kavanagh

Postal Executive Chair

LTB 054/25 – Special National Briefing Postal Policy Forum