Agreement between Royal Mail Logistics and the CWU on Resourcing Guidelines for the Deployment of the Network Revision 2018

No. 184/2018

29th March 2018

For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches with Network Members

Divisional Representatives

Regional Organisers

Area Distribution Representatives

LGV Representatives

Dear Colleagues

Agreement between Royal Mail Logistics and the CWU on Resourcing Guidelines for the Deployment of the Network Revision 2018

Branches will be aware that in March 2017 activity commenced in relation to Network Review 2017. Ultimately, however no revision activity took place during 2017 due to various anomalies identified in the data gathering process and the issue became part of the National discussions that were taking place.

Following the conclusion of the National agreement, discussions have re-commenced in relation to the review and the business has re-presented the revised proposals to the Network Working Group (NWG). The group has reviewed the proposal, which has been significantly mitigated from the original proposal and has agreed that this may now be progressed to Stage 3 of the process. An Agreement has been concluded to enable local activity to commence in line with the agreed framework.

Again discussions have centered on opportunities to mitigate the proposed headcount reductions by addressing current resourcing practices, maximising internal resourcing options and markedly reducing the current considerable reliance on agency or external driving resource.

Building on the experience of previous years, the attached agreed Resourcing Guidelines should assist representatives and Branches in progressing local discussions on Stage 3 of the Network 18 proposals. The guidelines cover a range of resourcing options and again provide clarity on an agreed position on a number of recurring issues such as Leave Reserve ratios, coverage of Ad-Hoc workload through Flex duties, the use of “as directed” time in duty construction and the movement of work elements between VOC’s in area solutions.

The Stage 3 Local discussions will now commence on Tuesday, 3rd April 2018 and release has been arranged for representatives to fully prepare and participate in the process. As in previous years the NWG will be available to advise and assist Branches and representatives in dealing with proposals where required. Given the complexity of the discussions in this

revision, duty construction should be targeted to conclude by early June 2018 and progress will be monitored continuously by the NWG and a final National implementation date will be agreed and communicated to Branches and representatives.

The department would like to take this opportunity to place on record our thanks to the members of the NWG for their ongoing assistance on the Network 18 discussions.

Branches are requested to bring the contents of this LTB to the attention of all our Professional Driver members as a matter of urgency.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 233.13.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 184-18 – Network 18 Review Stage 3 – 29.03.18Attachment 1 – Network 18 Revision – 28.03.18

Attachment 1 – Network 18 Revision – 28.03.18

Following today’s ballot result. Here is a message from Terry Pullinger DGSP to all members – Thank you #PowerOfTheUnion

https://www.facebook.com/ThecommunicationsUnion/videos/1710666332346172/

SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO SESSIONS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Dear colleagues,

Over recent times the rise of social media and video as a means of engaging with our members, politicians, media and the general public has been significant. As a union we have quadrupled our social media followings and reached tens of millions of accounts with our key messages.

We have seen the effectiveness of using online engagement to assist our political work during the general election but more crucially, industrially during the Four Pillars dispute.

Alongside the work at CWU HQ we have seen some fantastic progress being made at Branch, Regional and Divisional level on producing both video and social media content. We are keen to see this built on across the union and with this in mind the Communications Department are planning a series of social media / video masterclasses during Annual Conference. These sessions will aim to give branches the basic knowledge needed to set up social media pages and record videos but also give more advanced guidance on how to structure online campaigns.

These sessions will be held at various points during the Conference. In order to ensure we lay on enough spaces could any branches wishing to send delegates please email Marcia Murray mmurray@cwu.org by no later than Monday 9th April.

Kind regards

Chris Webb

Head of Communications, Engagement and Media

LTB 181-18 SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO SESSIONS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

View Online

The Voice – Join us on May 12th 

Welcome to the latest edition of The Voice. This issue as always covers all of the key industrial and political news alongside several great features.

The cover, GS column and centre-spread focus on the TUC New Deal for Workers Demo in London on May 12th. We fully understand many of our members work on Saturday but for for those who don’t we ask you to make every effort to get to London for the day. Every CWU Branch has been asked to provide transport so please speak to your representative if you can make it.

Changing this country is not a spectator sport. We have to do it by collective action. Join thousands of workers on May 12th and demand a better deal for you, your children, grandchildren and the future generations.

https://www.cwu.org/publication/the-voice/

Dave Ward 

General Secretary

LTB 180/18 Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

No. 180/2018

28 March 2018

Our Ref: N4/18

Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose behind Workers’ Memorial Day has always been to “remember the dead: fight for the living” and unions are asked to focus on both areas, by considering events or memorials to remember all those killed and injured through work but at the same time ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated.

That can best be done by building trade union organisations, and campaigning for stricter enforcement with higher penalties for breaches of health & safety laws.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.

In 2018 the theme for the day is “Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces” and will focus the huge difference that unions make in preventing deaths in the workplace. We will also be celebrating 40 years of union health and safety representatives.

The CWU Health Safety & Environment Department has promoted Workers Memorial Day amongst Branches and Regional Health and Safety Forums via regular reports and LTBs. A CWU Workers Memorial Day poster has been produced and will be distributed to Branches to promote the day, and put up in workplaces. Attached to this LTB is a pdf of the poster.

What you can do:

• Find out what is happening in your area on 28 April. The website below will list all the local activities we know about, but you can also ask your union branch or trades council and other union contacts;

• If nothing is happening locally then get together with some of your workmates or others in the area where you work and organise something. It can be a commemorative rally, a workplace meeting or just a small get-together;

• Organise a minute’s silence in your workplace on the day (because the 28th April is a Saturday, if your workplace is closed that day you may want to hold it on the Friday);

• Ask your local council, or any other public body, to fly official flags at half-mast on the day. Remember that the day is officially recognised by the government;

• Arrange an event such as planting a memorial tree in a public place, putting up a plaque, dedicating a sculpture, a piece of art, or a bench, to remember workers who have been killed at their workplace or in the community;

• If you are planning any events for the day, or you want to raise awareness about Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April, then it is important you consider how you can best use local media both before and on the Day.

• Ask local religious centres to include Workers’ Memorial Day in their worship on the day;

• Distribute purple ‘forget-me-not’ ribbons, the symbol of Workers Memorial Day;

• Let people know about anything that happened in your area on the day. Use hashtag #IWMD18

For resources on Workers Memorial Day including ribbons and car stickers please contact the Greater Manchester Hazards centre at: mail@gmhazards.org.uk.

More details are at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/national/workers-memorial-day

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB180 Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

Workers Memorial Day 2018 Poster

View Online

Royal Mail Group Fined £1.6 Million For Health and Safety Offences – Employer Pays Their Largest Ever Safety Fine:

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail pleaded guilty to Health and Safety Offences at Isleworth Crown Court on 7 December 2017, in relation to an accident which occurred in the Jubilee Mail Centre yard on 12 December 2014 when a CWU member, employed as a Yard Marshal was struck by a departing 7.5 Tonne Vehicle and was knocked unconscious and received multiple serious injuries including a fractured jaw and several fractured ribs amongst other injuries.

Royal Mail was sentenced on 21 December 2017 at Isleworth Crown Court and was fined £1.6 Million Pounds – Royal Mail’s biggest ever fine for Health and Safety Offences. They also paid £21,785 Prosecution Costs.

The Prosecution was brought in relation to health and safety breaches which occurred at the Jubilee Royal Mail Centre, Hounslow, Middlesex.

The Health and Safety breaches were found to be a significant cause of a serious but thankfully non-fatal accident in which an employee was struck by a LGV lorry.

The Court heard from the Prosecution that Royal Mail’s safety failures consisted of failures to undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments and monitoring, failure to provide adequate safety information, training, instruction, supervision and failure to maintain a safe workplace and transport arrangements including road markings and signage.

Royal Mail Previous Health and Safety Convictions:

In 2003 Royal Mail was fined £200,000 plus £3,500 costs after a pensioner, who was collecting a package, was run over and killed by a 7.5 Tonne Vehicle, in the Bridgend Delivery Office Yard.

In 2010 Royal Mail were fined £90,000 plus £42,000 costs after a CWU Member, HGV Driver, was crushed to death between a Motive Unit Truck and Trailer in the Heathrow (HWDC) yard in 2006.

In 2015 Royal Mail was fined £40,000 plus costs after a CWU Member Fleet Technician suffered chemical burns after being told to use faulty, dangerous cleaning equipment in Hemel Hampstead.

In 2016 Royal Mail was fined £250,000 plus £50,000 costs after a CWU Member, Romec Engineer, fell 9 metres to his death through the roof of the West London Mail Centre in 2013. Romec were additionally fined £100,000 plus £25,000 costs.

In 2016 Royal Mail was fined £50,000 plus £10,000 costs after a CWU Member had his foot run over and crushed by a Fork Lift Truck at the Rochester Walk Bundling Centre.

Conclusion:

This catalogue of deaths and serious injuries to Royal Mail workers and members‎ of the public doesn’t make good reading. Obviously we’re concerned about this situation and want Royal Mail to look at the causes.

We take safety very seriously and Union Safety Reps are critical of Royal Mail’s record because many of the accidents could have been‎ avoided.

Royal Mail’s yard safety record isn’t good and is a cause of concern and disquiet. The Health, Safety and Environment Department is very concerned about the accidents and‎ near misses in yards. The same types of accidents seem to crop up and they are easily avoidable if you learn from past mistakes. Safety‎ procedures are not being enforced in many cases.

Royal Mail needs to take action and work with CWU Safety Reps to improve and enforce safety standards and‎ ensure similar incidents are avoided in future and NOT to cut back safety resources or concentrate on ‘statistics’ instead of risks, hazards and accident root causes!

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB177 Royal Mail Group Fined £1.6 Million For Health and Safety Offences – Employer Pays Their Largest Ever Safety Fine

View Online

Important Information Regarding Changes to Access to SAGE Online – Branch Accounts 

The company we engage to host our Branch Accounts online access is undergoing major change to their IT server hosting facilities. As a result of these changes we will be moving to bringing the hosting and storing of this information in-house.

The decision made by the company means we have a very short window of opportunity to effect this change and to do so with the minimum of disruption as far as is reasonably possible.

This change will be implemented over the coming Easter Weekend and as a result Branches should be aware that SAGE will go offline at 5 p.m. on Wednesday the 28th of March 2018.

Branches will be able to access the new system from 9 a.m. on Tuesday the 3rd April 2018.

The new process will require a different log in system and for security reasons we will be sending individual letters to Branches with these log in details.

The short notice is necessary as a number of IT systems need to work together to facilitate this change and it is believed the long Easter Weekend allows the necessary time to complete this changeover.

Branch Secretaries should make all those who access the current system aware of the information contained in this LTB with immediate effect and should look out for a separate letter regarding the issue of security referred to above.

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

18LTB178

View Online

CWU Conference 2018 – Postal Conference Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the 2018 Postal Conference Agenda Pad has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the following link:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/POSTAL-AGENDA-2018.pdf

A pdf. copy has also been attached. Hard copies of the agenda are in the process of being printed and will be distributed to branches when completed.

Any enquiries to this Letter to Branches should be addressed to conferences@cwu.org or call 020 8971 7256.

Yours sincerely

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB176

POSTAL AGENDA 2018

View Online