2018 Branch Young Workers Reps/Officers Forum

This is to advise branches that the 2018 Branch Young Workers Reps/Officers Forum will take place on Wednesday, 13th June 2018 at CWU Head Office. It will commence at 11:30 and should conclude no later than 16:00.

Branches are asked to register their young worker rep to attend as soon as possible as places are limited.

All attendees’ costs to attend would have to be met by the branch.

A timetable for the forum will be issued nearer the time, but we will be introducing the new online training course for young workers reps which is now live on LeftClick and is being tested.

I attach a small form that I ask branches to fill in and return to Jo Thair (jthair@CWU.org) to register your attendee please.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 93.18 – 2018 CWU Young Workers Reps Forum Notification

Young Workers Reps Forum Registration Form

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Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy – Mental Health Ambassadors Pilot Launch Event 6th February 2018 Report To Branches:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

This Report is further to earlier Reports and updates in LTBs 533/17, 543/17 and 649/17.

In October 2017 Royal Mail Group launched a new 5-Year Mental Health Strategy with the full involvement and support of the CWU and the strategy has been making good progress with another milestone reached in the mental-health plan earlier this month with a major event at the Mount Pleasant Phoenix Centre.

The event, with well over a hundred people present, was told that to date the Royal Mail Mental Health Strategy has progressed as follows:

• Completed senior leadership mental-health engagement sessions across the business;

• Engaged with the CWU and Unite CMA, securing Union support and commitment;

• Launched a multi-media communication campaign including Work Time Listening and Learning (WTLL), Courier, Intranet, RMtv;

• Launched new mandatory e-learning to all managers (7,000 have completed the course to date);

• Rolled out new mental health support ‘z-cards’ or pocket cards to all of the Royal Mail Group’s workforce and all offices;

• Increased the promotion of Royal Mail’s Feeling First Class and Employee Assistance Services;

• Designed the mental health ambassador programme pilot, launched this month;

• Planned the upskilling of physical first aiders, in mental health first aid; and

• Launched a new ‘Everyday People’ mental health video.

On 6th February 2018 Royal Mail, supported by the CWU and Unite/CMA, launched their mental-health ambassador programme pilot with 80 pilot ambassadors nominated from across the business in attendance. This peer to peer awareness and signposting pilot will be reviewed in July 2018. At that stage the benefits and learning points from the pilot will be shared and discussed with stakeholders including the Unions and together will agree the next steps for the programme. The 80 individuals comprised of a wide range of people consisting of CWU grade front line workers, managers, CWU health and safety reps, first aiders etc.

The pilot aims are to:

• Create a network of local mental-health ambassadors;

• Provide peer to peer awareness raising and signposting support;

• Contribute to working towards normalising mental health conversations; and

• Help improve internal education and signposting to support services, increasing usage.

The Ambassadors role will be to:

• Advocate – Promote guidance and information;

• Support – Work with colleagues and managers locally to signpost colleagues to support and tools;

• External knowledge – Signpost people to external local mental-health support, groups and organisations;

• Promote – Share information on agreed noticeboards and with local agreement via WTLL and team meetings; and

• Role model – Be a role model and champion mental-health support locally.

Ambassadors will encourage workers to follow the synonym ‘ACT’:

• Acknowledge – If you or someone close to you is not their usual self;

• Communicate – If you are not feeling okay, speak to someone. If you’re worried about someone, ask them if they are okay and encourage them to talk. Take the time to listen;

• Take action – Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same.

CWU National Health, Safety and Environment Officer Dave Joyce delivered a key-note speech and said:

“The CWU has been concerned for some time that the government was ignoring the Mental Health issue and that employers were failing to make adequate changes in the workplace to provide support and to enable people with mental illnesses, anxiety or depression to stay in work and get better.

Mental health problems can often be ‘invisible’ to others, so a lack of mental health awareness amongst employers, managers and colleagues is also likely to be a factor.

Medical retirement is not a solution – not only is there a loss of skills and talents these workers have, but having to leave your job can worsen your mental health not make it better.

So the CWU has been saying for a long time that the government and employers must do more to support people with mental health conditions. Simple steps like giving an employee paid time off to get professional help and counselling appointments can make a huge difference.

The CWU Strategy in short is to work with Royal Mail and the mental health charities and experts to raise awareness of the problems and issues faced by those with mental ill health. This includes opposing stigma, getting Union Reps trained in mental health awareness and Mental Health First Aid so they can identify, help and work with our members and others to help working people who have mental health conditions, assisting and supporting those in crisis, signposting people to professional help and to work with Royal Mail to provide support for workers who become ill or disabled and to make reasonable adjustments, so that people can stay in work and get better.

CWU has recently published a “CWU Guide to Work and Suicide” (copies of which were distributed to meeting delegates) and last week the CWU supported “Time To Talk Day” (and copies of the CWU Letter To Branches and Posters were distributed also) demonstrating the work the CWU is doing.

All you people present today have an important role to play as Mental Health Ambassadors and I want to thank each and every one of you for putting yourself forward for this new role and being here today – It’s one of the many reasons why everyone should get together with their workmates and join in the combined effort led by Dr. Shaun Davis and Rachel Boon on behalf of Royal Mail. I very much support and endorse the Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy launched last October which sets out a clear commitment to improve the lives of employees and their families with mental health conditions. Today marks an important milestone in the progress of that strategy.”

Dr. Shaun Davis, Royal Mail Group Global Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Sustainability said:

“I am proud to sponsor Royal Mail Group’s mental health strategy ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’. I was delighted to attend the launch event where 80 ambassadors joined together with us and the Unions for a fantastic day learning about the ambassador pilot and the local role they will play in increasing awareness and signposting to support”.

Rachel Boon Royal Mail Group Head of Health said:

“Our five-year mental health strategy ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’ and plan continues at pace. Through awareness raising and support options we are working with the CWU and Unite/CMA, towards the further improvement of our mental-health culture and the reduction of sickness absence that results from these debilitating conditions. We are clear that ambassadors are not intended to be counsellors and nor should they act as such or involve themselves in individual cases with managers or others. They should act to signpost employees to specialist support if and when required.”

The Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy is summarised through a “mental health compass” and campaign logo:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB088 Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy – Mental Health Ambassadors Pilot Launch Event 6th February 2018 Report To Branches

Mental Health Ambassadors Presentation – Dave Joyce CWU (2)

Mental Health Compass and Campaign Logo

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CWU CONFERENCE – BOURNEMOUTH – 22ND – 26TH APRIL 2018

Crèche Facilities

We shall be making arrangements for the provision of crèche facilities at this year’s Annual Conference in Bournemouth.

If any member of your delegation would like to use these facilities they should contact Angela Niven on conferences@cwu.org for a crèche registration form as soon as possible and no later than Thursday 22nd March 2018.

We require this information as early as possible to ensure that arrangements can be made to provide the correct number of staff to look after the children.

Prayer Room

Please email conferences@cwu.org as soon as possible if a delegate requires a prayer room so that arrangements can be made for a quiet room to be made available. Please state the conference that the facility will be required.

Signer Requests

If anyone needs a signer please email conferences@cwu.org as soon as possible and no later than Thursday 22nd March 2018 stating the conference the delegate(s) will be attending.

Online Registration

Further information will be issued regarding online registration in due course.

Procedures for Considering Bucket Collections

1 All requests for bucket collections to be taken during Annual Conference shall normally be submitted in writing to the General Secretary. Such written requests should include background Material/information/full details on the organization for which the collection is to be made. The Officer of the General Conference SOC will be advised accordingly and will then make arrangements for the Union’s stewards to take such collections. The monies so collected will be counted by the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department and a cheque made out to the appropriate body.

2 The number of bucket collections to be taken during Annual Conference will only exceptionally exceed two.

Distribution of Documents at General Conference

1 All requests for the distribution of documents on delegates’ seats shall, in the first instance, be referred in writing to the General Conference SOC, together with a copy of the document(s) concerned, for consideration. Please send any requests to conferences@cwu.org

2 Any documents that have been agreed for distribution on delegates’ seats at General Conference shall be delivered to the General Conference Administration office by no later than 5.00 pm on the day prior to distribution.

3 Branches are reminded of the facility of the conference guide to publicise meetings and other events.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Chris Tapper in the Senior Deputy General Secretary Department on telephone number 020 8971 7331 or email ctapper@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

 

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

17LTB085

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TUC Fire Safety Guide For Trade Union Safety Reps and Activists:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The TUC has published new fire safety advice for trade union representatives following the Grenfell Tower fire in London last June and after consideration by the TUC Union Health and Safety Specialists Committee.

There are between 15,000 and 20,000 fires in non-residential buildings every year in the UK. Last year 2,000 of these fires were in industrial premises, more than 5,000 were in shops or similar commercial sites, while almost 2,000 were in schools or hospitals.

Union Health and Safety Reps have a key role to play in fire safety and should challenge employers and managers to take all aspects of fire safety, including prevention, as more than just a ‘tick-box exercise’ and one that looks at all aspects of fire safety, including prevention.

The new guidance sets out the law around fire safety, explains what is required from a thorough fire safety assessment, and looks at how to implement fire safety policies that will prevent and protect workers.

There’s also a useful checklist for Safety Reps on what to look out for in terms of fire safety when they carry out their workplace inspections.

Workers in high-rise office blocks will have particular concerns about fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire. If not managed properly, high-rise buildings pose additional risks in terms of their construction and escape routes. The guide argues that fire procedures must be reviewed to reflect this.

Union Safety Reps can check managers are receiving information and advice on the company fire policies. And if the building has any form of cladding, Reps can press employers to ensure that both the materials, and also the way they are installed, are independently tested and checked.

The guide will help Reps familiarise themselves with the latest law on fire safety, help them carry out better workplace inspections, and work with managers to devise policies that will genuinely prevent and protect workers from fires.

Fires in the workplace are, like any other risk, preventable, yet every year there are thousands of fires and, in the last year 21 people died in these fires. Another 71 died in the Grenfell Tower Fire disaster.

Fire safety has two main parts. The first is ensuring that fires are prevented and the second is to ensure that if a fire happens there are procedures in place to enable it to be quickly identified and dealt with and, at the same time, ensure that all workers and members of the public are not put at risk.

Employers often see fire safety just in terms of having the procedures in place in the event of a fire and forget about the first part, which is taking action to prevent fires.

As we saw from the Grenfell Fire disaster in June 2017, fire safety is not just about ensuring the proper fire drills are in place and having enough fire extinguishers, it can be about how we design, construct and maintain the buildings in which we live and work.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB087 TUC Fire Safety Guide For Trade Union Safety Reps and Activists

TUC Fire Safety Guide 2017

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Pay and Four Pillars Agreement – Ballot Timetable

The purpose of this LTB is to advise Branches, Representatives and Members of the ballot timetable for the above mentioned Agreement. The timetable is as follows:-

Ballot Opens: Monday 12th March 2018

Ballot Closes: Wednesday 28th March 2018

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely

 

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

18LTB84 – Pay and Four Pillars Agreement – Ballot Timetable

Low Level Letter Boxes and Re-Launch of the CWU ‘Low Level Letter Box Campaign’

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Motion 86 (2017 Main Conference) was carried and Motion 116 (2017 Postal Conference) was accepted calling for a re-launch of the CWU ‘Low Level Letter Box Campaign’ aimed at enshrining the British and European Letter Box Standard Specification in to UK Building Regulations.

Previous LTBs 582/16, 001/05 and 604/04 refer.

The Communications Workers Union has been campaigning to outlaw low level letterboxes for many years. The CWU has been striving for the European Standard (EN13724) to be added to UK Building Regulations – this requires that letterboxes should be positioned at a suitably accessible height, accessible to postal delivery workers, significantly reducing possible injuries such as, dog bites, fingers being trapped or back strain caused when bending excessively to reach ground level boxes.

This issue was first raised by the Union as far back as 1958 when the British Standards Agency deemed it appropriate that letter boxes be at a proper height. Unfortunately it was not enshrined into Building Standards Law. Sixty years later and several high profile CWU campaigns later, the problem still exists and the huge increase in house building over the last decade has in many areas of the country made the problem worse for postal delivery workers.

The Union would stress that it does not expect private householders or businesses to change their doors immediately – our campaigns have always centred on government seeing the merit of our arguments and taking action to minimise the risk of injury to CWU members by passing legislation to cover the manufacture of all new and replacement house doors.

A similar campaign run by the CWU’s sister union in the Republic of Ireland resulted in all low level letterboxes being banned back in 2001. Given the fact that Royal Mail has by Law an obligation to deliver to each of the 29,000,000 UK addresses, the CWU feels the time has come to standardise letter box height and safe design well above ground level.

The problem with low level letter boxes is that back injuries to postmen and women occur each year in Royal Mail and delivering to low level letter boxes at the base of a house front door forces postal staff to stoop to ground level repetitively to deliver mail items which can cause or exacerbate back strain and back conditions. Low level letter boxes also present an increased

risk of dog bites when the mail is pushed through the aperture at ground level and fingers get trapped.

In 2002 the European Standard EN 13724 was introduced and states that for “ergonomic and safety reasons” the centre line of the letter box aperture should be at a height between 700 mm (2ft 3.5 inches) and 1700mm (5ft 7inches).

The CWU therefore considers that the government should implement the specifications set out in current European Standard (EN 13724) covering private letter boxes. The government has on several occasions rejected calls from the CWU to enact European Building Regulation Standard EN13724 outlawing low level letter boxes by enshrining the standard in law.

The Union has in the past won the support of Royal Mail Group as well as many influential bodies and organisations during its campaign including the HSE, National House-Building Council, the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), Local Authorities and Coordinators of Regulatory Services.

Sadly, successive UK governments both Conservative and Labour have rejected our call to amend the regulations. This was despite the fact that both the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and Royal Mail supported the Union’s Campaign and the fact that we gained the support of over 100 MPs from all Parties who signed an Early Day Motion to the government supporting the CWU.

Therefore we were left with a situation whereby we have had to challenge developments piecemeal and the Union has therefore had to make representations to developers and builders locally, regionally and nationally on this matter. The Union’s Health, Safety & Environment Department has been able to successfully convince many developers, builders, local authorities and others to change the specifications of front door letter plates and letter boxes when new developments or refurbishments have come to our attention and where the EU Standard was not going to be followed. With the amount of house building going on however it is extremely difficult to track and challenge the builders and regulators in every location and it’s where we’ve been able to act in time that has been crucial in many cases. However this is not an easy task with large scale house building programmes and developments underway across the UK.

Last year the government hit its target of building over 200,000 homes and intends to build 1,000,000 new homes by 2020. In 2016/17, 217,350 new homes were completed, and this is an increase of 75% on four years ago. Government figures show the number of houses built as follows:-

Year

Houses Built2006-07

214,9402007-08

223,5302008-09

182,7702009-10

144,8702010-11

137,3902011-12

134,9002012-13

124,7202013-14

136,6102014-15

170,6902015-16

189,6502016-17

217,350

From time to time it comes to the attention of the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department that the houses being built by developers or housing estates being refurbished, have dwellings that are being fitted with front doors which have low level letter boxes, in breach of the EU Standard and these are challenged. Most get positive, sympathetic responses and many successful outcomes have been achieved with the front door specifications changed, some pre-start and some post-start building.

Despite the Union’s great efforts, nationally and locally, with some great work undertaken by local CWU Branches and Area Health and Safety Reps, low level letter boxes continue to be fitted, much to the disadvantage of our Royal Mail delivery members. Therefore would Branches, Officials, Health and Safety Representatives, Regional Committees and members join together in being vigilant in respect of housing development in your areas and regions in order to react quickly to the fitting of low level letter boxes and consider appropriate proactive action that can be taken by way of representations, discussions, meetings and correspondence with local authorities, builders and developers in your areas and regions requesting compliance with the EU letter box Standard.

Let’s also hope that Brexit doesn’t see this Standard along with many other good standards ending up on a Tory government ‘bonfire’ of regulations in a couple of years’ time when the UK formerly exits the EU.

To assist, please see attached:-

•  Summary Document on European Regulation: EN 13724 for Post Boxes

•  National House Building Council Technical Newsletter To Members – Giving Direction on Compliance with European Regulation: EN 13724

•  Letter sent to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. (Similar Letters sent to the Minister of State For Housing and other politicians).

•  Letter sent to CEO National House Building Council. (Similar Letters sent to the Home Builders Federation and many other National Organisations connected with house/home building).

Branches and Reps can support the campaign by writing to MPs, councillors, local authorities, developers and builders in their branch area.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB082 Low Level Letter Boxes and Re-Launch of the CWU Low Level Letter Box Campaign

European Regulation EN13724 for Post Boxes

NHBCs Technical Newsletter Issue 34 – December 2005

Sajid Javid MP – Low Level Letter Boxes

Steve Wood CEO NHBC – Low Level Letter Boxes

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CWU REDESIGN PROJECT – NATIONAL BRIEFING 13TH MARCH 2018

We can advise Branches that a National Briefing on the Redesign Project has been arranged for Tuesday the 13th March 2018. The Briefing will be held at the Midland Hotel, 16 Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS and will commence at 11.00 hours and finish no later than 14.00 hours.

The Briefing will provide Branches with a comprehensive update on the Redesign Project and will also be used to launch a National Consultation Exercise covering, Conferences, Branches, Regions and National Structures.

Entitlement to attend the Briefing is on the basis of two representatives per Branch, Senior Field Officials, National Team members, NEC and Industrial Executive members.

Given the importance of the subject matter it is essential that all Branches are in attendance at the Briefing and treat this as a priority commitment. An agenda will be sent out in due course.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed the General Secretary’s Office gsoffice@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary  

Tony Kearns – Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB081 NATIONAL BRIEFING

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CWU FOUR PILLARS OF SECURITY BULLETIN NO. 36

Further to LTB 65/18, attached is Bulletin No. 36 concerning the Four Pillars of Security Agreement.

The attached Bulletin has been shared with Divisional, Regional and Area Representatives.

As previously advised, Branches should ensure that each Bulletin is forwarded to Unit/Local/Shift Representatives via email and if necessary by physical means as soon as possible. The co-operation and assistance of all Branches in this regard is greatly appreciated.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

 18LTB079- CWU Four Pillars of Security Campaign – Bulletin No. 36LTB 079.18 –

Attachment 1 – Bulletin 36

LTB 079.18 – Attachment 2 – Presentation

NEW CWU MEMBERS’ BENEFITS PACKAGE

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a new improved benefits package for all CWU members and staff. Discounts and offers are available in areas such as retail, restaurants, holidays, insurance and a variety of other fields.

The new package is part of our commitments under the CWU Redesign Project to give our members the best possible benefits for being in the CWU. We also believe that launching and publicising this new package can help support our representatives and organisers in attracting new members.

In advertising the new package to our members later today, we will of course be making it clear that the number one benefit for being part of the union will always be strong, collective and individual representation at all levels on pay, terms, job security and conditions. Therefore, we are making the point that the new package is about adding value to CWU membership.

A full list of the hundreds of benefits can be accessed by logging into the My Union section of cwu.org.

For any member without internet access the benefits can be sent via post. In this regard, Branches should advise members to contact Marcia Murray on 020 7971 7497 for more details.

As part of the package CWU members will be able to access a new savings calculator. This will identify the average amount of money members will be able to save through using the CWU benefits package.

In the coming weeks we will explain more online about the package and also email out more details of our new offers to members. In the meantime, we would ask Branches to publicise the new benefits package to our members. Any enquiries on the content of this LTB please forward to mmurray@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

18LTB078 CWU MEMBERS PACKAGE

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