Air Pollution – A Trade Union Issue, Free Half Day Course, Leeds, Friday 26th January 2018, from 1.00pm – 4.00pm (Organised jointly by the Hazards Campaign & Greener Jobs Alliance)

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The Hazards Campaign and Greener Jobs Alliance are jointly providing this free of charge half day course in Leeds entitled ‘Air Pollution – A Trade Union Issue’ and CWU Health and Safety and other Reps can register for a place. Numbers are limited so apply as soon as possible.

Air pollution in the UK is a public health emergency. Over 40,000 people die each year from causes linked to the air that they breathe – more than obesity and alcohol combined.

Workers are exposed to and create pollution to fulfil contractual obligations to employers. It is an occupational health issue that employers take little responsibility for.

Attending this course will help you to:

• Examine why air pollution is both a workplace issue and a public health one

• Find out about air pollution busting Citizen Science techniques

• Create action plans to deal with workplace exposures

• Create action plans to meaningfully engage in air pollution with local councils

• Share experience, knowledge and ideas

Venue:

PCS Offices

3rd Floor

Town Centre House

Merrion Centre

Leeds LS2 8LY

Date: Friday 26th January 2018

Time: 1pm – 4pm

Lunch

Registration: To register for a ‘Free’ place please e-mail: janet@gmhazards.org.uk

For further information please call Janet Newsham on Tel: 0161 6367558

A ‘Free’ Lunch will be provided.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

17LTB651 Air Pollution – A Trade Union Issue, Free Half Day Course, Leeds, Friday 26th January 2018

Air Pollution – A Trade Union Issue

View Online

Royal Mail Group – ‘Because Healthy Minds Matters’ – Mental Health Strategy – Launch of ‘Pocket Z-Cards’

To: All Branches with Postal Members

This LTB is being issued further to LTBs 508/17, 533/17 and 543/17. LTB No’s 508/17 and 533/17, issued on 18 September and 6 October 2017 respectively, detailed the launch of the new Royal Mail Group Safety ‘New 5-Year Mental Health Strategy – Because Healthy Minds Matter’ and set out the steps the strategy will initially follow, LTB 543/17 detailed a new Mental Health e-Learning Programme for managers which it had been agreed would also be available for CWU Area Health and Safety Reps and other Reps to access and complete. This is a basic introductory, on line, short learning module which can be followed up by ‘Mental Health First Aid Training’ which the Health, Safety & Environment Department has been promoting strongly and recommending to all CWU Reps since its launch in the UK by the Department of Health: National Institute of Mental Health in England (NIMHE) as part of a national approach to improving public mental health.

“Because Healthy Minds Matter” & “Zero Suicide Alliance” on line e-learning:

Attention all ASRs – We strongly recommend you complete the “Because Healthy Minds Matter” e-learning module. To access the “Because Healthy Minds Matter” e-learning follow this link:-https://spark.adobe.com/page/efxsW3rL2MaUS/ Also the ‘Zero Suicide Alliance’ suicide prevention on line e-learning (20 Mins). See LTB 627/17. It’s

available at: at: www.zerosuicidealliance.com

Launch of ‘Pocket Z-Cards’:

The next stage in the RMG strategy is the launch of the ‘Because Healthy Minds Matters’ ‘Pocket Z-Cards’ which have been distributed to all Royal Mail Group Offices and Workplaces for distribution to individual members of staff. Would all Area Health and Safety Reps ensure that the Pocket Z-Cards have arrived in their Offices, Centres, Plants, Depots etc and that they have been made available to members. A pdf version of the ‘Z-Card’ is attached for your information and the Health, Safety & Environment Department will be distributing the Cards to ASRs via Regional Health & Safety Forums.

The Z-Cards reminds members that everyone can all be affected by a mental health condition either directly or indirectly and reminds us all of the importance of talking and getting support. The Z-Cards outline ways to get support from your Royal Mail and reminds us all to “ACT.”(Three simple steps that you can take that could help to start making things better).

A – Acknowledge: If you or someone else close to you isn’t their usual self.

C – Communicate: If you’re not feeling ok speak to someone about it. If you’re worried about someone else ask them if they’re ok and encourage them to talk.

T – Take Action: Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same. Act and things can start to get better.

Royal Mail Group Plans

Mental health problems are widespread, at times disabling, yet often hidden. One in four adults experience at least one diagnosable MH condition in any given year. People in all walks of life can be affected and at any point in their lives. There is a strong relationship between employee wellbeing and engagement, performance and attendance. RMG is one of the UK’s largest employers and have given a strong commitment to effective support strategies and tools that can make a positive difference to RMG employees who are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues. Preventative action and early intervention are the most effective ways to support mental health. Many people remain in work whilst experiencing MH conditions, studies suggest this has a positive effect in most cases and so awareness and support are vital. RMG plans to improve the way the organisation thinks about mental health focus on the following key areas, in which everyone plays a part, and can be summarised as:

· Increase MH awareness;

· Decrease MH stigma;

· Signpost those in need to support and tools, and;

· Know where to go in a crisis.

Advice – What You As Reps and Members Can Do

We can all support colleagues at work and family and friends at home through the simple steps of ACT. If you are worried about someone else ask them if they are okay and encourage them to talk. Take time to listen. Take Action – Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same. ‘ACT’ and things can start to get better. Be part of making a change by way you think, feel and talk about mental health conditions with colleagues, family and friends.

For individuals the advice is – ‘Don’t suffer in silence’

Statistics

• 1 in 4 People will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.

• 70% of employees don’t feel able to speak candidly about mental health concerns.

• 76% of suicides are by men and suicide is the most common cause of death in men under 45.

The RMG Wellbeing Toolkit

This is available via the intranet link below and contains links to the following resources:

Feeling First Class – www.feelingfirstclass.co.uk is a wellbeing website for employees (FFC1 to register). Contains proactive health advice and Online Stress Tool.

First Class Support – 24/7 free and confidential phone line (0800 6888777) and website www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk, providing

Feeling First Class – Stress – Access to stress guidance and the ‘Guided Conversation for Stress’ on how to support an employee experiencing distress.

First Class Mental Health – Useful information to support the wellbeing of colleagues including, Mental Health Support Guide: Suicide; five Mental Health Foundation videos; information on the ‘Time to Change’ pledge and links to helpful websites. There is also a link to Success Factors for managers to book onto a one day Mental Health Awareness course.

First Class Fitness – A link to the RMG gyms website – http://royalmailfitness.co.uk

First Class Lifestyle – Links to useful websites and downloadable PDFs on health topics such as smoking, diet and alcohol.

Wellbeing Communications – Occupational Health guidance documents can be accessed from the toolkit and PSP.

RMG’s in house charity, the Rowland Hill Fund – also provides support to members in financial crisis or in need of practical help. The Rowland Hill Fund is at the following link: www.rowlandhillfund.org RHF helps Royal Mail Group employees, pensioners and their immediate families with financial and practical support. You can also contact their confidential helpline via 0800 6888777.

Resources are available from RMG’s charity partners:-

MIND: www.mind.org.uk or Helpline 0300 123 3393

Samaritans: www.samaritans.org or 24 Hr Helpline: 116 123 – “Whatever you’re going through, call free any time, from any phone on 116 123. Remember ‘small talk saves lives’.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

17LTB649 Royal Mail Group – ‘Because Healthy Minds Matters’ – Mental Health Strategy – Launch of ‘Pocket Z-Cards’

RM Mental Health Day Z card

General Conference 2018 – Sunday 22nd/Monday 23rd April 2018

Attached with this Letter to Branches are motion forms for General Conference 2018. Branches should note that the motion guide for submitting motions to General Conference 2018 has been attached.

Entitlements

In relation to the General Conference 2018, all Branches are entitled to submit three motions to General Conference. Regional Committees are entitled to submit three motions to the General Conference however one of the motions must be from the Regional Women’s Committee. Regional Health and Safety Forums are entitled to submit three motions on Health, Safety and Environmental matters.

In addition, branches and regional committees may also submit one rule amendment for the Rules Section of the agenda.

Branches/Regional Committees/Regional Health and Safety Forums are also reminded that the closing date for the submission of motions to General Conference is Tuesday 6th February 2018. Submission of motions can be by post or email but must arrive by midnight.

If sending Motions by post, Branches must ensure they use a signed for service which guarantees delivery by the closing date and time.

Branches/Regions/Health and Safety Forums/Minority Conferences and the NEC are reminded that the Standing Orders Committee will not alter or amend any of the motions submitted therefore it is important that motions are checked before they are submitted.

Please note that all correspondence must be sent by email to conferences@cwu.org and no other personal email address.

Any queries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Angela Niven on 020 8971 7256 or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

17LTB646

General Conference Motion Form 2018

General Motion Guide 2018

View Online

Eastern no 5

Retired members elections 2018-2020

Results

Retired members secretary

Patrick Friskey

Retired members chair

Michael Shill

Retired members committee

Mick Goldsmith

Steven Jones

Frank Mastrullo

Richard Hewlett

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

On the 20th November an LTB was sent out to all branches concerning the above heading. In that LTB branches were informed that at a meeting on the 14th November 2017 the TUC Executive Committee discussed documents which included a commitment to undertake training for Trade Union Representatives via 7 one-day workshops that will take place between November 2017 and January 2018. These are in the following areas:

Glasgow, 22 November

Newcastle, 1 December

Liverpool, 14 December

Birmingham, 9 January 2018

London, 11 January 2018

Cardiff, 15 January 2018

Bristol, 16 January 2018

In this LTB, we were encouraging our branch secretaries to attend these seminars or send an appropriate representative on behalf of the branch. You were asked to contact Linda Roy, Assistant Secretary at CWU for more details. I can now inform you if you wish to attend any of these one-day workshops, you have to telephone the following number 0207 636 4030 as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Linda Roy

Assistant Secretary

643.2017

View Online

Processing Report November 2017

Recent Local Elections

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the processing members who supported me by voting for me to continue as the Area Processing Rep in the recent local elections. As I said in my election address, I am passionate about the union and will continue to do my best to represent members and help contribute to Eastern 5 Branch becoming a reputable branch within the union and a formidable part of the Division, trusted and respected by the other Branches and Reps. THANK YOU!

Christmas 2017

The Christmas agreement has been signed off and on display on the union board. There have been complications with the agreement this year when at first the business directors were adamant they would not pay SA rate for the pre-scheduled overtime booked during the 4 weeks of Christmas pressure. This changed to them saying they will pay the SA rate but only to staff working in mail centres.

At a CWU Divisional meeting, Processing and Distribution/Network Area Reps were asked not to sign their Christmas agreements until Delivery Offices were offered the same. The trouble with this proposal was after negotiations and threats of industrial framework disagreements if pre-scheduled overtime was not paid at SA rate, the business changed their stance and offered the SA rate the Processing and Distribution/Network Christmas agreements had already been agreed in principle.

At a further Divisional meeting, after a vote, it was agreed for mail centres to go ahead with their Christmas agreements and for the Divisional Reps to negotiate with the delivery directors SA rate for pre-scheduled overtime during the Christmas pressure period in delivery offices along the grounds of discrimination and a precedent had been set. I understand now, delivery offices will be getting SA rate for pre-scheduled overtime on days off and in the mornings but not on extended hours.

It also came to light the business released a Christmas document in September this year which stated staff would have to adhere to European Working Time Directive during the Christmas pressure period this year. Not, as in past years follow The Way Forward Agreement from the year 2000 which states the 24-hour rest period can be relaxed and staff can work beyond 70 hours in a week which has always been two weeks of 72 hours and two weeks of 80 hours.

The document the business sent out was not agreed with the CWU Nationally and therefore paragraph 1.2 of the 2017/18 Christmas agreement remains the same.

There was a typing error in the original Christmas agreement which went on display where in paragraph 3.2 it read 20th November, when it should have read the 27th. We had to make two amendments to reflect the error as we did need a paragraph in covering for week commencing 20th as casuals are being employed this week. Notices about the amendments went on display on the union board and the amended Christmas agreement is also on display.

National Industrial Dispute Update

The mediation process continued with meetings held every day last week.

What is clear is the Union’s massive ballot result and the strength of membership support has influenced the talks and changed the dynamics of the discussions.

In the face of the CWU’s successful campaign, the Union’s negotiating team are now talking to Royal Mail Group’s Senior Management who have the authority to reach settlement.  

The talks have been difficult and protracted. The next couple of weeks will be crucial to determine whether a final Agreement can be reached if we are to secure our objective regarding our Four Pillars of Security and Pay to the point that we can genuinely build a bridge between our current Agreement and the next few years.

As part of the mediation process, the external Mediator is now due to provide a final summary report setting out:  

• A summary of the final position of the parties.

• The external Mediator’s conclusions regarding any points of dispute.  

• The Mediator’s recommended solution to the issues in dispute.

As the CWU has said from the outset of this process, no High Court Judge or third-party Mediator will resolve this dispute, ultimately it is a matter between the CWU and Royal Mail Group.  Further talks are expected this week, and the Union will continue to vigorously pursue our campaign to secure members’ employment, standard of living and retirement security.

Mail Centre Issues

We have now completed the opportunity for part-time staff to increase their contractual hours on a temporary basis with the introduction of 32 x 39-hour full time duties, and 16 part-time contracts of 20 and 24 hours. We have also advertised and filled some specialist duties. We are in the process of agreeing how many specialist duties to advertise for the processing of the Spalding css which has come into the mail centre of a permanent basis. These will be advertised soon. We have been in talks with Management about having a revision after Christmas to look at making these temporary duties substantive. A lot will depend on when the implementation of the parcel sort machine will be. The terms and conditions of the temporary increase of contractual hours local agreement and relevant National agreements will come into force if the duties are made substantive.

WhatsApp Broadcast Group

My phone has recently crashed, and I lost a lot of numbers, if you were in the group but no longer receive the messages can you please resend me your number with your name and I’ll put you back in.

We have set up a CWU Eastern No5 members WhatsApp Broadcast Group where we can forward CWU Communications onto members.

A Broadcast Group is where members receive WhatsApp messages from my phone, you will not be able to see who is in the group, you will not be able to message each other either. No phone numbers are shared.

If you want to be in this group, then you will need the WhatsApp App on your phone.

Save my number Ernie Orviss 07887985430 Then send me a message me with your name requesting to be put in the group. I will forward you some of the previous messages and put you in the group, so you will receive all future messages.

EJ Orviss

Area Processing Representative

Area.processing@cwue5.org

Date 24th November 2017

WhatsApp Broadcasts on BT Pensions Campaign

We have launched WhatsApp Broadcast lists for CWU representatives and members. This will enable us to communicate key messages on the BT Pensions campaign as quickly and directly as possible.

There are two separate lists – one for CWU representatives and one for CWU members.

If you would like to be added to the broadcast, please follow the simple instructions below.

If you are a CWU representative: Add WhatsApp to your phone. Save 07583725644 in your contacts. Text your name, workplace (if you have one), position and CWU Branch to 07583725644.

If you are a CWU member: Add WhatsApp to your phone. Save 07907502190 to your contacts. Text your name, workplace (if you have one) and CWU Branch to 07907502190.

Please do not send your details to both numbers. Members should use their own personal phones to sign up to this service and not one owned by the employer.

Please share this information with as many of your members as possible.

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB should be directed to Nicola Marshall at nmarshall@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Andy Kerr Deputy

General Secretary (T&FS)

LTB 639.2017 – WhatsApp Broadcasts on BT Pensions Campaign

View Online

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE

The issue of sexual harassment in the workplace has been headline news for several weeks and allegations ranging from inappropriate behaviour to rape have been levelled at celebrities and some MPs working in Westminster.

In response to these developments the CWU recognises that sexual harassment is not confined to Westminster and can be a significant issue in workplaces.

To reinforce this point we are publishing to Branches a major TUC survey and report undertaken in 2016 entitled “Still Just a Bit of Banter?” (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 2016) copy attached. The Report focused on the treatment of women in the modern workplace and the key findings were as follows:-

• • More than half (52 per cent) of all women polled have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

• • Nearly two thirds of young women (age 18-24) have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

• • 32 per cent of women have been subject to unwelcome jokes of a sexual nature.

• • 28 per cent of women have been subject to comments of a sexual nature about their body or clothes.

• • Nearly one quarter of women have experienced unwanted touching (such as a hand on the knee or lower back).

• • One fifth of women have experienced unwanted sexual advances.

• • More than one in ten women reported experiencing unwanted sexual touching or attempts to kiss them.

• • In the vast majority of cases, the perpetrator was a male colleague, with nearly one in five reporting that their direct manager or someone else with direct authority over them was the perpetrator.

• • Four out of five women did not report the sexual harassment to their employer.

• • Crucially for trade unions, only 1 per cent of those polled who had experienced sexual harassment reported it to their union.

-2-

At a meeting on the 14th November 2017, the TUC Executive Committee discussed a further document which included a commitment to undertake training for trade union representatives via 7 one day workshops that will take place between November 2017 and January 2018. These are in the following areas:

• Glasgow, 22nd November

• Newcastle, 1st December

• Liverpool, 14th December

• Birmingham, 9th January 2018

• London, 11th January

• Cardiff, 15th January

• Bristol, 16th January

We are encouraging our Branch Secretaries to attend these seminars or send an appropriate representative on behalf of the Branch. If you contact Linda Roy Assistant Secretary at CWU Headquarters more details will be provided.

In light of these developments the union will now review our own approach to tackling sexual harassment in the workplace, including support for representatives in dealing with cases with the employer and consideration of whether the issue of sexual harassment is adequately covered in our own Rule Book and internal procedures as both an employer and as a trade union organisation. These matters will be fully discussed at the NEC meeting on the 30th November 2017.

In the meantime, we would ask all Branch Secretaries to share the TUC Report and along with this LTB bring these to attention of all CWU Representatives. We must be clear that sexual harassment in any shape or form is completely unacceptable and that we all have a role to play in making workplaces safe and inclusive for all workers.

Any enquiries relating to the TUC Report should be addressed to General Secretaries Office gsoffice@cwu.org, any enquires on CWU policy and the TUC Seminars to the Equality Department lroy@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary

Linda Roy – Head of Equal Opportunities

17LTB634 Sexual Harassment

EC11-3-Attachment-Sexual harassment in the workplace

View Online