TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING A NEW COMMERCIAL INITIATIVE – METER BOXES TO ACCEPT PARCEL POSTINGS TRIAL

Dear Colleagues

Branches will be aware that the Agenda for Growth and Guiding Principles of Employment Security and Mutual Interest Approach to Future Challenges and Opportunities agreements commit both Royal Mail and the CWU to working together to positively transform business operations.

Parcels competition continues to increase with competitors expanding their networks and delivering enhanced customer services. Parcel posting customers are continually seeking expanding options for the ability to despatch items outside of the traditional collection or Post Office channels. Competitors have been seeking alternative access channels such as local garages, shops and railway stations as access points for parcel despatches.

Royal Mail therefore recently approached the departments with a request to undertake a trial to expand current Meter Boxes to accept parcel postings to allow them to assess customer desire for this option, test commercial viability and to drive future strategy in relation to street furniture design.

Discussions have therefore been taking place with the business in relation to a Terms of Reference for the trial activity. An agreement has now been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive and a copy is attached for your information.

Colleagues will note that CWU representatives (including H&S reps) and employees will be fully involved at each deployment site to enable consistency and ongoing success. Any operational changes required to facilitate the trial arrangements will be progressed in line with the IR Framework.

The trial will commence in June 2018 and will last for a period of 3 months. The trial activity will take place within the LE and NN geographical areas and involve 30 Meter Boxes, over 7 days a week.

Prior to the introduction of initiatives linked to the deployment programme in the Collection and Delivery functions, CWU Divisional, Area and Local level Representatives will be fully briefed on the initiative and on their roles within the process.

All affected staff at participating sites will receive full training in the revised processes.

The CWU Nationally will be updated monthly on progress via the Strategic Involvement Meetings on issues relating to the project through the National Collection JWG.

Formal review of the trial will take place at National level and any further deployment of the initiative will be subject to discussion and National agreement.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that members are made aware of the contents of this LTB.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:

Mail Centre Collections: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, quoting reference 721.03

Email Address: shayman@cwu.org

Or

Delivery Office & Collections: Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary, quoting reference 532

Email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

 

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary                        

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary         

TOR Meter Boxes to Accept Parcel Postings Trial

18LTB356

RM/CWU Resourcing & Quality Checklists – Collection Hubs

Dear Colleagues,

Following the ratification of the 2018 Guiding Principles Agreement, Branches will be aware that contained within Section 8 (Resourcing) it was agreed that both parties would produce a jointly agreed checklist to assess each Unit against the application of our National Agreements and Joint Statements.

In the quality section (Section 9) of the same agreement there is a commitment that RM/CWU would develop a jointly agreed checklist to assess current performance against standards and ensure that all scheduled mail is being cleared on a daily basis. The purpose of this exercise is to build confidence that we are compliant with all our agreements and joint statements. Where it is agreed there is non-compliance, an agreed action plan will be worked up locally as a priority.

Following a period of discussion on this topic, we have now agreed the content of both checklists for Collection Units/Hubs and we are now in the process of building a solution that will allow units to complete these checklists using an online platform. Subject to the online solution being developed, to timescale, then our intention is to launch these two checklists as one combined exercise on week commencing 25th June 2018.

In line with the commitment within the Guiding Principles Agreement, both the unit manager and local CWU rep will complete this exercise together as a part of the weekly resourcing meeting. It is essential that the local CWU representative is provided sufficient release time to jointly complete this exercise with their respective Collections manager. Where a Unit has no CWU representative, the appropriate Area Representative will complete this exercise with the respective Collections Manager.

Units will have a maximum of three weeks to complete this exercise and all returns must be completed online no later than Monday 16th July 2018.

Local Managers and CWU Reps will have the ability to answer questions on a yes/no basis individually to indicate whether the unit in their opinion is compliant to the standard set out in the question. If either party believes that the unit is not compliant, to the standard, then agreed action/s to achieve compliance will be agreed as a priority and these should be captured against the question in the online checklist. Failure to agree an action plan will be progressed and resolved by means of the IR Framework. Once all the questions in the checklist are complete then the names of manager and CWU Rep should also be entered before final submission is made.

The completed online checklists will be made available to the Area Reps and Area Collection Managers both where compliance has been agreed and where non-compliant remedy action plans are being worked up. Where at unit level a joint action plan has not been completed this will be discussed at area/divisional strategic involvement meetings to seek support for the unit to complete the action plan.

An online solution has been concluded to enable this activity which is available via the following hyperlink:

https://portal.royalmailgroup.com/sites/A1974/SitePages/NewHome.aspx

Colleagues should note that the above hyperlink is a RM Intranet site.

Any queries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to:

Collections in Deliveries & MPU’s: Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary,

e-mail: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference: 532

or

Mail Centre Area Distribution Collections: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary,

e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 722.01

Yours sincerely

 

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary

LTB 357.18 – RM CWU Resourcing and Quality Checklists – Collection Hubs

Joint Statement – RM CWU Collections Checklists – 19.06.18

RM_CWU Collection Quality Checklist 31st May 2018 Final

RM_CWU Collections Resourcing Checklist 31st May 2018 Final

Motion 9 Industrial Training

Motion 9 carried at this year’s Annual Conference instructed the Postal Executive to seek nominations from Branches for CWU Representatives to deliver local based industrial training to CWU Representatives.

The full terms of the motion are reproduced below:

This Conference agrees that the more industrial training we can get for our Reps on national agreements is in the best interests of our members. Therefore the Postal Executive is instructed to look for nominations via a LTB for CWU Reps across the country to deliver local based training to CWU Reps on:-

• The Conduct Agreement.

• The Attendance Procedure.

• The Industrial Relations Framework, CWU and joint training.

• Any delivery based training such as Mod 1 and Mod 2 Revision training, IWT training.

• Any proposed resourcing training as and when it is developed both joint and CWU.

This list is not exhaustive.

The nominated people would be expected to have experience in the subject they would like to deliver and would have to detail their experience within their application. The successful nominations would initially be given Train the Trainer sessions on the relevant training that they have opted to deliver with a view of expanding presentational skills as required.

CWU HQ via the DGS(P) and Education Department would keep up to date records of the CWU trainers and the relevant training they have volunteered to deliver and update the records via further nominations/skills/subjects as and when people leave or when there are any necessary changes.

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly.

In light of the Motion, the Department is writing to all Branches to seek their nominations for Representatives to facilitate and deliver industrial training and provide an opportunity to further develop their skills in the future. As the Motion makes clear, the nominated people must have experience in the subject they would like to deliver and detail this as part of their application.

Branches are therefore requested to forward the names of their proposed nominees by completing the pro-forma provided (please print off and use more copies of the pro-forma as required). The completed forms should include the individual’s contact details, the subjects they wish to deliver and their nominating Branch. Could Branches please complete and return the pro-forma(s) by no later than Friday 6th July 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)

18LTB344 – Motion 9 Industrial Training

Attachment 1 to LTB 344.18 – Proforma

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ELECTION OF NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS – 2018

• CWU Young Workers Committee 2018

Further to LTB 315/18 dated 11th May 2018, please find below ballot results for the above named Delegations which closed on Friday 15th June 2018.

CWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE – POSTAL CONSTITUENCY

NORTHERN IRELAND REGION

Gary McCrum

Northern Ireland East15,022 Matt McMaster

Northern Ireland Combined69,624*ElectedCWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE – TELECOM & FINANCIAL SERVICES CONSTITUENCY

NORTH WEST REGION

Erin Brett

Mersey26,159*ElectedDaniel Lewis

Bootle Financial Services15,034 Stephen McCarthy

Greater Mersey & South West Lancs895

SOUTH EAST REGION

Georgina Ford

Portsmouth West Sussex & IOW18,382 Connor McCann

Meridian19,101*ElectedLiam Reed

South East Central5,647

The branch analysis for the above ballot results are attached to this LTB.

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

18LTB352 – Ballot Result for Young Workers Committees

Ballot Returns Young Workers

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FREE TICKETS TO LABOUR LIVE THIS SATURDAY

The chart topping Clean Bandit are the latest big act to be announced for Labour Live in London this Saturday.

CWU members can get up to 6 FREE tickets by simply visiting https://action.labour.org.uk/page/content/labour-live-main/ and adding the discount code LLDT-CWU

These tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.

The event is from 12-20:30 and will see a mixture of music, comedy and politics.

For a full list of all the acts please visit labour.live

PARCELFORCE – ‘FOUR PILLARS’ AGREEMENT – Joint Statement National Agreement Deployment

Dear Colleagues

Branches and representatives are informed that discussions have been taking place with Parcelforce in line with the commitments contained in Appendix B of the Agreement between Royal Mail Group and the Communication Workers Union Regarding Guiding Principles of Employment Security and a Mutual Interest Approach to Future Challenges and Opportunities.

A Joint Statement – National Agreement Deployment has now been concluded, which provides an update in regard to discussions relating to Resourcing in PFW Depots, has been endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached for your information.

Colleagues will be aware from the debate on Motion 40 at Postal Conference 2018 that the matter of the resourcing mix in Parcelforce is a live issue. The 2003 document commonly referred to as the “Mixed Resourcing” agreement defines that 25% of Collection & Delivery Routes may be resourced by means other than directly employed staff. Policing of this agreement has meant that periodically we have had to “reset the clock” on the resourcing mix, the last time in late 2016.

Since 2016 however, there appeared to have been a drift towards a greater level of external resource through the use of Owner Driver “Assists” and C&D Couriers. The department therefore instigated a joint review of the current resourcing mix, utilising the Resourcing in Line with Current Agreements section of the PFW Annex. The review, undertaken by the Table of Success REX Joint Working Group, established that the resourcing mix excluding agency usage was at around 70/30.

The establishment of this figure has enabled an agreement to be reached with the business to commence a recruitment exercise to increase of the number of directly employed routes by 160. Detail of how these new jobs will be resourced is included in the Joint Statement. Branches and representatives will note however that unlike 2016 there will be no additional Owner Driver recruitment taking place as part of this increase and that the commitment to re-establish the agreed resourcing ratios in relation to C&D operations has been reaffirmed.

Significantly we have also for the first time achieved explicit wording which details that all external resourcing options are included in the 25% external quota and that where Owner Driver Assists or Couriers remain they will be included in the calculation, which has always been the CWU position.

Additionally we have achieved wording that the recruitment exercise will look to offer permanent employment to current Owner Driver Assists, in an attempt to provide real opportunity to individuals who may currently be regarded as the least secure.

Agreement has also been reached in respect of the Table of Success Resourcing Joint Working Group undertaking an ongoing review of all categories of flexible resource and both parties have agreed that it is important to continue to bring any remaining use of agency/courier resource into line with the spirit and intent of the Agenda for Growth and Stability Agreement and to meet the agreed resourcing model.

A National Table of Success event has recently taken place where both parties reviewed all Joint Working Group activities and discussed the detail of the programme of works arising from the National agreement. Joint lead roles and accountabilities have been agreed that will ensure we deliver together on all elements of the agreement.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our PFW members are made aware of the contents of this LTB and the attached Joint Statement.

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: 102.02.

Yours sincerely

 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB341-18 – Parcelforce Four Pillars Agreement – JS National Agreement Deployment

Attachment 1 – JS National Agreement Deployment

JOINT STATEMENT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF ROUTE EXCELLENCE

Dear Colleagues

Branches and representatives will recall that, Appendix B, the Parcelforce Worldwide section of the Agreement between Royal Mail Group and the Communication Workers Union Regarding Guiding Principles of Employment Security and a Mutual Interest Approach to Future Challenges and Opportunities, determined that the achievement of the first hour reduction in the Working Week was linked to the Route Excellence (REX) process being fully deployed. Discussions and activity have been taking place with the business to ensure that this key element of the agreement can be delivered

Extensive activity has taken place since 2015 in relation to the REX system to ensure that the product is fit for purpose, which has been overseen by the Table of Success REX Working Group (LTB 336/17 refers).

The Working Group has now recommended to the National Steering Group that the process is ready to be introduced on a phased basis to all depots. Therefore discussions have taken place with the business to conclude a further Joint Statement – Future Development & Deployment of Route Excellence to facilitate the activity. This Joint Statement to enable the deployment activity to commence has now been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive. A copy is attached for your information.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our PFW members are made aware of the contents of this LTB and the commencement of the REX deployment activity.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 132.07

Yours sincerely

 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 340-18 – JS – Route Excellence 11.06.18

Attachment 1 – JS REX Deployment – 11.06.18

Men’s Health Week 11-17 June 2018: Diabetes – Diabetes is Decimating Men

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

A diabetes crisis is unfolding in the UK and men are the worst affected. One man in 10 now has diabetes and in middle-aged men the disease is expected to increase sharply in frequency over the next 20 years.

Men’s Health Week 2018 coincides with Diabetes Week and the Men’s Health Forum is highlighting how men are affected – and it’s not a pretty picture. Men are more likely to get diabetes than women, more likely to experience complications like leg amputation and more likely to die from the condition.

One man in ten already has diabetes and thousands more either don’t know they have it or are at serious risk of it. Are you one of them?

Martin Tod, Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum said:

“The Men’s Health Forum wants to see a serious programme of research and investment to ensure men get the support and care they need to prevent and manage diabetes. The toxic combination of ever more men being overweight, men getting diabetes at a lower BMI and health services that don’t work well enough for working age men is leading to a crisis. We need urgent action. Our plan for this week is to raise awareness amongst men and amongst professionals of the challenge many men face.”

The Men’s Health Forum’s report One In Ten: The Male Diabetes Crisis shows:

• Men are 26% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than women – with Public Health England estimates showing that 9.6% of men have type 1 or type 2 diabetes vs. 7.6% of women. One man in 10 now has diabetes.

• Men are more likely to be overweight (BMI 25+) and to develop diabetes at a lower BMI (body mass index) than women. However, they are less likely to be aware that they are overweight or to participate in weight management programmes.

• Men are more likely to suffer from diabetic retinopathy, foot ulcers and to have a foot amputation. 69.6% of those presenting with a foot ulcer are men. Men are more than twice as likely to have a major amputation. Studies also show that the incidence of diabetic retinopathy is significantly higher amongst men.

• Men are more likely to die, and to die prematurely, as a result of diabetes. The age-standardised mortality rate for men with an underlying cause of death as diabetes mellitus is 40% higher than it is for women.

The report highlights how the sex inequalities have not been highlighted by health policy makers and practitioners and calls for better engagement of men in: NHS Health Checks, routine eye tests, weight management programmes and diabetes education programmes.

Follow this link to the Men’s Health Forum website for further information, posters, toolbox talks and booklets to raise awareness of this event in your Branches:

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mens-health-week-2018-diabetes

A copy of the Men’s Health Forum Report is attached.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB348 Men’s Health Week 11-17 June 2018 Diabetes – Diabetes is Decimating Men

diabetes_1in10_nov2017

mhw2018_posters_kills

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General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) –v- HSAW Act 1974 & SRSC Regs 1977:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The impact of GDPR on Health and Safety was raised with Royal Mail Group prior to the introduction date and we were assured that “minimal disruption” was expected which was welcomed.

However since then the Health, Safety & Environment Department has been receiving increasing numbers of queries and complaints from Royal Mail Group based CWU Safety Reps on a number of things as managers around the country are starting to react to the GDPR with a lack of understanding and common sense and we are clearly going through the same loop again as we did with the original Data Protection Act 1998, only worse.

My department is receiving communications from ASRs on a variety of issues where GDPR is cropping up e.g.

• Accident on Duty notifications and reports,

• RTC information,

• ZAP Reports,

• Sharepoint Weekly Safety Dashboard,

• First Aiders,

• Fire Wardens,

• Safety Committees,

• SMATS,

• Inspections,

• H&S Audits,

• Training Records,

• Vehicle Licence Checks,

• ERICAs.

According to guidance issued by the TUC and HSE, there isn’t anything in the GDPR which indicates specifically from a workplace health and safety perspective that there will be any new restrictions on giving Safety Representatives the information necessary to enable them to fulfil their role and functions or change the general duties and obligations on employers regarding consultation with and involvement of Trade Union Safety Representatives as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 and other specific Health and Safety Regulations.

The HSE has made it clear in the past that Trade Union Health and Safety Reps must be ‘proactively’ involved and consulted in line with Health and Safety Legislation and that data protection regulations must not stop Union Health and Safety Representatives getting information they are legally entitled to.

Few people can be unaware of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), if only because of the emails that we are all getting from organisations we have never heard of asking us to agree that they can keep emailing us.

However, the above quoted list of examples are worrying developments and the matter has been raised with Royal Mail Group’s Head of Safety, Health and Environment Standards and Reporting.

We have requested that Managers must be told not to use the GDPR Regulations to try to stop Union Health and Safety Representatives from getting access to information they are legally entitled to.

The 1977 Safety Reps and Safety Committee (SRSC) Regulations are very clear about what Safety Reps are entitled to. Regulation 7 basically states that employers “have to make available to safety representatives the information necessary to enable them to fulfil their functions.”

The HSE Code of Practice to the Regulations lists what information is covered, and it is pretty comprehensive, including information on accidents and safety audits etc.

Since its introduction, local Safety Reps are finding that some managers are saying that the GDPR restricts what information they can supply. Examples of this include refusing to hand over information from accident report forms, instead saying that they will in future only give periodic statistics reports, and health and safety auditors are being instructed to stop sharing their Safety Audits with CWU Safety Representatives on the grounds they contain some personal data etc. We have made it clear that this is nonsense and is not acceptable to the CWU.

This seems to be a deliberate attempt by some managers to try to stop Union Health and Safety Representatives getting the information they need and are entitled to. Just giving general information with no detail makes the information utterly useless in some cases,‎ as Health and Safety Representative can’t properly investigate incidents, accidents, near misses and complaints unless they know which members are involved.

The TUC and HSE advice is that the GDPR does not change the information that can be given to Union Health and Safety Representatives in the least. Both the SRSC Regulations and the 1998 Data Protection Act already restricted certain personal information being given out generally but providing information to Safety Representatives is covered by Health and Safety Legislation.

When it was reported to the Health, Safety & Environment Department what some managers were doing, the HSE were contacted in order to check their view and the HSE confirmed that the “Government Legal Department advise is that the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation should not adversely impact Trade Union Safety Representatives carrying out their functions within the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations. Employers are required to provide documents and information requested by Safety Representatives under Regulation 7 as before.” In other words, if an employer or managers are now refusing to give over information they are misusing the GDPR or using it as an excuse not to comply with Health and Safety Law.

So the fact is that Trade Union Health and Safety Representatives can still get all the information that they need. Information on any accidents, injuries, near misses or occupational diseases, audits, safety training etc., can still be given to Safety Representatives, as can any audit or other reports or the results of investigations etc.

If managers think that the GDP Regulations somehow trumps the SRSC Regulations then the question is “where in the GDPR does it say that the employer should not provide the information covered in Regulation 7 of the SRSC Regulations?”

Of course, that does not mean that GDPR will not affect Safety Representatives. When handling personal data, including membership information, or details of any cases or issues that they are handling, the information needs to be treated accordingly and kept securely.

For electronic information, many representatives use the employer’s system and they usually will continue to follow the security standards operated by the employer, but if Reps are keeping information on their own computer, GDPR doesn’t state Safety Reps can’t have it, it states that they should make sure that they are following the requirements of the new Regulations.

The CWU SDGS has published advice on behalf of the CWU to Branch Representatives on GDPR in LTBs 227 and 310 which Reps should follow in maintaining data privacy.

The same applies to paper information. Regulation 5(3) of the SRSC Regulations requires employers to give “such facilities as the safety representative may reasonably require” for safety inspections. Regulation 4A2 of the SRSC Regulations gives safety reps considerable powers to demand facilities to enable them to carry out their functions effectively. That means that, at the very least, health and safety representatives can demand lockable secure facilities to keep data secure and private.

To maintain our productive joint working arrangements and commitments, this GDPR mess that’s developing in Royal Mail Group needs addressing urgently.

The TUC Education Department did a webinar explaining the implications of GDPR for unions in March which is available on YouTube at the following Link:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd2GNBhxhkI

Further reports will be made in due course. ASRs should use the RMG/CWU nationally agreed Health and Safety Disputes Escalation Procedure as necessary.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB347 General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) –v- HSAW Act 1974 & SRSC Regs 1977

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RM/CWU Dog Awareness Week 25th – 30th June 2018

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

• To raise awareness and encourage responsible dog ownership, the Union and Royal Mail will jointly launch their sixth annual Dog Awareness Week on Monday 25 June 2018.

• The number of dog attacks is still too high and every dog attack is one attack too many. The official number of dog attacks in the UK on postmen and women last year is 2,275 but unreported minor attacks take that up to 3,000 in our estimation.

• The number of dog attacks on postmen and women increases during summer holidays, when children and parents are at home and dogs are more likely to be out in the garden with the family.

• Royal Mail Dog Awareness Week is supported by the Communications Workers Union and a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Dogs Trust, PDSA the National Police Chief’s Council, and the National Dog Wardens Association.

• A special Dog Awareness Week postmark will be applied to all stamped items from Monday 25 June until Friday 29 June 2018.

• 3,000 Postmen and Women were attacked by Dogs in the UK last year, that’s 44 a week or 7 a day.

• ASRs, Regional Health and Safety Forums, Branches and Regions are asked to fully support the week and work locally with Royal Mail and supporting organisations on the campaign.

The Following Press Statement Has Been Issued by Dave Joyce CWU National Health, Safety and Environment Officer:

CWU National Health, Safety and Environment Officer Dave Joyce said “The failure of Dog Owners to control their animals remains a major concern for postal workers and the public. The number of attacks has risen, with yearly hospital admissions for dog bites increasing by 76% between 2006-2016. Seven postal workers are attacked by dogs every working day of the year which is unacceptable and the whole idea of Dog Awareness Week is to highlight the problem and the repercussions for dog owners and the victims, many of whom are seriously injured. 82% of dog attacks on postal workers happened at the front door or in the front garden and that number is increasing as we deliver more online purchased parcels. We are appealing to all customers who are dog owners to work with us and think TWICE when the postman calls. Put the dog away in a secure room before opening the door to collect and sign for your delivery. The vast majority of our customers and their dogs aren’t a problem but irresponsible and reckless dog owners are. Customers are always pleased to see the postman or postwoman arrive as they’re eager to take delivery of the goods they’ve ordered and paid for on the internet but thousands of them unfortunately don’t give a second thought to the postal worker’s safety by putting the dog in a safe, secure place. There are tough court penalties and a criminal record for irresponsible dog owners including prison and unlimited fines so it’s in their best interest in more ways than one to make sure the dog doesn’t bite the postman/woman. One owner from Romford, Essex paid fines and costs of nearly £9,000 after his dog injured a postwoman’s fingers as she put letters through the door. Another owner from Oxford was handed a 16-month suspended prison sentence and banned from owning dogs for life after his dog badly injured a postman’s hand. Dog owners need to fully understand that their actions usually are the cause of a dog being dangerous and simple precautions can prevent the pain for everyone concerned. No matter what breed of dog is involved, the dog can present a substantial danger to postal workers. Worryingly there’s been some very serious Dog attacks this last year in Boston, Newquay and Wrexham which could easily have ended in fatalities if it wasn’t for the intervention of the owners and good Samaritans”.

The Following Engagements have been arranged for Dave Joyce CWU National Health, Safety and Environment Officer during Dog Awareness Week:

On 25th June – Dave Joyce will be giving Radio and TV interviews on Dog Awareness Week.

On 26th June – Dave Joyce will meet with the Scottish Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Annabelle Ewing, to discuss dog attacks on postal workers following the recent debate in the Scottish Parliament on 8th May to discuss the post legislative review of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 plus Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal and Police enforcement and law interpretation issues.

On 27th June – Dave Joyce will be at the House of Commons, Palace of Westminster, to give oral evidence to a The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Parliamentary Select Committee’s Inquiry into Dangerous Dogs Legislation. (The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 as amended by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014) after the NHS reported that the number of dog attacks have risen, with yearly hospital admissions for dog bites increasing by 76% between 2006-2016.
(This will be televised at 9:30am on the Parliament TV Channel).

Further LTBs, Dog Awareness Week materials and information will be issued in due course.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB346 RMCWU Dog Awareness Week 25th – 30th June 2018

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