CWU Regional Secretary Elections – 2017 
Further to LTB 195/17 dated 6th April 2017. 
Please find attached a copy of the detailed branch analysis for the above elections.
This is being sent to the branches in electronic format only. If any branch requires a paper copy of the branch breakdown, then this can be obtained from the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department.
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be directed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department for the attention of Peter Metcalfe:
Telephone: 0208 971 7368

Email: pmetcalfe@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,
 
TONY KEARNS

SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 224/17 – CWU Regional Secretary Elections 2017

Branch Analysis – CWU Regional Secretaries 2017

National Executive Council & National Representative Elections 2017 
Further to LTB 194/17 dated 6th April 2017.
Please find attached a copy of the detailed branch analysis for the above elections.
This is being sent to the branches in electronic format only. If any branch requires a paper copy of the branch breakdown, then this can be obtained from the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department.
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be directed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department for the attention of Peter Metcalfe:
Telephone: 0208 971 7368

Email: pmetcalfe@cwu.org 
Yours sincerely,
TONY KEARNS

SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY 
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 223/17 – National Executive Council & National Representative Elections 2017

Branch Analysis – NEC & Industrial Executives 2017

Election of National Representative Positions – Vacant Positions (2017) – CWU Equal Opportunities Advisory Committees 
Further to LTB 202/17 dated 11th April 2017, please see below the result of the ballots that closed on 20th April 2017. 
RACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Postal – 1 Lay Member  
Adam Alarakhia
Leicestershire
18025
 
Jay Bhundia
South West Middlesex Amal
20622
 
Saf Khan
North West No 1
22011
*Elected
Prince Kinglsey-Faborode
South Central Postal
11776
 
Dennis Smith
Eastern No 5
8867
 
LGBT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Postal – 1 Lay Member  
Matt Bellamy
Eastern No 5
15182
 
Jay Bhundia
South West Middlesex Amal
35394
*Elected
Christopher Hurley
Leeds No 1
28719
 
Please find attached a copy of the branch breakdown for this ballot.
Yours sincerely,
TONY KEARNS

SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY 
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 222/17 – Election of National Representative Positions – CWU Equal Opportunities Advisory Committees – Vacant Positions (2017)

Branch Breakdown – Equal Opportunities Advisory Committee Vacancies 2017

CWU Conference 2017 – Credentials
Branches are reminded that credentials and voting cards and any further Standing Orders Reports will be available to pick up from the registration desk in the Windsor Hall Foyer in the Bournemouth International Centre from 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm on Saturday 22nd April 2017.
It is also advisable to remind delegations to bring to conference their membership cards if anyone is an observer as this allows them to stay in the conference whilst an “In Camera” debate takes place whereas if you obtain an observer credential you will have to leave the conference hall.
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Chris Tapper or sent to ctapper@cwu.org
Yours sincerely
 
 
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 221/17 – CWU Conference 2017 – Credentials

Four Pillars: Presentation Slides from National Briefing 28th March 2017
Further to the National Briefing held at TUC Headquarters on 28th March 2017, attached are a series of presentation slides providing an update on the Pillars of Security negotiations with Royal Mail.
The presentation slides set out the latest position on each of the union’s four Pillars:
• A Pensions Solution for All;

• A Shorter Working Week and Pay Claim;

• Extension to our Legally Binding Agreements; and

• A Re-designed Pipeline.
As the DGS(P) and National Officers reported to the Briefing, the CWU are clearly disappointed that in response to the union’s positive, forward agenda, the company have looked backwards and set out a programme of managed decline designed to strip out costs and maximise future returns to shareholders. As well as savage cuts to our pensions, the company are also proposing significant cuts to members’ pay and conditions, unwanted changes to our current agreements and IR Framework and a future pipeline predicated on later acceptance times. 
While recognising that talks with the employer are still at an early stage and will continue, it is clear that we remain far apart. It is therefore critical that Branches continue their work to support the union’s campaign and use the presentation slides and other related material to alert members to the serious threats posed by Royal Mail’s short-term, cost driven approach and win maximum membership support for the union’s four Pillars of Security.
Further updates will be provided to Branches in due course.
Any enquiries relating to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.
Yours sincerely
Ray Ellis

Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Email Attachments – Click to download
· Attachment 1 – LTB 220/17 – Four Pillars: Presentation Slides from National Briefing 28th March 2017

· Attachment 2 – Hilary Salt (First Actuarial) Presentation Slides – National Briefing 28th March 2017

· Attachment 2 – CWU National Officers – Powerpoint Presentation – National Briefing 28th March 2017

CWU Consolidated Accounts 2016 
Further to LTB 191/17 dated 3rd April 2017 which invited questions to the 2016 CWU Accounts, at the closing time and date the following questions had been submitted by Harrow and District Branch:
Having looked at the financial statement 2016 for Trade Union Legal LLP (Unionline) the LLP owed CWU £2,159,347 for year end 2016 it was £1,099,440 year end 2015. This comprises unsecured loans and recharged operating costs. Where is this shown in the CWU accounts? There are no fixed repayments terms for the loan, how secure are the CWU funds loaned to the LLP what contingency plans are in place should the LLP continue to report trading losses.
In answer to the question “Where is this shown in the accounts” the loan is identified on page 22 note 17 and forms part of the “Other Debtors” figure note 8 page 18.
The recharge is not a cash transaction between the CWU and Unionline and as such dos not form part of the formal consolidated accounts, note 17 page 22 states “During the year the Union recharged for staff and administration costs incurred relating to the activities of the LLP”. This recharge is placed into Unionline accounts in order that when the company returns a profit and that profit is shared between the partners i.e. between CWU and GMB the recharge figures will be the basis for the profit to be calculated on for tax purposes.
The question regarding security of loans and any contingency plans are not questions to the published accounts, they are matters of policy and are and remain the responsibility of the Head of Legal Services to manage in conjunction with the NEC if necessary.
The Trade Union LLP (Unionline) has to date a trading loss of £6,458,139. There are currently around 8,300 live personal injury cases; whilst there is a probability that income will accrue on these cases it cannot be measured accurately however the contingent asset value for these cases is in the range of £4.6 m to 7m. Has there been any income from Legal Services this financial year and if so where is this shown in the CWU accounts. The contingent asset value of the current live cases does not have any timescales what contingency plans are in place regarding continuing funding LLP if future income is unclear.
Legal income in 2016 was £394,000 however the total cost of legal services provision outstripped this income and so the balance of income versus expenditure is shown in Note H on page 27 as an overall cost to the CWU of £55,215. The questions phrased around “contingency plans” is not a question to the CWU accounts 2016. It is a policy matter and is and remains the responsibility of the Head of Legal Services to manage in conjunction with NEC if necessary. 
The SDGS has done an excellent job in reducing costs at CWU HQ however the Trade Union LLP (Unionline) has increased both its staff and the subsequent cost from 33 staff at the cost of £786,366 to 54 staff at the cost of £1,275,339. The CWU accounts do not clearly show any income from Legal Services what input does the CWU have on the LLP operation and subsequent costs bearing in mind that the CWU and GMB have agreed to provide working capital and operating costs. If the costs continue to rise at the current rate and income continues to be unclear is there a timescale the CWU has for reviewing its involvement in the Trade Union LLP should the financial situation at the LLP become untenable. 
The first part of this “question” refers to internal matters within Trade Union Legal/Unionline, these are not matters pertaining to the published CWU Accounts 2016. The only question phrased here is around the CWU “input” to the LLP operation and future funding arrangements regarding working capital and operating costs and the question on a review of the CWU involvement in Trade Union Legal. Although phrased as a question again these are also not questions to the CWU Accounts for 2016. They are matters of policy and are and remain the responsibility of the NEC to deal with if necessary.
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 217/17 – CWU Consolidated Accounts 2016

THE old post-war settlements on education have been rolled back at an alarming rate by previous and current governments and are due to be further undone by a combination of this deeply ideological attack on education as the great leveller in society combined with a the decimation of funding for high-quality opportunities for all.

Starved, attacked and fragmented — the crisis for working-class education is acute and the impact of this may be felt for years to come as education becomes the preserve of a wealthy elite.

However, at a time when the prospects for working-class education have never really seemed so bleak, it is important to remain optimistic about our ability to respond to this climate as a class and to take inspiration for a history of overcoming a lack of access to education and a tradition of developing and delivering our own independent provision.

Trade unions have a particularly powerful role to play in this regard, as organisers of working-class education via learning in the workplace, political education for our activists, our ability to work at the heart of communities and our legacy of developing working-class leaders.

Ironically, the changes to funding for TUC courses have presented unions with an opportunity to look anew at what and how trade union activist education is carried out and what we really need.

I have been to more events and meetings in the last 12 months than in the whole of the previous decade where unions have genuinely and critically started to analyse and assess what we can do better, including working together and sharing resources and good practice.

There is a general acceptance that what has served us well for decades in terms of a reliance by the movement on further education funding has also largely depoliticised a lot of what we do and has in some ways reduced the role of the rep to the bureaucratic, procedural and legal functions that occupy so much time on an average trade union course.

This is not to say that we do not wish to have activists who understand the law or an agreement with the employer, but surely our aim is to create a rounded trade union activist who understands not only how the law functions but why it is configured the way it is, how our limited rights were won over centuries of struggle and how the system is rigged against workers generally and the mass of unorganised workers particularly.

The labour movement also has to recognise that education is not free or cheap, so funding education for our members and our representatives has to be a serious priority over the lean times ahead.

Certainly in this hostile climate, unions will have to ensure that our education is made much more available, accessible and relevant.

Part of this will be making far better use of technology that supports distance and online learning. This will also mean designing shorter courses with the flexibility, relevant content and clarity of vision that can appeal not only to the representative in a traditional collective bargaining environment, but also crucially to the young worker in the Amazon warehouse — bogus self-employed, zero hours, minimum wage, no union to be seen in many — and yet where injustice burns brightest is precisely where trade unions need to be to educate, agitate and organise.

It won’t be cheap and it won’t be easy — but if unions can grasp the opportunity to genuinely develop educational programmes for the next generation of trade union and community organisers, campaigners and leaders there is every reason for hope.

Trish Lavelle is CWU head of education and training.

SERTUC activities and news    Battle of Wood Green Sunday 23 April

Celebrating 40 years of multicultural diversity to counter the rising tide of racism. 12 noon onwards at Turnpike Lane with MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Catherine West, David Lammy https://twitter.com/BattleOfWoodGrn
SERTUC organising project with CGTP and OPZZ

The next workshop is for Polish workers and will take place in London on Tuesday 16 May – please see here for details and share widely with relevant colleagues https://sertucresources.wordpress.com/east-of-england-organising/
The final workshop for Portuguese workshop workers will be on Saturday 8 July in Ipswich. More details shortly
Levellers Day 2017

· Friday 19 May Levellers Night at the CWU’s education centre at Alvescot Lodge https://levellersday.wordpress.com/friday-seminar-2017/
· Saturday 20 May Levellers Day commemoration, march and debate at the Burford Recreation Ground https://levellersday.wordpress.com/whats-happening-2017/
Burston Strike School Rally 2017

Sunday 3 September – note the date now! First confirmed speakers: Len McCluskey Unite, John Hendy QC, John McDonnell MP, Megan Dobney SERTUC; music: Red Flags, The John Ward Band
SERTUC sub-group officers meeting – hold the date

Wednesday 31 May – all sub-group officers meet to discuss with the office staff their workplans and collaborative work. 2pm to 4pm, Congress House
SERTUC South East Trade Union Network AGM

Tuesday 6 June – 11am, Congress House

Workers’ Memorial Day events

London Friday 28 April 10.30am

Assemble at Tower Hill, speakers Mary Bousted TUC president, Gail Cartmail Unite acting general secretary, Gunde Odgaard Danish building union, Peter Kavanagh Unite regional secretary, Peter Farrell Construction Safety Campaign http://www.unitetheunion.org/unite-at-work/healthsafety/international-workers-memorial-day/
Chelmsford trades council Friday 28 April

12.30pm at Central Park (near the lake and viaduct at the Memorial Tree). Speaker: Dan McCarthy NASUWT Vice President
Hastings trades council Friday 28 April

Come to the unveiling of the plaque to dedicate a tree in Cornwallis Gardens, Hastings at 12 noon. “Remember the dead, and fight for the living!” Speaker: Megan Dobney SERTUC
Medway Unison Towns Local Government Branch Friday 28 April

Service at the UNISON Memorial tree 11.45am Rochester Castle Gardens. The theme for the day this year is “Good health and safety for all workers whoever they are” and will focus on inequalities in occupational health and the role unions play in narrowing the inequalities gap.
Waltham Forest trades council Friday 28 April

· 1pm at Waltham Forest Town Hall with speakers from Unite, WF trades council, London Hazards Centre, NUT, Thompsons Solicitors wftradescouncil@gmail.com
· 5.45pm at Low Hall to remember the worker killed on the A406 a couple of years ago
· After that: a commemoration to remember Marian Nemit, a building worker killed nearby

May Day events

Bedford Monday 1 May

2-5pm, Harpur Suite, 39 Union Street with music from Robb Johnson, speakers: Kelvin Hopkins MP, Tony Burke Unite AGS, Ian Thomas Unison https://www.facebook.com/events/1373741212681960/permalink/1385253351530746/
Chelmsford Wednesday 3 May

A musical celebration with Robb Johnson and Rick Christian at the Asylum Club. With speakers and raffle. acoburn@blueyonder.co.uk
Colchester Monday 1 May

Event and social at Firstsite Art Gallery, Lewis Gardens. R.pigott@levysolicitors.co.uk
Hastings Monday 1 May

Assemble in Cornwallis Gardens at 1.15pm. March at 1.45 to Harold Place for speeches and music, then at 2.30 to the end of the Pier for speeches and music to 4pm alan.mathison@unitetheunion.org 07776 397 995

Ipswich Sunday 30 April

12 noon to 6pm, Alexandra Park https://www.facebook.com/IpswichMayDayFestival/
London Monday 1 May

Assemble at Clerkenwell Green, march at 1pm to Trafalgar Square. Speakers in the square include John McDonnell MP, Mark Serwotka PCS, rally chaired by Eve Turner GLATUC, Tony Lennon SERTUC
Norwich Sunday 30 April

12 noon to 5pm, Chapelfield Gardens. https://www.facebook.com/events/691695524335242/
Southampton Monday 1 May

11am in Palmeston Park. March to the Peace Fountain in Andrews Park and back for rally with stalls in Palmeston Park. The theme is “Peace and Unity in our Community” ellarobertanoyes@gmail.com
Southend Monday 1 May

12 noon High Street stall, 2pm music at O’Neill’s Rachel.heemskerk@gmail.com
Waveney Sunday 30 April

Free festival 2pm with Alex Mayer MEP, Suffolk Pensioners Association, Elizabeth Hodgkin and evening event £5 7pm with The John Ward Band, Luke Wright Richard_chilvers@sky.com

Trade Union actions

NUT is supporting Fair Funding for All Schools

Public meeting Tuesday 25 April 7pm in Wandsworth with Rosena Allin Khan MP, Kevin Courtney NUT, Monica Kitchlew-Wilson Furzedown school headteacher, and parents https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fair-funding-for-all-schools-in-wandsworth-public-meeting-with-dr-rosena-allin-khan-mp-registration-32844371399?aff=erelexpmlt
PCS, Unite Community and Lewisham trades council

Public meeting Thursday 27 April 7pm “Save our Jobcentres – Lewisham jobcentre to close by March 2018”. Speakers include Heidi Alexander MP. Tony.reay@gmail.com or 07903 755 074
TUC

Updated guide for union reps on the Trade Union Act 2016

https://www.tuc.org.uk/union-issues/trade-union-bill/trade-union-act-2016-tuc-guide-union-reps
TUC conference on insecure work

Tuesday 23 May with Frances O’Grady TUC, Matthew Taylor (Taylor Review) and more. Booking (free) now open at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tuc-conference-on-insecure-work-tickets-33275288283

Other actions/events

General Election Thursday 8 June…

Sylvia Pankhurst statue…

Following the announcement today of establishment support for a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett here’s a reminder of the campaign to raise a statue of feminist, anti-racist and anti-imperialist suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sylviastatue
Solidarity and the miners’ strike

Oral history project, to get involved contact Diarmaid Kelliher d.kelliher.1@research.gla.ac.uk and first event is 3pm Friday 28 April at London Met Uni with Mike Jackson LGSM, Sally Davison, Liz French Betteshanger https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/solidarity-and-the-1984-5-miners-strike-oral-history-project-tickets-32959702357
Culture Matters poetry award – £500

The Bread and Roses poetry award – submissions by 31 May. See here for details http://www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/arts/poetry/item/2469-bread-and-roses-poetry-award
Solidarity and the miners’ strike

Friday 28 April 3-5pm London Metropolitan University with Mike Jackson (LGSM), Sally Davison and Liz French (Betteshanger women’s support group). Register here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/solidarity-and-the-1984-5-miners-strike-oral-history-project-tickets-32959702357
Day-Mer Festival in the Park

Sunday 2 July Clissold Park – there will be a SERTUC marquee and affiliates are welcome to join us
Sylvia, a play about Sylvia Pankhurst

· Wisbech 29 April Rosmini Centre £5 http://www.lynxtheatreandpoetry.org
· Cranleigh 26 May Arts Centre £13.20/£11 http://www.cranleighartscentre.org
All in a day’s work from Britain at Work

Working lives and trade unions in West London 1945 to 1995 £10 https://www.britainatworklondon.com/ Dave Welsh dave@britainatworklondon.com
Ruskin House, Croydon – office space

Contact Garry Davis 01737 553 493 or Roy Aird 07941 890 756 http://www.ruskinhouse.org.uk/
Russian Revolution Centenary Committee

Commemorating the 1917 revolution; Revolution Centenary: marking 100 years since the October Revolution 4 November http://1917.org.uk/russian-revolution

If you want to know more about the TUC, visit us at http://www.tuc.org.uk