Mental Health First Aid Debate in The House Of Commons Today Wednesday 19 December: “Where’s Your Head At?” Campaign

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

See attached copy of a recent letter from MHFA England and a copy of my earlier letter to the Prime Minister on this subject.

This is to update Branches on the “Where’s Your Head At?” Campaign proudly supported by the CWU and reported in LTB No. 482/2018 dated 23 August 2018, which calls on Government to change the law so that employers make First Aid provision for both the mental and physical health of employees, putting physical first aid and mental health first aid on an equal footing.

Following the target having been reached of 200,000 members of the public signing a UK Government and Houses of Parliament petition to ask the Government to make mental health first aid mandatory in the workplace and additionally supported by an open letter sent to the Prime Minister, signed by senior leaders representing business, education, unions and mental health sectors – all calling on the Government to uphold its 2017 manifesto pledge to change the law and put mental and physical first aid on an equal footing in the workplace, it was very recently announced, on 14 December that a parliamentary debate on mental health first aid in the workplace has been scheduled to take place in the House of Commons on Wednesday 19 December (Today).

The debate is sponsored by a cross-party trio of MPs, Luciana Berger MP (Lab), Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem) and Johnny Mercer MP (Con) and will take place this afternoon. It can be viewed on Parliament TV either live or later on the Parliament TV i-player facility.

A communication has been sent to the CWU group of MPs in Parliament by the General Secretary’s department on this matter. This group meets regularly to discuss developments in the industries our members work in and how to further our key campaigns in parliament.

Attached for your information is a letter to the Prime Minister dated 21 November calling on the Government to deliver on its manifesto commitment to put ‘Mental Health First Aid’ on an equal footing as physical first aid along with the commitment to accept and support the recommendations of the Government commissioned ‘Stevenson/Farmer’ report on Mental Health in the Workplace.

Attached is a letter from ‘Mental Health First Aid England’ thanking the CWU for its support for the “Where’s Your Head At?” Campaign which has helped bring about the progress to date, via the numbers signing the petition and today’s House of Commons debate.

Further reports will be made in due course.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB717 Mental Health First Aid Debate in The House Of Commons Today Wednesday 19 December 2018

MHFA England Letter on ‘Where’s Your Head At’ Campaign 14.12.18

Theresa May MHFA Legislation

REDESIGN – DEFERMENT OF NATIONAL/ REGIONAL ELECTIONS – 2019

Branches will be aware that LTB 055/18 advised that the NEC had taken the decision to defer the elections of the following CWU Assistant Secretaries which were scheduled to take place in 2018:

• Assistant Secretary – Health, Safety & Environment
• Assistant Secretary – Equal Opportunities
• Assistant Secretary – T&FS (1) 
• Assistant Secretary – T&FS (2) 

This decision was taken by the NEC due to the ongoing work which is taking place in the CWU in relation to the Redesign Project.

Work on the Redesign Project has continued throughout the year culminating in the CWU Special Conference on Redesign held on 3^rdand 4^th November 2018 at which a number of significant policy decisions were taken which will now need to be enacted upon.

Additionally a number of these decisions, such as the agreed changes to our National and Regional structures will require the NEC to place revised rules before a conference of the Union for endorsement. This will take place at the CWU Special Rules Revision Conference that has been convened on 29^th April 2019.

Accordingly with the above in mind, in addition to the continued deferment of the above elections, the NEC has taken the decision to defer the election of the NEC and Industrial Executive Committees (scheduled to be concluded by April 2019), CWU Assistant Secretary Legal Services, TFS Assistant Secretary (3) (both of which were scheduled to be concluded by May 2019) until June 2019 so that the relevant rule changes can be made.

Further the NEC has also taken the decision to defer the election of the CWU Regional Secretaries until this date for the same reasons.

Once the outcome of the decisions that are agreed at the 2019 Special Rules Revision have been considered by the NEC then arrangements will be put in place to agree and publish a timetable, regulations, etc. for the deferred elections. This will be as soon as is reasonably practical so that the elections can commence in June 2019.

Any enquiries should be addressed to the General Secretary’s office at gsoffice@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary  

Tony Kearns – Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB714 – Redesign – Deferment of National & Regional

CWU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference being held in Liverpool on Thursday 7^th February 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LGBT-CONFERENCE-AGENDA-2019.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB716 – CWU LGBT Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

LGBT CONFERENCE AGENDA 2019

CWU Women’s Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Women’s Conference being held in Liverpool on Wednesday 6^thFebruary 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Womens-AGENDA-2019.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB715 – CWU Womens Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Womens AGENDA 2019

CWU Disability Conference Agenda Pad – Thursday 24^th January 2019

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Disability Conference being held in Birmingham on Thursday 24^th January 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Disability-Agenda-2019.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB710 – CWU Disability Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Disability Agenda 2019

CWU Young Workers Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Young Workers Conference being held in Birmingham on Tuesday 22nd January 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/YOUNG-WORKERS-CONFERENCE-AGENDA-PAD-20193.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB713 – CWU Young Workers Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

YOUNG WORKERS CONFERENCE AGENDA PAD 2019

Safe & Well – December 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Please see December’s edition of Safe and Well newsletter with contributions from our USRs and field teams. The edition leads on the actions needed as part of a Cobra Rod incident. Other topics include a reminder on festive activities; new Ground Support Person training for the new MEWPs, a bit from Safety Day in SD and a reminder on what is a Near Miss and a reminder on help and support available.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB712 Safe & Well – December 2018

Safe and Well Issue 65 December 2018

Toolbox Talk – Working with Cobra Rods 2018

CWU Disability Conference Agenda Pad – Thursday 24^th January 2019

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Disability Conference being held in Birmingham on Thursday 24^th January 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Disability-Agenda-2019.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB710 – CWU Disability Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

Disability Guidance 2019

CWU Black Workers Conference Agenda Pad – Wednesday 23^rdJanuary 2019

Branches would wish to know that the agenda for the forthcoming CWU Black Workers Conference being held in Birmingham on Wednesday 23^rd January 2019 has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the link below:

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BLACK-WORKERS-AGENDA-2019.pdf

Hard copies of the agenda will be sent to Branch addresses of everyone that has registered using the online registration system.

Credential cards for delegates/visitors and voting cards for this conference will be issued on the morning of the conference at registration.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by telephoning 020 8971 7256 or by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB709 – CWU Black Workers Conference 2019 – Agenda Pad

BLACK WORKERS AGENDA 2019