UDW Noticeboard

This is bad enough yet the GMB appear to have struck a deal on getting access to self employed or lifestyle couriers who are clearly going to replace the 900 direct employed workers that will walk out the door! How can any trade union allow 900 workers to walk out the door and agree a deal to ‘recruit’ the workers that will inevitably replace them? UDW members at Vauxhall have a written and signed letter from Don Arnold the operations director giving a firm commitment that there will be NO compulsory redundancies. UDW senior representatives negotiated protection for direct labour in the 1998 agreement which states that ‘in the event of any redundancy situation, self employed agents will be selected before direct labour. This agreement also protects the earnings of direct labour.

Yet the GMB are not only presiding over the mass influx of lifestyle couriers, they appear to have done a deal with DHL to allow them access to recruit and advise those couriers!
The blame for allowing the introduction of self employed couriers into what is now DHL lies squarely on the shoulders of the GMB. Under the stewardship of Sean Keating (GMB Commercial Services National Officer) in 1996, the great experiment of franchise drivers was introduced. Despite furious calls for industrial action ballots in Securicor Omega Express depots up and down the country, the GMB simply ignored those calls and passively allowed hundreds of franchise workers into the business to take away premium work from its own members. Alistair Maclean took over as National Officer in 1998 and successfully negotiated and implemented the 1998 agreement to protect those members.

For the GMB to now again passively allow the introduction of hundreds more self employed through the door (and negotiate an access deal to them) while direct labour workers are made redundant is absolutely disgusting!
Some parcel companies such as Home Delivery Network have indeed dispensed with the services of self employed agents and have strict agreement with the Transport and General Workers Union that no self employed agents will be used on any of its sites.
The UDW will fiercely challenge any attempt to enforce redundancy on its members. We call on the GMB to do the same and not to repeat the same big mistake of 1996!

The proposal of banking of hours is totally unworkable and unacceptable. That the GMB’s negotiating team should consider such a proposal then recommend acceptance is a disgrace. A vain attempt was made in Vauxhall in 97 which was forcibly rejected by the workforce. Again the GMB leadership under Keating dithered. Local shop stewards and the Vauxhall workforce imposed a work to rule and after successful negotiation with management the scheme ceased.
Now, yet again, the GMB appear to be falling into the same arrogant trap of allowing members to be used as and when the business dictates. With no cast iron guarantee on overtime payments, the GMB are recommending acceptance of a deal that allows the company to send workers home when work is low but yet make them work longer when work is high, with no overtime payment!.
The UDW will resist all attempts to send our members home early, and likewise all attempts to make our members work late, without the agreed rate of overtime!
We call on the GMB and its NNC in DHL to follow suit!

The GMB are recommending acceptance of a new proposal on PRP or ‘incentive scheme’. All well and good some may say, but where is it? How can the GMB endorse this as part of the pay offer, for acceptance, when they haven’t been shown or indeed provided with, a blueprint of exactly what this alternative scheme is?
The current PRP scheme is not prefect by a long chalk and has indeed needed constant reviewing since its implementation. But many workers have come to rely on this scheme to increase their earnings. There are agreements in place to negotiate tours and benchmarks with recourse to the grievance procedure should there be any disputes.
For the GMB to recommend acceptance of a deal which offers a re examination and replacement of this scheme but does not give a clear blueprint of the alternative is both crass and ignorant of workers needs.

The UDW asks you to consider what’s the point of learner reps in DHL? In our view they are simply workplace reps on an education course who have little or no real value who either wont or can’t stand up to management, but the GMB will receive large sums of money from the government for each learner rep they introduce! Ask yourselves what would the value of such persons be in the typical DHL site when you have disciplinary, grievance or PRP problems? Then consider what value this is to your pay and conditions offer.
It is the UDW’s view that this should not form a part of your pay and conditions negotiations and the GMB are trying to sell you a pup.

Whilst there is improvement on annual leave and Maternity/Paternity leave, the UDW wish to point out that this is to comply with government legislation. It has not been achieved by the GMB and its NNC. Nor does the UDW see any improvement on the work life balance proposal, better pension provisions or that uniform as laid out in the GMB’s charter for DHL workers.

In summary, the entire offer is totally dependent on large redundancy, yet more self employed and a system that allows the employer to use workers when volumes dictate as no extra cost.
For a trade union with full bargaining rights, who ran a vicious and wicked campaign of lies deceit and spin against UDW representatives, to now endorse this revised offer as ‘acceptable’ is nothing short of a sell out.
The UDW’s officials were never perfect. Nor did we make wild and rash charters. But we certainly never presided over large scale redundancies while self employed were coming through the back door! Indeed the UDW negotiated the mechanism that protected members.
Workers must now ask themselves if they can continue to support or trust the GMB in any further handling of their affairs. The UDW was set up to provide workers in DHL with an alternative to these shysters. We urge you to now reconsider your position, your long term future and join the UDW today.