Posted on: 16 April 2024

GMB LGV Drivers in Hatfield, Wednesbury, Bellshill & Shaw

Dispute Update

Dear GMB members

We met with the company last week and wanted to update you with the developments on the talks.

The GMB had 4 main areas of concern which we raised with the company, we believe we have reached a position in which we can now move things forward.

The areas concerned were:

• Agency usage.
• 24 hours notice for Ad Hoc drivers.
• 50% rule.
• Health, Safety & Welfare of Drivers.

The use of agency drivers was a main concern for drivers being placed on standby. We have agreed with the company to introduce a voluntary test message system, so that drivers can be contacted by text message only about the change in their shift for the the following shift. The company believe this will help cut down the amount of agency usage going forward. Therefore, we have agreed to a trial of 3 months, in which drivers will be asked if they wish to volunteer to be contacted, if so, they voluntarily agree to give them their mobile numbers to receive a text. The company cannot assume that if they have your number already for emergency purposes that they can use this, you must be asked from your permission. We need to advise members that they do not respond to the text message as this may constitute a break in your official rest break and the company will not ask for a response. We will monitor the situation and assess if this is working. Please speak to your local GMB rep for advice if you are uncertain about the process.

The company state that there is not a 24-hour rule for ad hoc drivers and that it only applies to Core, we firmly believe that this was part of the ballot process for Toblerone 4, however we have agreed that it is not working for the members and leaves too many drivers on standby as a result with agency drivers replacing them. We have committed to a 3-month trial with the text message and the wording of as much notice as possible for notification of change in shift start times with the addition that a driver can only be moved 2 hours on consecutive days and not the 4 hours as per the agreement unless the driver voluntarily wishes to change to suit themselves.

Example:

An 8am anchor time CAN be asked to work Mon – 8am, Tue – 10am, Wed – 8am, Thurs – 6am, Fri - 8am

An 8am anchor time CANNOT be asked to work Mon – 8am, Tue – 10am, Wed - 6am, Thurs - 10am, Fri - 6am

(unless requested by the driver)

50% rule, the GMB submitted a proposal to the company and this has been fully agreed and adopted with immediate effect. It is as follows, “if 50% of your schedule still exists in the new plan following optimisation, if the start time has moved to over 2 hours from your anchor time, you are able to keep your seniority if you opt not to keep this schedule. The 12-month rule would not apply in these circumstances.”

There is a working party being established between the union and the management at Hatfield to look at working together more effectively to help assist our members with their concerns. This combined with the above trial should help to reduce the stress and anxiety our members are facing with the changes to their shift patterns. The outstanding grievances that have been lodged will now continue to be heard as the elements concerning DAP have been put forward as part of the trail.

With the above all being agreed to take forward the GMB have agreed to suspend its dispute pending the outcome of these trials and we will keep you informed on the outcomes and if we need to reinstate the dispute.

Please see below a link to the Joint Communication with the company on this issue.  

joint-statement-final.pdf

Posted on: 8 March 2024

FOR THE ATTENTION OF:   LGV drivers Hatfield, Wednesbury & Bellshill

Dear Transport Members

We wanted to update you regarding the initial dispute meeting we held with the company on Wednesday. We have been awaiting a legal letter from the company as a sign of their intentions to take these negotiations seriously and they had a deadline of 10.00am today which they have now missed.

We met with the company on Wednesday and set out 3 clear areas of concern for drivers on the feedback that we have received directly from yourselves over how the company implement the DAP policy.

1. 24 hour notification rule for ad hoc and core – start & finish times alterations
2. 50% rule
3. Lack of planning and optimisation

There were a number of issues raised, but these related to an individual site, which we agreed will be included in the talks as all of the issues we relayed have had serious impacts on our members' health & wellbeing and the company must take these issues seriously.

Management wanted to discuss industrial relations and the breakdown of cooperation between members and the company.

The talks have began positively and a number of suggestions were put forward in relation to planning, the use of text or email messaging as a means of communicating to members' changes in schedules was a suggestion. The company stated they have sought legal advice, which says that this form of communication can be used to contact members and does not breach their legal rest break. We have demanded that we see the legal advice from the solicitors, which is being sent to us forthwith. Once we have this we have committed to a pilot of 1 month, with a review to see if this alters the standby situation with Ad hoc drivers. We have made this absolutely clear that we will not participate until we see the legal advice. If this is received and is in order we will send further advice to LGV drivers on what the process will entail.

We put forward a suggestion of how the 50% rule could have implications for changing shift patterns and a form of words has been submitted by ourselves for the company to look at and discuss to see if this could be adapted.

Finally, planning is the root cause of many issues drivers face and the lack of human interaction on how the changes are implemented. The optimisation process is due to begin, so we have agreed in principle to allow optimisation to continue and that we will review each stage of the process to see where the issues arise.

We agreed to end the meeting and a range a follow up shortly to discuss the rest of the dispute and hopefully move things forward.

The National Committee are meeting next week to establish what steps we next want to take and if we need to escalate the dispute.

On behalf of the National Committee

Posted on: 7 March 2024

Dear members

Don't forget to have your say on your pay this March.

I've been out visiting sites with our brilliant team of reps and officers, meeting members like here at Lichfield listening to what they want for this year’s pay claim.

Say hello if you see us on a site near you in the next few weeks. Let us know your thoughts and concerns, we are ensuring that they are being taken forward on your behalf with the company.

In solidarity,

Gillian Ogilvie

GMB National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 22 February 2024

Message for members in Hatfield, Wednesbury & Livingstone

Dear Members,

Please watch this video message from National Officer Gill Ogilvie https://youtu.be/XXxz5MNTI_s

Over the past few weeks, it’s been a privilege to come and meet you in person and listen to your views of how you feel you are being treated by Yodel with regards to driver optimisation and the DAP process.

It is clear from what drivers have told us is there is cause for a national dispute in particular over driver safety & welfare concerns.

We have now informed the company of our members position and that we want meetings asap to resolve these issues. We are due to meet the company in the 6th March where we will be putting forward your concerns as part of the dispute.

The National Committee and I will update shortly with any progress.

Yours,

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 13 February 2024

Dear members

We have now spoken with the company and have been able to establish what the status of the sale means for GMB members. They have confirmed that the new owners have bought Yodel wholesale and at present they have no plans to change anything.

They have apologised that the leak was undertaken to the press and would have preferred to have informed employees differently.

They have stressed that that members' jobs are safe, but we still remain hesitantly cautious over the changing environment and what the future will look like. We will work with the new owners and the company to ensure our members’ rights are protected fully.

We will be visiting your workplace shortly to listen to your concerns and take forward your views, especially over pay and your terms & conditions, so please speak to your local reps and your regional officers about your views.

I hope this will assist and ease your concerns and we will keep you updated on any developments as we hear more from the new owners.

In solidarity

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

yours

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 13 February 2024

Dear members

We are extremely disappointed that the previous owners have announced to the press and public the sale of Yodel in the early hours of this morning without updating your unions. Last week, when the news appeared about the alleged administration, we sought assurances that this would not happen and we have insisted the company speak to us first thing to find out what is happening.

What we can say is that the sale has been fast moving and we asking for more information of what this will mean for members. We are reassured that the statement said “safeguarding jobs wholesale in Yodel” but we need to know this is genuine and what the new owner's plans are for the future. We also need to know the details of the sale and how this will affect the status of Yodel going forward.

Please ensure that you check your updates as and when we hear new information we will share with your directly. Your reps and officers have all been briefed regarding the latest developments , if you need to speak to them please contact your region directly who will be arranging visits over the next few weeks to your sites. Speak and urge your colleagues to join the union to protect their interests going forward.

In solidarity

GILL OGILVIE

NATIONAL LEAD ORGANISER

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 8 February 2024

UPDATE ON DISCUSSIONS WITH COMPANY

ON PRESS SPECULATION

Dear Members

We have now been able to speak to the company regarding the press speculation over the past 24 hours. They have informed us that at the moment they are still progressing with the potential sale of Yodel, which has been widely circulated previously.

They have stated that they are not currently looking at administration and have no plans for this at present. The GMB has insisted that any future news of the sale etc. needs to be shared with us prior, so we can advise and support members accordingly.

We will be constantly asking the company what is happening and we will inform you as soon as we hear anything.

In solidarity

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 8 February 2024

Dear Members

We have been made aware of the news speculation regarding the financial state of the company, we have been in touch with the company to get further information. As soon as we have any more information we will contact you and keep you all up to date.

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 26 January 2024

Dear members

We have been meeting with drivers at Hatfield Transport, listening to their concerns surrounding the DAP process, and other problems. Some of the concerns raised we have taken up straight away with the company and the rest we will be adding to the dispute that has been lodged, in particular concerns over health, safety and welfare, equity of treatment and bullying.

We informed everyone that as part of the dispute we wanted to determine if the problems being experienced are further than Hatfield and if this related to the National Dap Policy and process. The union wants to ensure that in pursuing a dispute we have all the information to hand and we discuss with all parties concerned. If the company are behaving incorrectly and in an abusive manner to employees then we will not tolerate this and do everything we can to ensure members are treated fairly throughout. We are therefore visiting Wednesbury transport on the 31^st January, 10.00am – 1pm, along with your National Reps to discuss your concerns in person. Please speak to your local reps to ensure you are able to meet with us and have your say.

Gill Ogilvie

National Lead Organiser

Posted on: 23 January 2024

The National Team met with management on the 18^th January to discuss issues raised by members through our local workplace representatives. The following items were discussed.

Peak Update Report

The company reported back that Peak was successful, but volumes were not as expected. However, the company recognised all the hard work that colleagues had undertaken during this period, and this was reflected within the performance results.

Transport Update

A trial of new tractor units is being undertaken using Gas instead of Diesel, this will be in Scotland initially. If successful, this will lead to an Eco-friendlier version of transport.

Optimisation

The GMB are in dispute with Yodel at present over optimisation processes and discussions were held regarding the companies desire to move forward. The GMB held firm in its stance that the dispute needs to be resolved before further upset is caused. Dates are already in the diary to meet with members in Hatfield and Wednesbury in the coming weeks to discuss the dispute in more detail.

Business Update

No further update regarding the ongoing sale/investment, the GMB are constantly asking for updates so we can ensure members rights are protected during the future sale/investment.

Huyton Update

We asked what was happening regarding the proposed move to the new site, the company have said they are working on getting a new date scheduled for the move but cannot commit at present due to external factors. The company committed to ensuring the workforce in Warrington would be updated ASAP.

Sickness Absence Proposals

The company have approached the GMB regarding the 3% sickness rule for Yellow and Cherry workers on Yellow & Green sites. The proposals will be discussed with workplace reps over the next few weeks to establish if this is beneficial to members. The GMB will fully consult our members to ensure you have your say over any new sickness absence processes.

CSS Update

The GMB again asked management for an update, and they confirmed that all CSS have now been reviewed and they have identified a number of staff that will be uplifted. These will receive a TARA payment and we are chasing the company for when this will begin.

SIA Update

The company have announced a change to the SIA licence process and the general requirements going forward. The proposals didn’t cause any concerns and the company will be speaking to the security teams directly over these changes. We did raise whether there would be a detriment to the members, but the company assured there would not be. We then asked if the First Aid allowance payment would also be made available as a result of this change and the company confirmed that they would pay this if required for the business.

Team Leader Differential

The GMB raised the 50p differential for team leaders because of the Living Wage Pay increase in April to £11.44. The company have confirmed that they will maintain this differential but are looking at other roles that would also need to maintain a differential. We will be talking to members shortly regarding your aspirations for Pay 2024 so please start thinking about this ahead of the pay survey coming to you. Dates for negotiations have now been set for May & June. Keep listening for updates on this subject.

In solidarity,

The National Team

Posted on: 19 December 2023

National Transport Drivers Update

19^th December 2023

Dear GMB Members

Our members have been contacting us over potential breaches to terms & conditions relating to the Driver Allocation Process in Transport.

As a result of our initial conversations and investigations, we have some serious concerns which have come to light. WE have had no alternative but to lodge a formal dispute with the company to look at resolving these concerns.

In the meantime, whilst we have been contacted by most of our members, we are conscious that we have not heard from everyone involved in transport so we will be consulting you in the near future to see if you have been affected. It may be that you are affected but have not realised the breach in your contract or you were unsure of who to ask. Please speak to your local reps who will explain what the breaches are, and we shall be in touch shortly. In addition, please speak to your colleagues who may not be in the union and get them involved.

Yours

Gill Ogilvie

GMB National Lead Officer

Posted on: 1 September 2023

1 September 2023

GO/9/23

URGENT UPDATE RE OVERTIME RATES & BANKED HOURS

Dear Members

We have been informed by members at some yodel sites, that managers are refusing to pay overtime rates and instead insisting that members claim Banked Hours instead. Banked hours do not exist within the organisation and breaches your negotiated contract terms & conditions. We need to understand how far reaching this problem is – so if you have been told you cannot claim overtime but Banked hours instead, please inform your local site rep or contact your regional office via www.gmb.org.uk/gmb-regions

We have raised this directly with the company this morning and they say they are unaware it has been happening, it is not an instruction from themselves, but they will rectify the situation on the sites we have informed them of so far. Whilst we recognise it is not a national instruction, we fear that this practice may be happening under the radar. If you are asked to do or wanting to work overtime, then you need to be paid for it and paid the correct rate. Don’t be fooled into taking time back in the far distant future.

Changing of Start & Finish times.

It appears that in addition to the above issue regarding Overtime, it has been reported that some managers are ignoring the agreed consultation process of changing people’s start & finish time. The process involves a 28-day notice consultation period which is required when asking you to change your working hours. It is not a change will be implemented straight away as we have been informed from some members. If this is happening, you can reuse to change your hours and you need to contact your local site rep or regional organiser to raise a grievance immediately.

We understand the reason for this is that in some site’s trunk times are getting late and we believe that this is being imposed to avoid paying overtime. Many people have transportation and caring responsibilities which means consideration needs to be given to your working hours to see if you can change which is why the 28days notice is there to do this.

Please remember that by keeping GMB informed on issues in your workplace that we might not be aware of is an important step to ensure your rights at work are being protected. If you are interested in getting involved in the GMB and help, put a stop bad practices in your workplace then please get in touch via www.gmb.org.uk/gmb-regions

Gill Ogilvie - GMB National Yodel Officer & GMB National Reps - Karl Walsh, Steve Jones & Stephen Robson

Posted on: 17 August 2023

Dear members,

The National Joint Committee met with Yodel in our quarterly meeting and below is an update on items that were discussed.

Yodel Sale/Investment Announcement

We raised serious concerns over how the shareholders suddenly announced the sale/investment of Yodel to the national press. We wanted to know what the announcement was intended for and if there was likely to be a sale of the company. As present the company have no further information than what was in their statement except that the executive will keep us fully updated on any news relating to this going forward.

As a union we cannot be certain that a company are not going to take over Yodel instead of additional investors. We are keeping a very close eye on the developments and will be updating your reps as soon as anything happens. In the meantime, we are going to start contacting members who pay their union subs through their wages to discuss transferring to DD so your membership remains secure going forward.

Sickness Policy Changes

The company have issued a set of proposals to the GMB to discuss changes to your sickness policy, relating to the 3% rule, this is relating to Yellow and Cherry workers on Yellow sites only as Green sites already have the new proposal in place.

We were disappointed to find that members on some Yellow sites had already had this implemented without the negotiations concluding and that the company had implemented a contractual change without the proper consultation. The company have admitted they were wrong to do this and that they must reinstate what the original policy stipulated so that we can continue to negotiate in good faith over the changes. Unfortunately, the company applying the changes and then rectifying them means that some members may have an adverse impact on their sick pay as a result, if this happens, please contact us to arrange representation to ensure you do not fall into hardship.

We will update you on the proposals once we have further information to share and consult you on.

CSS Update

The company informed us that at present, 206 colleagues have been identified as having CSS as their job title. Emails were sent to all the individuals to complete the questionnaire, only 106 have been returned at present. We have asked the company to go back to the remaining 100 and find out why they haven’t returned their form. The company have said they will treat the returns in 2 phases so that those that have already sent their information do not have to wait until the remaining ones return to have their JDs updated and the correct spinal points applied.

Please can CSS members who have not returned the form check their emails to see the one received from Louise Cummings as soon as possible so that your JDs can be updated accordingly. If you cannot find the email or have had difficulties returning the form, please let your local representative know so we can assist you.

Committed Shifts

Following on from the successful GMB campaign members should have been notified from 1st July to the changes in their CS allowance from 10 to 5 per annum unless pro rata. If you have not been notified of the changes, please contact your local GMB rep for updates.

Self-Employed Courier Members

We have asked again for a meeting with the company to discuss the role and how our members want to progress going forward. We will be coming out to service centres shortly to see what issues you want us to pursue in these meetings going forward. We are aware of a few issues in relation to new contracts being issued and will be talking to you about options relating to this. If you know other self-employed couriers, please get them to join the GMB so we have a stronger voice to make some real changes for you going forward.

On behalf of,

Karl Walsh, Stephen Robson, Steve Jones

&

Gill Ogilvie

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 21 July 2023

Attention All GMB members.

It has been brought to our attention that Sick pay deductions may have been made incorrectly from members' pay. There are set procedures that Yodel must follow to deduct from your pay, these include eg. having welfare meetings, receiving a letter in advance of monies being deducted. If none of these have happened and you are aware of monies being taken, please let us know asap so we can look into this on your behalf. If you are disabled as per the Equality Act, then you are entitled to reasonable adjustments, and this includes your sick pay.

We are investigating if this is just relating to a few individuals or a much wider problem. Please read your sick policy for your site to ensure you are aware of what the company must follow to ensure you are being treated fairly.

If you have been subjected to deductions in your pay over the previous 12 months, you can click on this link and complete a short survey https://forms.office.com/e/M6m4w3FfSi

All surveys will be checked for the responses and if you have a potential case, we will be in touch with you directly.

If you have colleagues who are not in the GMB encourage them to join so we can ensure that everyone is treated fairly in Yodel

Gill Ogilvie

GMB Yodel National Officer

Posted on: 3 July 2023

Dear GMB Member

Firstly, we would like to thank each GMB member that took part in the Pay ballot and welcome to all our new members and workplace activists.

We can confirm that GMB members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Pay offer for 2023, below are the details of the turnout and the result. This will be relayed to the company so that it can be paid from the pay Anniversary of the 1st of July and be in your pay packets on the 1st August pay date. This is a significant increase in your pay, but it would not have been possible if you hadn’t come together to achieve a better deal.

Turnout - 81%

In favour - 80.2%

Against - 19.8%

There are still some improvements that we need to continue to campaign on and bring about suitable changes to your working conditions. This pay offer has reduced some of the inequalities in the workforce, and more needs to be done to ensure your standards of living are not impacted in the future. We will be meeting with your workplace activists over the coming months to discuss what is next. If you want to have your say, then please get involved, become a workplace rep, get your friends to join the union and have your say. Together we are stronger.

In solidarity,

GILL OGILVIE, GMB NATIONAL YODEL OFFICER

STEVE JONES, NATIONAL REP

STEVE ROBSON, NATIONAL REP

KARL WALSH, NATIONAL REP

Posted on: 1 June 2023

Dear GMB member,

Your GMB negotiating committee has been engaged in extensive negotiations with Yodel over the past few months with a view to reaching an agreement on a pay deal in time for the 1^st July 2023 pay anniversary. The initial offers were rejected as they didn’t address the cost-of-living crisis our members are facing.

We are pleased to say that we have now concluded those negotiations and have an offer to recommend to GMB members as the best we can achieve through negotiation.

The headline minimum offer is:

• 70p on top of the National Living wage across all base pay which will mean an increase of £1.12 ph minimum since the 1^st April this will flow through to all allowances and other elements.
• A 5% increase on fixed allowances
• Differentials for National Roles maintained.
• Rates for all roles will be available at the GMB ballot meeting and notice boards.

The GMB ballot will open on the 5^th June closing midday on the 30^th June. GMB are recommending acceptance of the offer. This means that, if accepted by our members, this will be payable from the 1^st July and in our members pay packet on the 1^st August. This comes with no loss of terms and conditions and has been achieved purely because of the hard work of your local reps.

There will be more detailed information issued at your onsite ballot meeting which will be advertised by your local reps and regional officers. Please ensure you attend the ballot meetings; your management have allocated time away from your duties to talk to the reps about what is involved in the pay deal. We are also asking you to update your personal information at and talking to you about transferring your membership payment from your wages to Direct Debit, this way you oversee your membership and no one else.

Please share this bulletin with your friends if they are not in the union ask them to join and have a say on their pay.

In solidarity,

Gill Ogilvie

GMB National Officer YODEL

Posted on: 3 May 2023

Dear Member

GMB members in Yodel have voted overwhelmingly to accept the company proposal to reduce committed shifts from 10 to 5 days pro rata for part time employees.

We are awaiting confirmation from the company as to the start date, at present this is for GMB members and sites only. This will be an amendment to your contract of employment.

Thank you to everyone for taking part in the workplace ballot and supporting the campaign. We will continue to press Yodel on improving the pay for the remaining committed shifts but priority for now is to ensure we all work together to improve your overall pay for 2023/24. We will need you all to get involved and work towards achieving your goals.

Please keep an eye out for further updates and tell your friends and colleagues about getting involved in the GMB and if they are not members, get them to join at www.gmb.org.uk/join

Yours in solidarity

Gill Ogilvie

National Officer YODEL

Posted on: 10 February 2023

Dear Members,

GMB wanted to send you an update on the negotiations regarding Committed Shifts and we apologise for the delay which was due to GMB waiting on a formal offer from the company. We have now received the offer and it`s now your time to decide. We will be coming round to talk to you individually and to ballot over the company`s proposal, so that you can have your say on your future. Due to this being a contractual change, this cannot be implemented without your consent and agreement.

When we started the campaign, you, our members, told us that you were unhappy with the Committed Shifts and the payments that you received in return. The consensus was that you wished to be paid time and half instead of time and quarter and this is what we approached the company about.

The company initially proposed the shifts might be scrapped and this is what we were going to discuss with you as to gain your opinion, however, the company have stated that they still need to maintain some Committed Shifts to be able to support the operation during peak periods only e.g. Valentine’s Day. They have now put a formal proposal to us which is to reduce the Committed Shifts to five additional shifts (pro Rata 2 or 3 days part time), instead of the original 10 (pro rata).

As this is a formal offer and it is a contractual term to remove or alter the committed shifts pattern, then we have to run a ballot, as stated above. The ballot will commence on the 27^th February for a four week period and this will end on the 24^th March. The reps committee have met to discuss the offer and we are not making any recommendation as to whether you should accept or reject the company proposal as this is a different offer from what we had requested.

If you choose to reject the company offer then we will be requesting, on your behalf, what offer that you are prepared to accept as members` of the GMB to obtain your original request.

Yours in solidarity

Gill Ogilvie

National Officer YODEL

Posted on: 8 December 2022

Dear Members,

We met with the Yodel management team on the 7th December as part of our quarterly negotiations and we also needed to raise the outstanding issues that we have ongoing and the campaigns that you have asked us to undertake.

Committed shifts

We met with the employer yesterday and we have a further meeting scheduled for the 16th January 2023 to finalise the proposal from them. The initial proposal was the removal of committed shifts all together, but we need to ensure that they do not replace with another system that would have detrimental impact on our members and that it would be down to voluntary overtime if you wanted to work. If this is a firm commitment, we will ballot you to ascertain if you agree with this as it will be a contractual change. We will update you as soon as possible after the meeting on the 16th January.

CSS Members update

Progress has been made with the company and an outline of their proposals has been put forward, we will be meeting again on the 16th January to finalise these discussions and we will then be able to report back to you for consultation.

Wellbeing Pulse update

Yodel presented the outcome of the well-being survey and some of the results were not surprising, especially with the current cost of living crisis, with regards to how people were feeling, and their Mental well-being. Yodel expressed how committed they are to improving the welfare for all employees and have put actions plans in place for some areas of the business that needed urgent attention. They are committed to working with your trade unions and representatives to help achieve this and we discussed at length the role of the Mental Health First Aider and how this will be a vital role going forward to help colleagues who are struggling. We agreed that this role needs to be fully supported, as well as working alongside your Trade union reps and encouraged from all roles within the business, therefore, if you are thinking about this role then please consider taking it on and speaking to your union rep or HR about you can get more involved.

Pay Differential Team Leaders

We raised about the 50p differentia, especially after the government announcement over the raise in the National Minimum wage, and the company will come back to us with proposals of how the differential is kept going forward. With Cherry Contracts in Sort this is 50p, but it affects some members on the previous Yellow & Green Contracts, and we are pushing to get this resolved so will update you as soon as we have more information.

Atlantic Pavilion and Warrington Service Centre Move update

Our meeting took place at the new premises for the HQ of Yodel at Skyways House in Speke, which is where the AP staff will be moved to, and we discussed the timeline of consultation that will take place in the New Year. If you require a representative for your 121 then please get in touch and this can be arranged. We will keep you updated on this move when we receive more information.

Warrington Service Centre update

The building at Huyton has now started to be built and structures are going up with and the expectation is that the move take place in May and a full consultation with individuals and ourselves will take place from February. We will be involving members every step of the way and need to know of any concerns you have so these can be addressed. The National Representative, Stephen Robson, alongside Regional Organiser, Bernie Cleary, are on site regularly and will let you know of any scheduled meetings.

SE – Final Mile Courier Drivers

Our membership is continuing to grow within this area, and we are planning a meeting with the company in the New Year to take forward our proposals of getting you more involved. I will be looking to hold a meeting with our S/E members early in 2023 to ensure we capture as many issues as possible before the talks begin. If you are Self Employed and want to know more about what we are doing, then please join us or speak to your colleague to get involved.

Pay 2023/24

We will be starting to come round and talk to you all in the New Year to discuss your aspirations for Pay 2023/24 so please start thinking about what you would like to see going forward. We have informed the company that we intend to start negotiations early in February/March ahead of the pay anniversary in July that we put forward as part of the claim

If you do not receive text messages or emails from us this may be due to GMB not holding the correct information for you or that your consent options require amending. This can easily be done by clicking on the link below to update your details.

https://forms.office.com/r/sBsP1TKwUe

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity of wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from myself, and the National Reps, and we look forward to meeting many more of you again next year and working alongside you to improve your working conditions.

GILL OGILVIE

NATIONAL YODEL OFFICER

Posted on: 4 October 2022

Dear GMB Members,

We wanted to update you on one of the campaigns we are launching in Yodel as a direct result of the communications from our members over recent months.

Many of you have contacted to say how difficult it is getting by each day, with the current cost of living crisis, as well as the added expense of your energy bills. Coupled with this, is the current rise in inflation and our members are really struggling to survive.

One of the areas our members spoke to us about was the committed shifts payment and how receiving time and a quarter for giving up 10 days a year to assist the company in their peak times has left you feeling that you are not rewarded enough for your hard work and dedication to the company. We originally raised committed shifts as part of the pay negotiations, but the company refused to enter discussion over raising the rate paid. We are now bringing this back to the table and asking you to support us in this campaign.

What are we asking?

If you are an under the roof workers ** in the Sort or Service centres, excluding drivers, in the run up to Peak – the company should ask for volunteers to work the committed shifts; this is part of the agreement. We are asking you to hold off from volunteering for the time being. In Service centres if they issue you with your letter informing you of the shifts that they want you to work, you can refuse to undertake them if they have not sought the volunteers first.

If the company have followed the correct procedure of seeking volunteers, then you may be issued with a letter informing you of the shifts you that are required. In this instance, please respond on the same day giving the company 4 weeks’ notice that you are unable to fulfil these shifts but speak to a rep first before you do this to receive the full advice.

**Van drivers - unfortunately, you have already been issued you with these shifts as part of your 26-week rota, if you have not, then please follow the above advice.

We are mindful that at this time of year, members rely on the committed shifts to help pay for the upcoming festive season, as well as pay your bills, so we are raising the issue of the rate of pay in the National Joint Committee which takes place on the 10^thOctober.

We are hoping to have a response to update you by the beginning of November.

Unless we ask the company to reconsider the rate of pay, we will not have any change to the current system, if we do not ask then we will get nothing. We need your help to do this. Please look out for our reps and talk to them about any concerns and get involved in the campaign, consider becoming a workplace rep so that you can be part of the campaign and a part of the decision making.

Yours Sincerley,

Gill Ogilvie Steve Jones
Karl Walsh
Stephen Robson

GMB National Officer for Yodel GMB Yodel National Reps

Posted on: 23 September 2022

Dear GMB members,

The GMB is preparing to hold a consultative ballot of LGV1 drivers over the issue of the DAP (Driver Allocation Process) In Hatfield & Wednesbury.

The GMB has today initiated a failure to agree with Yodel after it has failed again to consider our members concern over the driver schedules at Hatfield and Wednesbury, this is despite a lengthy engagement process with our workplace reps who have been completely ignored and management have instigated the allocation to suit their needs. It is absolutely clear that the company have still not listened or taken your views into account, we need to make sure they meaningfully consult over the DAP process and not make up the rules as they go along.

We are advising our LGV1 members to NOT engage with the company in this process and do not pick any schedules until we have a resolution to the DAP process. This cannot continue to happen each year where your lives are disrupted, and you are made to choose to stay and have your work life balance disrupted or go and work for another employer. Yodel, need to recognise the vast experience they have with the LGV1 drivers and treat them fairly when it comes to allocating work.

We need to ensure your membership information is completely upto date your reps will be talking to you can checking your details.

We will keep you fully updated on the process so please share this information with your colleagues and if they are not in the GMB advise them to join today and lets all work together to get a resolution to DAP that we are all happy with.

Yours sincerely

Gill Ogilvie

National Yodel Officer

Posted on: 13 June 2022

Dear Colleague,

Thank you to everyone that participated in the ballot, the results are as follows:

Votes in favour of acceptance 51%

Votes against acceptance 49%

As a result of the above, the pay deal has been formally accepted by the GMB. We have communicated this to the company and adjustments will be made to ensure the increase will be included from July 1^st pay round.

If you have any questions about this, then please speak to your GMB representative.

Yours

Gill Ogilvie

GMB Senior Organiser & National Officer for Yodel

10/6/22

The YODEL pay ballot closed today at 12pm and it has been confirmed to accept the YODEL pay offer. This will be implemented on the pay anniversary of July 1^st 2022.

Gill Ogilvie

NATIONAL NEGOTIATING OFFICER

Posted on: 27 April 2022

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself in the role of National Negotiating Officer for GMB @YODEL. I’ve been asked to join the team of experienced GMB Senior Convenors at Yodel to lead on the negotiations with the company over Pay, Terms & Conditions. I would like to firstly, thank Nadine Houghton, my predecessor, for all the hard work that she has undertaken on behalf of our members and holding Yodel to account.

I have already started in this role, with this year’s pay negotiations working alongside Karl Walsh, Steve Jones and Stephen Robson and am excited about further collaborative working with your national convenors. Prior to the negotiations reps and members were asked what their priorities were for this year’s pay deal and the response was that members needed to see:

• A substantial increase in pay and allowances above the minimum wage
• Improvements to sickness entitlements on Cherry Contract through removal of unpaid sickness leave
• Implementation of pay differentials and regional/London allowances
• Suspension pay parity with Green contract
• Time plus half for committed shifts
• Consistency over bereavement leave Yellow/green/cherry

I will be looking to update you shortly on how the negotiations are taking place but, in the meantime, I’m looking forward to meeting all of you with the team at our regional Reps forums taking place in April and May.

Gill Ogilvie

NATIONAL NEGOTIATING OFFICER

Posted on: 12 November 2021

Dear GMB member,

You will all be aware of the fantastic pay rise won by our transport members after they voted for industrial action.

We have now listened to feedback from our 'under the roof' members and based on pay survey responses and feedback elsewhere, your senior stewards have submitted an 'emergency' pay claim.

We have taken the unprecedented step of submitting an early pay claim due to; labour shortages, the cost-of-living crisis, the increase in the NMW in April 22 and the concerns from our warehouse members that drivers have received a pay increase while others have not.

The pay claim is as follows:

1. A 20% increase on basic rates of pay from the 1st December.
2. Double time on over time.
3. Backdated 'parity payments' with agency workers.
4. A genuine cost of living increase for transport staff from the original pay anniversary of 1^st June.

The 20% increase is a significant amount; however, it is no less than the drivers received, and it brings warehouse workers in line with pay rates in comparable employers (Amazon, Asda, etc). The double time on over time is also in line with the transport pay agreement.

The company have so far said that agency rates are on a par with rates for directly employed staff so if you have evidence where this is not the case, please do share with your reps.

The company have agreed to review our claim and meet with us in the new year to discuss. Our view is that the new year is too late, and we would like to get round the table sooner rather than later.

Click link to view pay claim submitted to the company:

Yodel Emergency pay claim 2021 - 2023

We will keep you updated on progress.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 27 October 2022

Dear GMB members,

I am very pleased to announce that the Yodel GMB LGV drivers have voted 85% in favour of accepting the landmark pay award secured after a successful vote in favour of industrial action. This will now be paid in November. Congratulations to all of you.

I know this pay award - which applies to the drivers only - has caused some concern among our 'under the roof' members. I can absolutely understand why that is the case.

I want to assure our warehouse members that pay for ALL our members is very much our priority. We have sent out pay surveys and we will be collating them into a pay claim to submit to the company to begin early pay talks. Some members have expressed concern that the pay surveys close too late. I will take all that on board and discuss bringing forward the pay survey closing date to allow us to submit an earlier claim.

Please be assured that we have an agreed strategy, and we know how much of an issue this is for ALL our members.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 30 September 2021

Dear GMB member,

Thank you for putting your faith in your reps and giving yourselves the mandate you needed to win the pay rise you deserve. I am very proud to say we are very nearly ready to put to our members a significant pay offer. You will have the final vote on any offer, but we will be recommending the offer once it goes to ballot and the outstanding points in our original failure to agree have been dealt with.

The offer is as follows:

• National hourly rate to increase from £13:34 to £16 ph.
• Regional hourly rate (Hatfield) to increase from £14:40 to £17.19 ph.
• Double time on ANY 6th shift.
• No strings for the next pay round, pay anniversary in June.
• Implemented from the 1st November.

We are still waiting on a final agreement regarding the outstanding issues of parity with agency drivers and backdated payments on that and how carry over AL and shift allowance when off sick or AL will be paid and backdated - as per the original elements of our failure to agree. Yodel have agreed in principle to resolving these points, but we have some outstanding concerns about the implementation and final figures.

All in all, this represents a significant increase and improvement for our LGV1 community. Not only have you been offered a pay increase, but many of you will benefit from back pay from the other elements, ideally in time for Christmas and no less than you all deserve. Your GMB reps want to thank you for your ongoing support throughout this dispute. It shows what can be achieved when we stand together. You can all be very proud of what you have collectively achieved.

But remember, we mustn't get complacent, you must stay organised and strong ready for whatever challenges come next.

In solidarity,

NADINE HOUGHTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 15 September 2021

Dear GMB member,

Congratulations to our LGV1 driver members for returning a phenomenal vote in favour of taking industrial action. A whopping 84.5% turn out and a 98.2% vote in favour of taking action.

Yodel must now listen to your demands and act quickly if they want to avoid a shutdown of their network. The power that you hold as an organised group of workers is now beyond question, we can now use that power collectively - to win.

Your national GMB strike committee will meet imminently to discuss dates for action. If you would like to assist your workplace reps in organising your strike days please let your local reps know so we can organise a local strike committee.

The GMB met Yodel yesterday at ACAS and whilst there was some progress made in talks we are yet to hear from Yodel on how they will resolve the part of our dispute which relates to your pay and conditions and questions remain over the agency payment rates and the shift allowance entitlement for annual leave.

Well done to all of you and looking forward to seeing you all on the picket line!

In solidarity,

NADINE HOUSTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 8 September 2021

Dear GMB member,

Thank you to those of you who have returned your ballot papers so far, the feedback from your reps is that members are returning their ballot papers in their droves and we expect a strong result next week. If you have still not returned your ballot paper there is still time - remember, the higher the turn out, the stronger the message to Yodel.

The GMB has been invited to talks at ACAS with Yodel on Tuesday 14th September, we will keep you updated on the outcome of these talks.

But the GMB is crystal clear; we expect our members to give us a very strong mandate for industrial action, at this time, our members know their worth and we will not back down until you have won everything you are entitled to, this includes correct rates of pay for agency and Annual Leave backdated payments but also the correct hourly rate and unsocial hours payments for the job.

The national driver shortage shows no signs of slowing down. The GMB believes there has now been a permanent re-correction of driver rates of pay, Yodel's rates now need to reflect this. Time is running out for Yodel and we expect them to come to the table with an offer that reflects the real rate for the job.

Thank you for all you've done so far but keep pressing ahead! Never before have GMB's driver members been so strong - now is the time to fight and win.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 1 September 2021

Dear GMB member,

I'm writing to give you one more reminder to return your ballot papers for the GMB ballot for industrial action.

Only you can determine the next steps in this dispute, and we can only call action if enough of our members vote, it's now down to you to return your ballot paper and give your representatives the mandate they need to win for our members.

If you have still not had your ballot paper, there is still time to request a replacement via your reps or GMB office.

The ballot closes at midday on the 15th September, please ensure you return your ballot paper in good time to allow for any delays in the post.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 25 August 2021

Dear GMB member,

Today (25th August) the GMB ballot of LGV1 drivers opens. This means that in the next few days you will receive a ballot paper, posted to your home address. If you do not receive a ballot paper please inform your local rep or GMB office as a matter of urgency.

The ballot paper will have two questions - are you prepared to take part in strike action and are you prepared to take part in action short of strike?

The GMB is asking you to vote YES for both questions.

You must then return your ballot paper in the envelope provided. You must post the ballot paper back in this envelope ideally before the 10th September to allow for any delays in the post. The ballot officially closes on the 15th September at midday but your ballot papers should be returned well before then.

Do not forget to post your ballot paper back! If the GMB does not get enough votes we cannot call on you to take strike action. It is imperative that you return your ballot paper - even if you are voting No.

The result of this ballot and the next steps for the dispute are now in your hands, you must now take steps to give us the mandate we need to right the wrongs of Yodel's actions. It's over to you.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 17 August 2021

Dear GMB member,

I am writing to let you know that the GMB will be serving notice on Yodel that we will be opening a ballot for industrial action for our LGV1 drivers. The ballot opens on the 25th August and will run for three weeks. You must return your ballot paper before the 15th September.

The ballot relates to both the outstanding issues from the Failure to Agree and the additional issues that arise from Yodel's failure to settle the dispute adequately and quickly.

What are the issues the GMB is balloting you over?

1. Yodel have not provided the transparency we have requested around agency rates of pay; we do not have figures on how much you will be paid when the payments are backdated or how that will be calculated. We also believe that Yodel may still be paying higher rates of pay for agency staff despite assurances this would stop. Yodel will only give a commitment to provide parity with agency workers on a temporary basis, but the GMB says this needs to be a permanent agreement to prevent future abuses.
2. Despite assurances that ad - hoc schedules running for more than 4 weeks would become permanent our members report that these schedules are still being messed around with and the certainty needed for a work / life balance isn't being provided. Our reps still do not have access to the schedules for core, ad hoc, agency and sub-contractors meaning we cannot meaningfully be part of the scheduling and planning process as per the DAP. We also believe that anchor times form part of your terms and conditions and that Yodel are not giving a commitment to adhere to this.
3. Our members still do not know how they will be having their Annual Leave 'paid back' for 2020/21 and the collective agreement for allocating annual leave is still not being adhered to for the next annual leave year 2021/22 meaning that the problem will simply continue.
4. When we first entered dispute we requested talks with the company regarding pay increases for drivers, Yodel said they wanted to have talks about 'change' as part of any discussion around pay. The GMB said these talks needed to start asap, however, Yodel refused to have these talks until the existing failure to agree was resolved. We now find ourselves in a position where driver shortages are hurting both our members and the company, and we cannot wait any longer for talks on pay. The GMB must see a substantial increase in pay and enhancements as a matter of urgency. Our members are reporting drivers leaving with better pay being offered elsewhere - Yodel must address this immediately. We must ballot our members over this issue due to the immediate stress it is placing on them and the business.
5. Yodel want our members to accept holiday back pay that is not what they are contractually entitled to. The GMB cannot accept this. Night drivers have been under paid their holiday pay for some time now and now Yodel need to put this right. They must honour their contractual obligations on shift pay when drivers are off sick or on leave.

If you do not receive your ballot paper by the end of next week please inform your workplace rep.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 4 August 2021

Dear GMB member,

Thank you for bearing with us during the dispute. I recognise everyone involved has seen many promises of action in the past.

Yodel have advised they will make the appropriate concessions. However, the devil is in the detail.

Your National Officer,Nadine Houghton, wrote last week with further questions which remain unanswered. On this basis I wrote again today, seeking responses and further clarity on further points.

The letter I sent had the consensus and input of the core team of Conveners & Local reps working on this dispute.

GMB officers share your concerns, and I can assure you that a resolution must be right for GMB members to see that the company is acting appropriately.

I think it is clear that should GMB not receive the appropriate responses we will have no alternative to ballot for industrial action.

We will update you as soon as we have further news on the dispute.

Steve Garelick
Regional Organiser

Posted on: 27 July 2021

Dear GMB member,

I am writing to update you on the current dispute between GMB and Yodel for LGV1 drivers.

Your GMB negotiating team met with the company on Friday 23rd July.

The company have confirmed what has been previously agreed with some further commitments:

• Yodel committed to revisiting displaced driver schedules to review and return to core where available and commitment to the full involvement of GMB reps in the planning stages of optimisation including giving GMB reps access to the planning system
• Schedules that have run for 4 weeks will be made into core schedules and a commitment to keeping drivers on their existing schedules through DAP on the assumption that the schedule still exists.
• No transport driver to lose 2020 annual leave either through carry over or pay.
• Any future increase in agency rates of pay will be mirrored for permanent drivers as part of a temporary agreement which will be reviewed and any driver that worked an equivalent shift as an agency driver during the Euro's to receive the same back-dated enhancements.

However the GMB has several outstanding concerns:

• We have still not had sight of the agency base rates of pay and we want Yodel to confirm that where those rates were higher a backdated parity payment will be paid to directly employed staff.
• We want managers to sit down with staff immediately to begin planning how outstanding Annual Leave will be taken and where it will be paid.
• We are not yet convinced that enough is being done at a local level to rebuild driver schedules and give reps full transparency.
• We still have not seen what agency and contractor scheduling looks like.

Yodel have said they want to close down the current dispute to begin talks around 'change'. We do not believe that this next round of talks needs to be delayed, drivers want to know what Yodel are going to offer and if it's not good enough then they expect to see action - the GMB will support our members in organising this if that is what it takes.

The GMB wants to thank our members for the trust they have put in their union to get us this far, we have achieved a great deal in a little time but we must now be clear on the detail in the current offer and be ready for the next round of talks on pay and 'change'.

We will keep you updated on next steps and any further talks.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 19 July 2021

Dear GMB member,

I want to start by saying a massive thank you to our members who have forced Yodel to back down over several of the issues in dispute. The strength of your actions and your actions alone has helped the GMB win for LGV1 drivers. Whilst we have achieved a lot, there is still more to be resolved.

I am pleased to confirm the following:

1. No driver will lose any annual leave. All annual leave will be carried over or paid (except statutory entitlement - which must be taken as leave) Your GMB rep will discuss with you which option you prefer.
2. Every driver that worked during the Euro's will receive the same enhancements that agency staff received, backdated - e.g. £50 for a Sunday, £100 day of the final, time and a half for a Sunday for those on a fixed shift.
3. All previously published schedules as part of optimisation -withdrawn.
4. All drivers that have wrongly been displaced and/or placed as ad-hoc to have schedule returned or, where 50% of schedule still exists, a comparable schedule applied. Your GMB rep will discuss this with you in more detail if you believe you are affected by this.
5. GMB reps to enter negotiations with the company, with a written commitment that all collective agreements will be adhered to in full.
6. GMB reps to enter negotiations with the company around any voluntary, incentivised flexibilities around schedules, hours, etc.

Your GMB reps will lead on discussions with management on any outstanding scheduling issues and how members want to take any leftover annual leave, you must discuss this with your rep.

Whilst this is all brilliant progress, made by possible by GMB members actions, there is still more to do.

We will be heading into negotiations this week about future scheduling and the Driver Allocation Process.

There is also still the outstanding issue of agency hourly rates of pay which we believe to be more than directly employed staff.

Your reps will, this week, consider next steps and keep you updated.

Well done for all you have achieved so far - but the campaign does not stop here! You have shown what can be achieved when you work together but we must not stop here.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 8 July 2021

Dear GMB member,

I am happy to confirm that GMB's LGV1 members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of moving forward with an industrial action ballot.

The ballot relates to:

1. Yodel's imposition of unworkable and unreasonable driver schedules.
2. Failure to adhere to annual leave agreements and withholding of AL entitlement.
3. Failure to pay directly employed LGV1's enhancements to cover difficult schedules.

What happens next?

The GMB will issue notice to the company, then ballot papers will be dispatched to members home addresses, YOU will then need to return your ballot paper in the post.

GMB members must vote in this ballot to be able to act, without your vote you will not be able to organise a strike. Your ability to take action and force Yodel to do the right thing rests in your hands.

If you haven't done so already, please ensure you have updated your home address and contact details with your local rep or regional office to ensure you receive all communications and most importantly - your ballot paper!

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 5 July 2021

Dear Yodel Drivers,

Now is the time to stand together.

The GMB have told the company that we will not advise our members to pick schedules so now management are trying to force schedules on our members.

The GMB is responding with a formal ballot for industrial action. We will not sit back and allow Yodel to enforce unfair changes on our members.

But this dispute is not just about schedules. When the GMB submitted a failure to agree, we did so over 3 issues:

• driver schedules,
• annual leave agreements, and
• enhanced pay for agency workers.

Why are Yodel offering enhanced rates to agency drivers but not to directly employed drivers? Yodel have told us they are facing issues with covering certain days and schedules, the GMB say some of the solution to this lies in offering enhancements to directly employed drivers to cover some of the more challenging days - not simply imposing unworkable schedules and ripping up long held agreements.

If you would like to be more involved in this campaign please text or WhatsApp 07714239227, with your name and workplace. GMB members need to play an active role if we are going to win.

Member action checklist:

1. Have you updated your details with your rep?
2. Have you saved your reps number on to your phone so you can be added to the broadcast list?
3. Have you completed your consultative ballot?

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 5 July 2021

Dear Yodel colleague,

The GMB is organising a campaign to win back money owed to night Cherry workers in Yodel.

If you work a night shift in Yodel and then you go on sick leave, Yodel have not been paying your night shift allowance.

The GMB believe this is unlawful. As a Cherry worker your contract of employment states you are entitled to FULL pay when off sick, by not paying you your night shift allowance when you are off sick Yodel are breaching the terms of your contract.

We are asking our members to sign a collective grievance where we will raise this issue directly with Yodel, if the grievance process does not solve the issue then we will be taking this issue to tribunal. Please sign the grievance and hand back to your local rep or contact your national rep if you do not have a workplace rep.

We need the support of our members to achieve all of this, so please sign the grievance. If you would like to get more involved in helping us win this campaign or just want to get more involved in the union, please send a text or WhatsApp to 07714239227 with your name and workplace.

If you believe this issue affects you and you are not a GMB member then please sign up to the union so we can support you to win back what is yours, you can join here JOIN

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 2 July 2021

Dear GMB member,

The GMB is gearing up for an industrial action ballot over the issue of driver schedules and the Driver Allocation Process. This will be a ballot of drivers only.

The company want the union to ask our members to pick their top 3 schedules. The GMB will not support the company in this. We cannot tell our members to pick schedules until the correct DAP has been followed and the company have published schedules that the union supports. This means the company must properly consult with the union before publishing the schedules, they have not done this.

We will not ask our members to pick schedules when we fundamentally disagree with the schedules that are being published and when proper consultation has not been adhered to.

GMB drivers MUST stick together on this issue. This means voting YES in the consultative ballot for action, it means not picking a schedule and it means voting YES in the ballot for formal industrial action when that opens.

We will be communicating with you shortly over the next steps.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 23 June 2021

Dear GMB member,

The GMB has registered a 'failure to agree' over the DAP. As per our collective agreement this means that the 'status quo' should apply. If the company adhere to our agreement this means taking a step back from the brink of the dispute that we are quickly entering into and engaging properly and fully in the DAP.

USDAW have also entered a 'failure to agree'. The company seem to believe that years of union experience over how the process is handled can just be brushed aside.

Union reps should have an opportunity to input into the schedules before they are published. This stage of the process has not been adhered to.

Not only has the process not been adhered to but contractual obligations to our members are being ripped up and long held agreements ignored (contractual days, flex time, night / day shift workers, 5 consecutive days).

On this basis we are advising our members against engaging in the DAP until the process has been rectified and in line with our national agreement that states that once a failure to agree has been lodged the status quo is maintained.

We are now also preparing for a formal industrial action ballot of all LGV1 drivers at Wednesbury and Hatfield, we are likely to include Scotland in this very shortly.

Yodel would do well to remember that drivers are in high demand at the moment, with labour shortages across the industry your bargaining power is greatly increased.

We have requested an urgent meeting with the company and will keep you updated.

Nadine Houghton,

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 22 June 2021

Dear GMB members,

The GMB is holding a consultative ballot of LGV1 drivers over the issue of the DAP (Driver Allocation Process), enhanced agency rates of pay and failure to follow the annual leave agreement resulting in loss of Annual Leave entitlement (currently at Hatfield only).

The GMB has initiated the Disputes Resolution Procedure with Yodel after the imposition of driver schedules at Hatfield and Wednesbury after a failure to negotiate with the union.

This failure to engage meaningfully with the union has led to potential schedules that are detrimental to our members’ work / life balance. At a time when drivers are in short supply and with agencies and other employers paying higher rates of pay, Yodel should be doing all they can to keep and support long serving, experienced drivers.

We are also seeing agency workers being paid higher rates of pay than directly employed staff. Parity between agency and directly employed workers must be maintained. Yodel must rectify this and make a compensatory payment to all affected drivers immediately and do so moving forward to ensure no further detriment.

The DAP has not yet started in Scotland, but we believe it will begin soon. If the process follows that of the south, then we expect to be in a very similar situation with our Scottish members too.

The GMB is now conducting a consultative workplace ballot. Please use your vote and make sure your membership details are up to date. Vote 'Yes' for a formal industrial action ballot.

Yours sincerely

Nadine Houghton,

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 15 June 2021

Dear GMB members,

It has been brought to the attention of the GMB that management are attempting to ride rough shod over a collective agreement we have in place regarding the allocation and booking of annual leave.

I will set out the key points of this agreement so you can hold local management accountable if you believe it is not being adhered to:

1. Managers should ask employees to submit at least 3 weeks of their annual leave requests at the start of each annual leave year. Letters were sent to managers in January to request that they do this. If managers did not approach you to get your leave booked this is a breach of the agreement.
2. Local union reps should be encouraged by their local managers to be involved in annual leave agreements, including talking to members and encouraging them to get their leave booked up and identifying members that may have specific issues with getting leave booked etc.
3. 3 months prior to the end of the annual leave year, managers should liaise with local union reps and speak to employees about booking remaining / outstanding leave .
4. 2 months prior to the end of the annual leave year, managers can look at allocating members leave if it has not been booked.

The final point is causing some issues currently. Managers seem to think that if a member hasn't booked their leave, then they will simply lose it. This is clearly a direct contradiction of the collective agreement we have with Yodel, a potential Health and Safety breach and a potential unlawful deduction claim.

The GMB is advising all members to submit collective or individual grievances if you believe the agreement has been breached. Your GMB representatives will be meeting with the national officer soon to discuss next steps in escalating the issue.

Please discuss with your local workplace rep or regional official prior to submitting a grievance for further guidance and support.

Nadine Houghton,

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 4 June 2021

Dear Colleague,

The GMB trade union exists to fight for fair treatment of working people. As a Cherry worker there may be rights in your contract that you are not aware of. Your local GMB reps enforce these rights day in day out, fighting to make sure that Yodel are giving our members what they are entitled to. The best way to ensure you are getting what you are entitled to and are being treated fairly is by being a member of the GMB.

To help Cherry workers understand what rights you have the GMB has put together this simple bulletin. You can use this to check whether you are being treated fairly. If you are not being treated in accordance with your rights, you need to speak to your GMB workplace representative:

Here are some of the agreements the GMB has with Yodel which we believe Cherry members aren't always aware of and which managers don't always adhere to:

1. You must be given 28 days notice to work a Bank Holiday. If you are not given this much notice the company would need to rely on your good will to work the Bank Holiday. However, you are within your right to have the time off due to lack of notice. (Please be aware that if you DON'T work a Bank Holiday it is deducted from your overall Annual Leave entitlement. If you do work, you are only paid flat rate (single time) for doing so).

1. Your Holiday Entitlement increases the longer you are with the company. You may want to check that you are being given the correct holiday entitlement (your local GMB rep can help you do this) Your holiday entitlement is; 1-3 years service 28 days Annual Leave / 4-6 years service 30 days Annual Leave / Start of the 7th year service 32 days Annual Leave.

1. Sadly, if you have under a year's service you are only entitled to SSP if you are off sick, however, after one year you are entitled to 6 weeks full and 3 weeks half (with the first 3 days sickness unpaid).

The GMB will always campaign to improve Cherry terms and to bring them in line with Yellow contracts - we do not believe in a two tier workforce and we exist to 'make work pay' - we do this best when workers are organised into the GMB, this means having union reps in the workplace that are fully trained and supported to represent members. If you are a Cherry worker and are interested in becoming more active in the GMB we can support you to do this. Please talk to your local reps or GMB regional officer or drop us a line at commercialservices@gmb.org.uk

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 29 October 2020

The Background

Yodel GMB members overwhelmingly rejected the company’s final pay offer and we’re now moving to a ballot for strike action. The aim being to get a better pay offer from Yodel.

The GMB pay claim is for 5% for 12 months, backdated to April 2020. Yodel has offered 2% from July 2020, so it’s only worth 1.6% and 1.5% from July 2021.

GMB members have worked hard throughout the COVID crisis and put their lives on the frontline. Yodel has won new business and volume levels have spiked.

Yodel employees are key workers and Yodel should recognise and reward its employees with a decent pay rise. What they are offering is not enough.

What Happens Now – The Strike Ballot

The GMB is now starting a strike ballot for GMB members in Yodel.

You will shortly receive a ballot paper in the post. The ballot paper is sent out to your home address by Civica, an independent balloting organisation.

We are calling on GMB members to VOTE YES for Strike Action and return the ballot paper in the pre-paid envelope provided.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU RETURN YOUR BALLOT PAPER BY 12 NOON ON FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2020

VOTE YES for STRIKE ACTION

If you don’t receive a ballot paper within the next few days, contact your GMB workplace rep or Regional Organiser and they will arrange for duplicate ballot paper to be sent out.

GARY CARTER

NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 31 July 2020

Dear member,

In the recent pay ballot, we asked GMB members whether they would be willing to take part in industrial action, up to and including strike action:

87% voted in favour

13% voted against

Thank you for taking part in the ballot, this is an overwhelming vote and shows how strongly GMB members feel about getting a good pay rise.

We will keep you informed of any developments and what our next steps will be in the pay campaign.

If you’re not a GMB member you can join online www.gmb.org.uk

In solidarity

Gary Carter

NATIONAL OFFICER