UNI ICTS Europa Conference – 2017
The UNI ICTS Europa Conference will take place in Zagreb, Croatia from 7 June 2017 to 9 June 2017.
Nominations are invited for the CWU delegation to the above named Conference. The delegation size and nomination entitlements are as follows:
All delegates to be elected by and from the Telecom and Financial Services Constituency
1 NEC Member
3 Lay Members
(at least 1 delegate must be a woman and at least 1 delegate must be under the age of 30 at the date of the conference)
The timetable for the election is as follows:
Nominations Open 31 January 2017  
Nominations Close 14 February 2017 (14:00)  
Ballot Opens 21 February 2017  
Ballot Close 7 March 2017 (14:00) 
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
 
TONY KEARNS
SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 049/17 – UNI ICTS Europa Conference – 2017

UNI ICTS Europa 2017 – Regulations

UNI ICTS Europa 2017 Nomination Form

UNI ICTS Europa 2017 Candidate Consent & Biographical Details Forms

ELECTION OF NATIONAL DELEGATIONS – 2017
STUC  

The NEC has agreed the 2017 election arrangements for the National delegations listed above. Accordingly please find attached the regulations, nomination forms and candidates consent and biographical details form for these elections.
The details of the Conferences are as follows:
STUC / 24th – 26th April 2017

The venue for the Conference is Aviemore, Scotland.
The Timetable for the elections is:
Nominations open: 31 January 2017
Nominations close: 14 February 2017 (14:00)
Despatch ballot papers: 20 February 2017
Ballot closes: 7 March 2017 (14:00)
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
 
TONY KEARNS
SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 047/17 – Election of National Delegations – STUC 2017

STUC 2017 Regulations

STUC 2017 Nomination Forms

STUC 2017 Candidate Consent & Biographical Details Form

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF THE CWU NEC, INDUSTRIAL EXECUTIVES, SDGS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY POSTAL C&CH and ASSISTANT SECRETARY POSTAL OUTDOOR
Dear Colleague, 
ELECTION OF: CWU NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC), INDUSTRIAL EXECUTIVE (PE & TFSE) & NATIONAL OFFICER ELECTIONS – 2017
Further to LTB 688/16 dated 22 November 2017 and LTB 027/17 dated 19 January 2017.
The NEC has agreed the election timetable and regulations for the 2017 NEC and Industrial Executive elections. Additionally the NEC has agreed that any National Officer positions scheduled to be elected in 2017 will be run concurrently with the 2017 NEC and Industrial Executive elections.  
Branches will therefore be aware (see LTB 688/1) of the arrangements for election of the CWU Senior Deputy General Secretary and the CWU Assistant Secretary – Postal (C&CH) however since the publication of LTB the General Secretary has received notification that Bob Gibson, CWU Assistant Secretary Postal (Outdoor) has decided to stand down from his current CWU National Officer position and will be leaving the union with effect from 31st January 2017.
Accordingly the NEC has agreed that the election for this vacancy will be held in line with the election timetable and regulations for the election of the 2017 NEC, Industrial Executives and National Officers – Senior Deputy General Secretary and Assistant Secretary Postal (C&CH) and a copy of the election regulations is therefore attached for your information. 
For ease of reference the responsibilities of all CWU Assistant Secretaries shall be to carry out and discharge under the direction of the GS such Union duties as they may be deemed required to perform and the current responsibilities of the CWU Assistant Secretary Postal (Outdoor) include; Royal Mail UK Delivery Staff, ROMEC Cleaners and Royal Mail Collection Drivers.
The timetable for the NEC/IE and National Officer elections is as follows:
Nominations Open: 7 February 2017
Nominations Close: 28 February 2017 (14:00)
Accept Nomination: 3 March 2017 (14:00) (TFSE positions only)  
Dispatch ballot material from: 16 March 2017 
Close of ballot: 4 April 2017 (first post)  
The Election Regulations stipulate that a copy of the regulations for these elections must be distributed to all branches in advance of the nomination process. A copy of the Election Regulations is therefore enclosed and I would be grateful if you could ensure that these are brought to the attention of the members of your branch.
The regulations will also be published on the CWU website and a copy will be issued to all candidates nominated to stand in the Election (s). 
Further information regarding the nomination arrangements will be sent to branches during w/c 30th January 2017. However branches are reminded that in order for nominations for the above positions to be valid then they will need to be submitted on the appropriate CWU HQ issued nomination form (s).  
Elections Prize Draws
Branches are reminded that in order to protect the integrity of these very important national elections and more importantly, ensure that the union is legally compliant with the relevant legislation covering such elections, that election prize draws should not be conducted under any circumstances unless written authorisation has been given by the Senior Deputy General Secretary.
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Senior Deputy General Secretary Department, CWU HQ, for the attention of Peter Metcalfe.
Telephone: 0208 971 7368, or email: pmetcalfe@cwu.org
 
TONY KEARNS
SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 045/17 – Election Of: CWU National Executive Council (NEC), Industrial Executive (PE & TFSE) & National Officer Elections – 2017

NEC & IE Election Regulations 2017

National Officer Election Regulations 2017

Young Workers Action Week 2017 
Last year the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive secured some major recruitment and organising successes thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of our branches during our periods of focussed call centre action. In October alone we recruited an extra 600 new members during our action week and these improved levels of membership can only assist in strengthening the UNION and also leading to new activists coming forward.
With this success in mind and to maintain and build on this good branch work the T&FS constituency will be running a number of action weeks throughout 2017 and will be highlighting particular priorities not only in call centres but across the entire T&FS constituency.
The first week of action in 2017 will focus on youth recruitment and will run from:
20th – 24th March. Due to the focus on young workers we are asking all T&FS branches to participate, not just branches which cover call centres. 
It is imperative that the Union brings forward young workers as activists in the future as they are the Union’s life blood. All T&FS branches have young workers in them and all T&FS branches have the potential to recruit and organise more young workers. No one could disagree that the future of our union sits with recruitment of new members and furthermore with recruitment of young people in our workplaces.
Regional Organising Committees, Field Organisers and Headquarters staff will be available to assist branches with plans, literature and membership information.
Action weeks are for the benefit of the whole of the Union and as such we really should be in the position now where we have 100% branch engagement during these weeks, it is vital that we build on the momentum of our Action weeks and hopefully if we all pull together we can again see some major successes in 2017. 
Membership forms, literature and merchandise are obtainable from the T&FS Organising Department and if you want to discuss this more the Department can be contacted at: Ray Walsh: rwalsh@cwu.org or Lesley-Anne Ure: laure@cwu.org
 
Yours sincerely
 
Andy Kerr  
Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)  
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 042/17 – Young Workers Action Week 2017

Education & Training Data on the Online Services
In order to better coordinate education, training and lifelong learning information, a new layer has been created on the Online Services database. This enables the Education & Training Department to add course information from activist training records and CWU Left Click. It also enables branch ULRs to add lifelong learning activity from learning centres and other sign-posted courses.
We are running a series of workshops to introduce ULRs to the database. These will be held on the following dates:
22nd February 2017: 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon

28th February 2017: Moss Building, Mill St, Newport

2nd March 2017: Mowbray House, Mowbray St, Stockport

14th March 2017: 46-48 Summer Lane, Birmingham
All workshops will start at 11.00hrs and conclude no later than 15.00hrs.
We would be grateful if Branch Secretaries could nominate as soon as possible the individual(s) who they would like to access the database and the workshop they wish them to attend.
These details should be sent to learn@cwu.org

Please direct any queries regarding this LTB to Paul Dovey in the Education & Training Department at learn@cwu.org in the first instance.
Many thanks for your assistance with this initiative.
Yours sincerely,

Trish Lavelle

Head of Education & Training
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 037/17 – Education & Training Data on the Online Services

TRADE UNION ADMINISTRATION ACT – ASSURERS REPORT
Branches will be aware that the Trade Union Admin Act became legislation in April 2015. Part of the Act and in accordance with Section 24ZB of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) we had to appoint an Assurer to independently assess our membership records in order to receive our Members Audit Certificate (MAC) due in May 2017. The NEC at its meeting held on 28th January 2016 appointed ERS as our Assurer following endorsement of FOS document 02/16.
As part of the contractual needed to carry out what is called a “pre audit assessment” before the actual inspection takes place at the end of February this year. That assessment took place during June, July and August 2016. It included visits to 2 branches to assess their membership records as the Act requires that Branch records are kept to an acceptable standard.
We received the results and recommendations of the audit which forms part of a 55 page report. The findings were presented in order of severity (i.e in order of risk) listed as follows, Weakness, Opportunity for Improvement, Observation and/or audit enhancement and evidence not provided.
There are 2 key issues within the report that were identified as “opportunity for improvement” within Branches these were as follows;
Length of time new application forms remain in branch offices

To help keep accurate records, additional training for Branch officials whose role includes membership changes within the OLS or online joining system.

In respect of bullet point one, the Assurer observed a timeframe in excess of 2 weeks in some cases. We accept at Headquarters that to assist Branches in ensuring forms are either sent in immediately or for the branch to input the forms via the online joining process we at CWU HQ should offer assistance in the form of training. 
We fully understand and appreciate that if branches are out on recruitment drives, it may be impractical to post new membership application forms to CWU HQ on a daily basis. However in order to ensure we have taken action to respond to the issues highlighted in the report, something the Assurer will want to see, membership application forms should not be left in your branch office for any longer than a maximum of 5 working days.
Finally, if branch officials with responsibility for maintaining membership records would like some additional training to support their work of ensuring that the register of members is up to date and accurate then we can provide such training here at CWU HQ. Anyone requiring training of this nature should email makerman@cwu.org with names, we can then discuss and adapt training to suit different needs and requirements.
The Trade Union Admin Act came into force as part of further attempts by Government to tie up trade union activity in more unnecessary administration, Unfortunately it is now law and as such we have to take such measures as are require and pointed out to us by the Assurer to ensure we comply with the law and to ensure that we are issued with the necessary Member Audit Certificate. Failure to receive a MAC will mean that we are not allowed to use/access our membership data base for Trade Union purposes. Clearly it is important that we all ensure we do what is required to avoid such a situation, hence the necessity to produce this LTB and the actions contained therein.
Any further enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to sdgs@cwu.org
Yours Sincerely,
 
 
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 038/17 – Trade Union Administration Act – Assurers Report

ERNIE PURKIS – FORMER NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER AND MEMBER OF THE RETIRED MEMBERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
I am sorry to have to inform branches that our dear long serving Retired Member and former NEC Member, Ernie Purkis passed away peacefully at home last Thursday, 19th January 2017. He was nearly 93 years old.
Ernie was born in Manchester in 1925. He served as a gunner in the Royal Navy during WW2. His working life started in Birmingham in 1947 when he commenced employment on the railway – and immediately joined the National Union of Railwaymen. In 1950 Ernie commenced work for the General Post Office and joined the Post Office Engineering Union Birmingham External Branch. He became involved in the union in 1956 when he joined the Branch Committee. Four years later he became an officer of the branch when he was elected branch Treasurer. 
In 1965 he was elected branch secretary a position he held for eight years. At that time the Birmingham External Branch was the largest External Branch in the POEU. Ernie was released from his role as an External Planning Officer to fulfill his union activities. Those who worked with Ernie during this time have said that he never lost touch with his members because he would make daily visits to the depots and work areas to talk to members about their work problems and any other issues they wanted to raise with him. He very much enjoyed talking to his members.
In 1973 Ernie stood for national office and was successfully elected to serve on the POEU National Executive Council. Ernie also became a union Trustee. He served as a member of the NEC until his retirement in 1986 – the year after the union merged with the CPSA (P&T Group) to form the National Communications Union (NCU).
Ernie Purkis was a lifelong socialist and member of the Labour Party for very nearly 70 years. He attended many Labour Party Conferences as a union and constituency delegate. He also was elected on numerous occasions to represent the union at various TUC Conferences and events.
In 1986 Ernie became a retired member and from 1989 to the present day was a leading member of the Retired Members Advisory Committee. He had attended virtually every single union conference over the many decades of his involvement. Those regularly attending CWU conference will recall his contributions from the rostrum, describing the struggles facing many of our retired members and his wish to see pensions, heath care and pensioners’ standards of living improved and protected.
Ernie was awarded the union’s Gold Badge a number of years ago and in 2016 CWU conference agreed to bestow upon him, National Honorary Membership – the union’s highest award. The personal presentation was due to take place at this year’s conference and we are very saddened that Ernie’s passing will now prevent this. We will ensure that the enormous contribution that Ernie made to the CWU and its predecessor unions – and the wider trade union and Labour movement will be properly and formally recognised.
As a trade unionist Ernie dedicated much of his working life to helping other people – and he has inspired and encouraged others in the branch and in the wider trade union to do likewise. I know there are many people across the whole union who are fond of Ernie and who will miss him very much indeed. He will be particularly missed by all his close friends and colleagues in the Midland No 1 Branch and of course, by those on the Retired Members Advisory Committee.
Our heartfelt thoughts are with Ernie’s wife, Ella – and other close family members and friends and I will on behalf of the union convey our deepest condolences and sympathies to them. 
We have yet to be advised of the funeral arrangements however when these are known we will contact branches again. Midland No 1 Branch Secretary, Ali Moosa can be contact directly if any further information is required – 07802 768527.
Any further enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Office at gsoffice@cwu.org quoting the reference GS1.1
 
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 036/17 – ERNIE PURKIS – FORMER NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER AND MEMBER OF THE RETIRED MEMBERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Dear Colleague,
Royal Mail has now commenced a legal 60 day consultation on the future of the Defined Pension Scheme, the Royal Mail Pension Plan (RMPP). This Members Bulletin is designed to explain, in plain terms, the proposal, who it directly affects, how the consultation process works and the CWU response to this proposal.
1. What is being proposed? 

Royal Mail is proposing to close the Royal Mail Pension Plan (RMPP) on the 31st March 2018. This would mean that members of this scheme would not be able to build up any further pension benefits in RMPP.

Members of RMPP would transfer into the Royal Mail Defined Contribution Plan (RMDCP) from the 1st April 2018. 

Death in Service benefits and Ill Health Retirement benefits would also be worsened from the 1st April 2018.

Benefits accrued in RMPP up to the 31st March 2018 would be protected, held in Trust and uprated each year by RPI (Maximum 5%) to maintain their value, and paid out at age 60 and age 65. The ability to request early payment of an actuarially reduced pension from age 55 onwards would remain. 

The business is offering a one-off lump sum of £750 to RMPP members affected by the closure of their scheme. This can be taken as cash (tax and NI payable) or paid into the members RMDCP scheme (tax and NI not payable).

2. Who is directly affected by the proposal? 

Everyone who joined Royal Mail before the 1st April 2008.

Royal Mail unilaterally closed the RMPP to new entrants from the 1st April 2008. From this date, new entrants joined the Royal Mail Defined Contribution Plan (RMDCP).

The RMDC Plan does not provide the guaranteed benefits that the RMPP does.

The CWU has been campaigning to improve the RMDC Plan for a number of years, and negotiated a number of improvements to the Plan in 2013.  

The CWU strategy for resolving this issue will be radical and directly benefit both RMPP and RMDCP members.

3. What is the consultation process about? 

When an employer wishes to make changes to a Pension Scheme, by law, they must consult with scheme members for a minimum 60 day period. This has now commenced and will end on the 10th March 2017.

The consultation process is for members to ask questions on the proposal and to also give their views whether they agree or not with the proposal. If members do not provide their views then Royal Mail will assume that you agree with the proposal. If you are happy to have a worsened pension then you do not need to take any action, if, however, you do not want your pension worsened then you do need to take action. A simple email or letter stating that you do not agree with the proposal will suffice. Send it to either of these addresses: 

Email your view to: my.pension@royalmail.com

Send your letter to: Freepost MY PENSION, Pond Street, SHEFFIELD, S98 6HR

The company does not have to obtain your agreement for the proposed changes, but the more members who make it clear they do not agree with it will put pressure on the company to change their proposal.

4. What is the CWU Response to this proposal? 

The CWU is opposed to Royal Mail’s proposal.

The CWU is currently in negotiation with the company on this issue and others. 

These negotiations will continue throughout the consultation process and after it closes.

The CWU is developing a radical alternative proposal that will be designed to protect RMPP member pensions, and radically improve the pension arrangements of those members in the RMDCP. The principle that will be applied will be for equity of treatment for ALL members in their future pension arrangements.

This will be a very difficult goal to achieve, but RM’s proposal provides the CWU with a once in a lifetime opportunity to negotiate to equalise members pension arrangements upwards, not downwards as proposed by Royal Mail.

Members can greatly assist the Union by ensuring that you respond to Royal Mail during the consultation period making it clear that you do not agree with Royal Mail’s proposal.
Further Members Bulletins will be published as developments occur.

Barry Jennings, Steve Butts & Kev Martin

Anglia Divisional Representatives 

BERNARD ROOME – FORMER NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER AND MEMBER OF THE TELECOM AND FINANCIAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE  
It is with great sadness and regret I must advise branches that on Friday 20th January 2017, Bernard Roome, former NEC Member and T&FS Executive Member passed away peacefully following a short period of illness. 
Bernard Roome started work at Post Office Telecommunications in Swansea on 20th December 1971 joining the Post Office Engineering Union (POEU) on the very same day. He was a member of the Swansea Engineering Branch, the Welsh Valleys Branch [now the South Wales Branch] and latterly he became a member of the South London, Surrey and North Hampshire Branch. He has been a member of the union for over 45 years. 
Bernard Roome became a branch committee member in 1974 and from 1980 onwards held the positions of Vice Chair, Assistant Branch Secretary and Branch Secretary; a post he held up until 2009. He was heavily involved in the Trade Union Council and again over a number of years held several senior positions. He represented the union from 1994 to 1997 as a branch delegate to the national TUC Conference and following his election to the NEC continued to represent the CWU as a national representative. He was a delegate to the Wales TUC from 1982 to 2010. Bernard was also a member of the Wales TUC General Council and Executive General Council from 2009 – 2010. He was elected to the CWU National Executive Council and Engineering Executive in 1997 and served as a member of the NEC and T&FS until his retirement in 2010. 
He was proud to be a member of the Socialist Party. Bernard also represented the union from 2007 until his retirement as an Executive Member of the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign. 
Bernard’s dedicated service to the union was recognised when he was presented with the Union’s Gold Badge in 2010. The CWU also presented Bernard with its highest award, National Honorary Membership in April 2012. 
Bernard made a huge contribution over many years both to the CWU and its predecessor unions – and to the wider trade union movement. He was very much rooted in Wales and was passionate about representing his branch, its members and the wider community. He was a well respected trade unionist of conviction and I know that he will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues in the union and wider labour movement. 
At this terribly sad time our thoughts are of course with Bernard’s partner Grace, who many of you will know was a former CWU national Assistant Secretary. Bernard had immediate family in Wales and our thoughts are also with them. I will on behalf of the CWU convey our deepest sympathy and condolences to Grace and other family members. 
For the last few years Bernard and Grace have lived in Spain and I can confirm that the funeral did take place during last weekend. We have been advised that a Memorial Service will take place in due course to celebrate Bernard’s life and the contribution he made to the union and wider trade union movement. We will contact branches again when further information is made available about the arrangements for this event. 
If you wish to convey your condolences, you can contact Grace Mitchell by email on gmitchellhome@yahoo.co.uk. 
Any further enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Office at gsoffice@cwu.org quoting the reference GS1.1.  
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Ward

General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB034/17