Safe return to work agreed for Capita TVL Field members
Postal July 24 2020After more than four months of ‘furlough’, hundreds of Capita TVL workers will return to duty a week on Monday, with a full range of appropriate safety and wellbeing measures having been agreed between the CWU and the company.
The television licensing service provider suspended its field operation back in March, following a decision by the BBC, and affected staff were all placed onto the Government’s Job Retention Programme – on 80 per cent pay, with Capita ‘topping-up’ their wages to 100 per cent up until the end of June.
CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey tells CWU News: “It was good that the company initially paid our members’ top-up – meaning that they didn’t lose out financially for the first three months, but unfortunately, Capita stopped the top-up for this month.
“However, with the decision by the BBC to resume licensing field operations, we have been in in discussions with the company to ensure that the return takes place in an ordered and planned manner, with full recognition of any trepidation or concerns that members may be feeling in the circumstances. The primary position is to ensure the well-being of these members”
Senior CWU reps in Capita TVL have been directly involved in these talks and a full set of operational protocols and procedures are now in place sand have been signed off, along with a joint statement by Andy for the union and Paul Johnston, the company’s managing director.
The Standard Operating Procedures have been jointly reviewed and updated where appropriate and these will be shared with all members prior to returning to work, along with a set of Q&As.
“Bryan Cossar and Trevor Clarke, our Senior representatives have done an excellent job and they will continue to work closely with their respective management counterparts to make sure that these measures are fully adhered to and also that full support is provided to members with concerns,” Andy explains.