LTB 296/24 - UPDATE: New Entrants’ Terms and Conditions
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LTB 296/24 – UPDATE: New Entrants’ Terms and Conditions
Dear Colleagues,
UPDATE: New Entrants’ Terms and Conditions
All Branches will recall that at the National Briefing on Recruitment and Organsing held on 10th July, we announced that we would be offering a reduced union subscription rate for new entrants who have been employed since 1st December 2022.
The reason for the initial reduced subscription is in recognition of the fact that Royal Mail imposed the new terms and conditions without agreement with the CWU. Royal Mail’s rationale for introducing the new terms and conditions is to reduce the costs of recruiting new staff but also because the union refused to have compulsory Sunday working for our members.
As part of the BRT&G Agreement we are in discussions with Royal Mail on how we can improve new entrants’ terms and conditions.
Prior to the BRT&G Agreement Royal Mail did not want those employed from 1st December 2022 to be the subject of collective bargaining or within a union.
There are circa 17,000 new entrants who have joined Royal Mail since 1st December 2022. Current attrition rates for new entrants are at 16% nationally but is much higher in certain areas. In addition, up to 25% of new entrants who leave Royal Mail do so within 90 days of joining.
There are a number of reasons why attrition rates are higher for new entrants.
These include:
• Royal Mail advertise for new entrants up to 40 hours but the vast majority are employed on part-time hours.
• Where new entrants are having to work all or most Sundays.
• Where they do not get suitable training and support especially at least 6 weeks on a fixed walk.
On a wider level, we believe it is also down to the lower rate of pay and terms and conditions.
New entrants’ hourly rate is just 54p more than the national living wage and £1.17 above the national minimum wage. They do not receive RRIS, inner or outer London weighting, the delivery supplement, they do not have paid meal reliefs and are monthly paid.
As part of our discussions with Royal Mail we want to improve new entrants’ terms and conditions and this is part of our strategy – to offer a temporary reduced union subscription to new entrants. Once we have improved their terms and conditions, we will give them 3 months’ notice that they will move to full rate.
CWU membership have now updated their membership system to ensure that there is a drop-down menu which allows for anyone who has joined Royal Mail since 1st December 2022 to go to the reduced rate.
The new rate of £9.41 (without political levy) and £10.28 (with political levy), will be introduced from week commencing 9th September. We are going to launch communications publicly next week about the campaign.
We are also going to ask Divisional Reps and Regional Secretaries to support Branches in communicating the union’s strategy of lower union fees to maximise membership numbers to provide the strength to improve their terms and conditions.
Finally, Branches who have already recruited new entrants should contact membership to ensure that they benefit from the introductory union subscription rate.
Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (P)
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