Equality Officer’s Seminar, Tuesday 26th July 2016
CWU Headquarters 
The Department is pleased to confirm that this year’s Equality Officer’s Seminar will take place on Tuesday 26th July 2016. The seminar is held to make sure that Equality Officers are kept up to date on the latest developments on legislation and the businesses we represent. The seminar is to be held at CWU Headquarters on the 4th Floor (Rooms 2&3). Registration will commence at 10.00 am for a 10.30 am start, to finish at approximately 3.00 pm.  
The Department is keen to stress the importance of ensuring that all Equality Officers are made aware of the seminar and every effort is made to encourage them to attend. This is especially important for newly appointed Equality Officers. 
For clarification, all expenses will be met by Branches. 
It is important that anyone interested in attending register with our office asap. Please let us know of any access/mobility issues, and contact us as soon as possible if anyone requires a prayer room so that we can also arrange this. 
Any enquiries to the Equal Opportunities Department, email address: dgittens@cwu.org
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Linda Roy
Assistant Secretary  
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 384/16 – Equality Officer’s Seminar, Tuesday 26th July 2016

Further to recent LTB’s in relation to the scanning of products at the doorstep and the rollout of new PDAs which assist with this process, we have been made aware by Royal Mail that one of their current customers Amazon who currently post circa 4 million of Tracked 24 LetterBoxable items a year, are planning to inject a further 15 million items during the month of June, as a trial to test current performance. 

As the current performance levels are below the businesses target of 95% they are undertaking activity to ensure that each office complies with doorstep scan procedures and that every item is scanned at the doorstep.

 

The rationale for this is to make sure that this will maintain the increased contract levels from Amazon as well as improving their ability to compete in the overall parcels market by providing customers with confirmation of delivery on each parcel/packet, which it is hoped, will enable growth across the business.

 

In addition, both parties have agreed to further discussions through the Integrated Delivery Programme (IDP) over the coming weeks and months, to help understand the next steps of being able to offer customers the ability to track their items through the network, as well as enhanced products in the future.

 

Accordingly please find attached to this email a copy of a WTLL brief that is being issued and also a copy of a mailshot that Royal Mail is sending to each employee’s house. 
Also below is a list of other comms that will be utilised in the coming weeks.
RMtv specials

Stories for the intranet and Myroyalmail.com

A Courier article (next edition due in 2 weeks)

  

Any enquiries should be addressed to outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference 530
Yours Sincerely

 

Bob Gibson                                        

CWU Assistant Secretary – Outdoor      
Email Attachments – Click to download
· LTB 383/16 Royal Mail Comms on Current Products and Enhanced Customer Service
· Attachment 1: RM Complaints Postcard
· Attachment 2: Amazon T4 LBT WTLL Briefing 2016

British Telecom plc (BT) has been fined £500,000 after an engineer fell seven metres from a loft in London, breaking his back and his ankles.
The Old Bailey heard how a BT engineer, David Spurgeon, was fixing a telephone fault in the roof void of a residential block of flats in Tower Hamlets, East London.
Mr Spurgeon was working alone when he lost his balance and fell through the ceiling, landing on a concrete stairwell, sustaining his serious injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred in May 2011 found there were a number of management failures by BT, including inadequate planning of work taking place near fragile surfaces and checking that it was carried out safely.
British Telecom plc was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay costs of £98,913.51. In his sentencing remarks the judge criticised BT for attempting to blame its own engineers for the incident. He described their approach as being ‘not necessary, misplaced, and unfortunate’.
HSE inspector Kevin Smith said: “David Spurgeon is lucky to be alive.
There were a number of failures of health and safety management by BT which related to planning the work, supervision, and checking it was being carried out safely. Work at height needs to be properly planned, and this incident could have been prevented.
CWU is discussing with BT how to learn from this accident and that an action plan is in place to ensure this type of accident does not happen again.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
16LTB382 HSE Prosecution of BT.docx

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Month – ‘Shortened Stories’ – June 2016

To: All Branches
About Motor Neurone Disease MND

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting.

MND can affect how a person walks, talks, eats, drinks and breathes. However, not all symptoms necessarily happen to everyone and it is unlikely they will all develop at the same time, or in any specific order.

Although there is currently no cure for MND, symptoms can be managed to help sufferers achieve the best possible quality of life.
This LTB is aimed at supporting MND Awareness month by providing background information about MND that will help Branches and Health and Safety Reps in particular to access information if they have a member or members with MND or symptoms which may possibly be MND.
Throughout MND Awareness Month in June 2016 the MND Association will be running a major campaign focusing on a number of powerful Shortened Stories – real people whose lives have been, or will be, cut short by MND, whose hopes and dreams will die because of their diagnosis. You can view these incredible shortened stories at http://www.shortenedstories.org/.
You may recall that summer 2014 was an important one for the MND community. You Ice Bucket Challenge sweeping the internet raised new awareness of motor neurone disease and over £7million in donations. During the 2015 MND national awareness month the MND Association wanted to acknowledge the incredible achievements of the previous year and also remind people that MND still continues to ravage lives at devastating speed.
Brief guide to MND

The French Neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot first described Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 1874. The term Motor Neurone Disease, describes a group of related diseases, affecting the motor nerves or neurones in the brain and spinal cord, which pass messages to the muscles telling them what to do.

What Does MND Affect?
MND is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones.
Degeneration of the motor neurones leads to weakness and wasting of muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.
The muscles first affected tend to be those in the hands, feet and mouth, dependent on which type of the disease an individual is diagnosed with.
MND does not usually affect the senses or the bladder and bowel. Some people may experience changes in thinking and behaviour, often referred to as cognitive impairment, but only a very few will experience severe cognitive change.

The effects of MND can vary enormously from person to person, from the presenting symptoms, and the rate and pattern of the disease progression, to the length of survival time after diagnosis.
What are the symptoms?
Not everyone will experience all of the following symptoms, or in any particular order. An individual may even have symptoms that are not mentioned here, as the disease can affect everyone differently, or an individual could have another unrelated problem which also requires medical attention, so people are advised to speak to their GP about any concerns. Common symptoms are:-
• Muscle weakness 

• Twitching (and fasciculations – rippling sensations under the skin)

• Muscle tightness and/or cramping

• Breathing difficulties

• Swallowing problems

• Saliva and mucus problems (can gather in the mouth and throat)

• Speech and communication difficulties

• Fatigue

• Pain

• Emotional liability (involuntary/inappropriate laughing and/or crying, difficult to control and distressing)

• Emotional reactions (anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, depression and disbelief)

• Cognitive changes (difficulty thinking, concentrating, planning things and interacting with others)
See Further information in the attached MNDA Leaflets.
Diagnosis

Motor Neurone Disease can be extremely difficult to diagnose for several reasons:

• It is a comparatively ‘rare’ disease

• The early symptoms can be quite slight, such as clumsiness, mild weakness or slightly slurred speech, all of which can be attributed to other reasons. It can be some time before someone feels it necessary to see a GP

• The disease affects each individual in a different way, so there is no definitive set of symptoms.
There is no specific way of testing for MND, which means diagnosis requires the elimination of other potential conditions. When someone first realises that something is wrong they usually go and see their GP (family doctor) for advice. The GP might refer them to see a neurologist, a specialist in conditions that affect the brain and nerves. The neurologist will examine and question the person on how the symptoms are affecting their daily life. There is no single test that proves someone has the disease, so specialists will do lots of different tests to make sure it isn’t something else before they tell someone they have MND.
Types of MND
There are four main types of MND, each affecting people in different ways. Although someone might be diagnosed with a particular type, one type can turn into another over time. This means that sometimes a person might not know what kind of MND they have.
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of MND. People who have this form of the disease often start by having weakness and wasting in their arms and legs. Someone may first notice they are tripping up when walking or that they drop things. 

• Progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) affects about a quarter of people diagnosed with MND. People with PBP may find that their speech starts to slur or they may have difficulty swallowing. 

• Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) affects only a small proportion of people. To start with people may notice weakness or clumsiness in their hands. 

• Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a rare form of MND causing mainly weakness in the lower limbs, although some people may experience clumsiness in the hands or speech problems. Many people with PLS live as long as they would have if they didn’t have the disease.
Is there a cure for MND?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for MND at the moment. People who have MND do not get better and people do die from MND.
Who is at risk of developing MND?
In recent years there is evidence to suggest the incidence of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is increasing. This could possibly be due to more accurate diagnostic testing. Also, as people are generally living for longer, the incidence of a disease more common in older people will continue to increase.
MND Statistics
It is difficult to be exact, but statistics for Motor Neurone Disease tell us that:
• A person’s lifetime risk of developing MND is up to 1 in 300

• Six people per day are diagnosed with MND in the UK

• It affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time

• Around 35% of people with MND experience mild cognitive change, which can cause issues in executive functions such as planning, decision- making and language

• A further 15% of people with MND show signs of frontotemporal dementia which results in more pronounced behavioural change

• It kills a third within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis

• It kills six people per day in the UK, this is just under 2,200 per year.
What causes MND?
Each individual may be affected by a different combination of triggers, both genetic and environmental, which makes it very difficult to determine precise markers for the disease. The Motor Neurone Disease Association Website has information sections on Causes and Research into causes, if required. Contact and link details are below.  

Further Information
Attached are two Motor Neurone Disease Association publications:

 • Living with motor neurone disease 

 • So what is MND anyway?
Contact Details – Further Information, Services and Support:-
The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MDNA) – Charity Registration No. 294354 is the only national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland dedicated to improve care and support for people affected by MND, fund and promote research, and campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND are addressed by society.
MND Connect 

MND Association 

PO Box 246

Northampton NN1 2PR 

Telephone: 08457 626262 

Email: mndconnect@mndassociation.org 

Website: http://www.mndassociation.org

MND Scotland 

76 Firhill Road Glasgow G20 7BA 

Telephone: 0141 945 1077 

Email: info@mndscotland.org.uk 

Website: http://www.mndscotland.org.uk

The Mike Findley Story
Mike Findley a brave and incredible man, and as many of you will know Mike is a CWU Gold Badge Holder and a Former CWU Regional Secretary, Divisional Representative, Branch Secretary and Branch Chairman, serving the Union for over 30 years before retirement in 1999 after which he became an active and distinguished leader in both Community Associations and Pensioners organisations, he became a local Councillor, Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Council. After diagnosis of MND in June 2005 he formed the Mike Findley MND Fund and has raised over £166,000 for MND, wining many awards and accolades for his efforts including an MBE in 2010.
On 17 June 2005 Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and told the average lifespan is two – five years, in 2007 after more tests he was told that I had the slower type of the condition called progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) which has a lifespan of 5+ years.
On 15 September 2005 along with family and friends he launched the Mike Findley MND fund and since then has organised many events to raise awareness of MND and to raise money for the MND Association’s ‘central research fund’, plus he has helped local people suffering with the disease through the MND care centre at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.
Mike says “There is no treatment or cure for Motor Neurone Disease the only outcome is death, with the majority of people with MND dying within 14 months. So it is vitally important that we continue to do all we can to raise awareness and money for research, in the hope that one day the world will be free of MND. So any support people can give will be much appreciated.”
The CWU H&S Dept has recently been in contact with Mike, and he advises that he has recently reached another milestone with it being 11 years since he was first diagnosed, and last September was the 10th anniversary of his MND fund, which to date has raised just over £166,000. He has also written an open letter To National Officers, Field Officers, Branch Officials and Members in the Communication Workers Union which is included in the LTB. This is attached.
Mike Findley would be happy to hear from anyone in the CWU wanting to help. Contact details are:-
4, Northfield Road

Marske-by-the-sea

Redcar, Cleveland

TS11 6EJ

01642/830220 (home)

07794612857 (Judith – treasurer)

mikefindley@ntlworld.com

judithfindley@ntlworld.com

Website:- http://mikefindleymndfund.com/

Attachments:- 

• MND Guide Living With MND

• MND Guide – So What Is MND Anyway

• Letter from Mike Findley 

 

Yours sincerely

  

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 381/16 Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Month – ‘Shortened Stories’ – June 2016

Living with Mind

MND Guide 2016

Letter from Mike Findley

MARK PENFOLD: EDINBURGH TO LONDON CHARITY WALK
I am writing to seek your branch’s support for CWU member Mark Penfold – who set off at the end of May on an epic fundraising walk from Edinburgh to London – inspired by the plight of his sick grandson, Frankie who suffers from the life-limiting Mitochondrial Disease. Mark hopes his Edinburgh to London hike will raise tens of thousands of pounds for research into the cruel genetic condition.
The walk, which follows one of the oldest postal routes in the UK, has been adopted by Royal Mail as one of its programmed events commemorating 500 years of the British Postal Service and the company has generously agreed to match everything Mark receives in sponsorship up to £20,000.
Mark is a postman from Burnham-on-Sea and a member of the Bristol and District Amal Branch. He was cheered off by colleagues from the Edinburgh’s East Delivery Office on Friday 27th May as he began the 500-mile trek, during which he will be supported every inch of the way by a combined CWU and Royal Mail support team.
We understand that he has already raised pledges of well over £17,000. All proceeds will go to The Lily Foundation, which is currently supporting pioneering research initiatives into Mitochondrial Disease in the hope that better treatments can be developed and a cure ultimately found.
The walk is planned to take three weeks, which means that Mark will cross Tower Bridge on 18th June 2016, finally finishing at London’s Guildhall where he will join Royal Mail’s 500th anniversary celebrations in the Capital.
Over the last few weeks, many CWU activists and members have walked alongside Mark and there have been some brilliant people who have volunteered to drive and resource the support vehicle. Many CWU members, Royal Mail employees and associates of the Lily Foundation have been out in force along the 500 mile route cheering Mark on. We are all very grateful for the support shown to him by everyone involved. 
I would like to urge all branches to sponsor Mark Penfold in this amazing walk for charity – and you can do so by visiting http://www.sponsorme.co.uk/markpenfold
Any cheques should be made payable to “Charities Trust” (ensure you note it is for Mark Penfold – Lily Foundation) – and sent to:- 
Gary Grange
Community Investment Manager
Royal Mail Group
100 Victoria Embankment
London
EC4Y 0HQ 
You can follow Mark on twitter https://twitter.com/Walk4Frankie or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/walk4frankie
It would be really great if CWU members could come along to Guildhall Yard (London EC2V 7HH) at 12.00pm on Saturday 18th June 2016 – please see the attached Guildhall map and leaflet – to see Mark cross the finish line. We wish him all the very best.
Yours Sincerely
 
Dave Ward

General Secretary
 
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 379/16 – Mark Penfold: Edinburgh to London Charity Walk

London Poster

Guildhall map

Facebook Comments (Charity Walk)

EU referendum communications plan
Further to LTB367/16 and in line with Annual Conference policy, the union is undertaking a number of communications initiatives this week to promote our position. 
Firstly, attached to this LTB is a leaflet that can be printed by branches and distributed in workplaces. This can also be used to promote the union’s position on social media. Any Branches that require assistance with the printing and distribution of these leaflets should contact Debby Ackerman dakerman@cwu.org  
A video on the EU is being released on Thursday. The national union will share this via email and social media and branches are encouraged to do the same. 
A home mailing to all CWU members is scheduled to arrive with every CWU member this weekend. This will be shared with branches in due course.
Finally, as previously communicated, the CWU is jointly hosting a major EU event this Thursday evening in London. Rally for Your Rights will see speakers from the CWU, FB, GMB and TSSA address the meeting alongside, Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell. The meeting details are reiterated below and it is important that every CWU branch makes the maximum possible effort to attend. 
RALLY FOR YOUR RIGHTS
 
Date: Thursday 16th June

Time: 18:30

 
Venue:            
HAMILTON HOUSE
MABLEDON PLACE
LONDON
WC1H 9BD
 
(Nearest tube station – Euston / Kings Cross)
 
Yours Sincerely
 
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 380/16 – EU referendum communications plan

Attachment – cwu-475-eu-ref-flyer-des2

OFCOM – Strategic Review of Digital Communications
Ten Point Plan for a better Openreach – (Vodafone, Talk Talk, Sky, Inca, FCS) – CWU Rebuttal
A new “all-industry coalition“, which represents alternative network providers and major UK players like Sky Broadband, TalkTalk and Vodafone, has put pressure on Ofcom to deliver on its digital communications review by publishing a plan in May that sets out how they think the regulator should deliver a better and more independent Openreach. This is attached. However, the coalition doesn’t actually represent the whole industry as some big names are missing, such as Kingston Communications and Virgin Media. 
The CWU have produced a rebuttal to their ten point plan which will be placed on our website and is attached to this LTB. Please feel free to utilise this rebuttal if talking to local politicians or for general lobbying purposes. 
Yours sincerely,
 
Andy Kerr

Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)
 
                                                                                                    
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 375/16 – OFCOM – Strategic Review of Digital Communications

Attachment 1: CWU rebuttal to ten point plan final

Attachment 2: Letter to Openreach – 10 Point Plan