POST OFFICE: “SAVE OUR POST OFFICE” CAMPAIGN – PARLIAMENTARY EVENT AND RESULTS OF YOUGOV SURVEY

Further to LTB 129/19 dated 27th February. We are pleased to advise Branches that over 92,000 signatures have now been gathered in support of our Save Our Post Office campaign. This is an excellent response and we would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in achieving this significant number. 

A small delegation will deliver the petitions to 10 Downing Street this afternoon following the event in Committee Room 6, Westminster at 1.30pm. Our Communications team will be supporting today’s activities and updates and photos etc will be provided through the usual social media channels and also via our website.

YouGov Survey Results Demonstrate Strong Opposition to Franchising

To coincide with the event in Westminster, we commissioned an independent survey conducted by YouGov on the future of the high street and the privatisation of Crown Post Offices. The key headlines clearly support CWU policies and our concerns surrounding the Post Office’s seriously flawed strategic direction. A press release highlighting the YouGov survey results below is attached to this LTB for your information.

• 68% are more worried about the future of the high street today compared to five years ago compared to 3% who are less worried 
• 81% have seen the closure of shops and services on their local high street over the past 5 years compared to 5% who have not 
• Just 12% of respondents support the programme of privatisation 
• 60% agree that a local community should have the power to veto the privatisation of a publicly owned post office in their local area, compared to 8% who do not. 

Thank you for your continued support in this crucial campaign.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey – Assistant Secretary                    

Terry Pullinger – DGS(P)                

Dave Ward – General Secretary

19LTB149 Post Office – Save Our Post Office Campaign – Parliamentary Event and Results of YouGov SurveyAttachment 1 to 19LTB149 – CWUYouGov Poll PR – March 2019

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HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR DETAILS?

One of the most common complaints we hear around the time of Ballots / Elections is “I didn’t get a ballot paper.”

Often the reason for this is because the member has not informed us that they have recently moved (Branch and National ballots are sent to members home addresses). It is each members,responsibility to inform the Branch Secretary when there is any change in address, name or office (Royal Mail do not notify CWU of any changes)

If you have changed your details, please contact The Branch Secretary by emailbranch.secretary@cwue5.org or by Telephone01733 382512 / 077854 60070

Or see your Unit Representative for a form 

Andy Beeby 

Branch Secretary

CWU Eastern Number Five Branch

Click on the links below

contact-details.docx

https://cwue5.org/update-your-contact-details/

A NEW STRATEGY FOR MEMBERSHIP GROWTH

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this LTB is to advise branches that on the 28^th February the NEC agreed a document setting out a new union wide approach to recruitment and organising.

The new approach is in line with the terms of Motion 50 agreed at last year’s general conference and is also a response to the growing need for the CWU to influence the sector our members work in and a wider world of work characterised by insecure, low cost employment models.

Whilst introducing significant changes, the new approach also recognises that a detailed strategy will take time to develop as part of an evolving process that will necessitate the whole Union working together in a very different and more collaborative way. This means there has to be a genuine willingness to think and work beyond constituency boundaries and harness the strengths and expertise that exists across the union. It also means that there has to be a real understanding that when it comes to the wider sector, the postal and T&FS constituencies start from very different places and the approach going forward will reflect this.

The key elements of the new approach are set out below:

• Investment in a new Head of Recruitment and Organising to develop, oversee and manage a new strategy on a day to day basis.
• The development of the detailed strategy to be supported by a new Recruitment and Organising Board comprising of the following – a Head of R&O, GS, SDGS, DGS (P), DGS (T), Head of Comms, Head of Research, and Head of Legal Services.
• A realignment of postal organisers to work within the wider postal sector and target new companies.
• The T&FS to continue with its current approach alongside improved reporting to the NEC and a clearer understanding going forward of the work within the sector that will be the responsibility of the central strategy team. This to be reviewed in 12 months against agreed criteria.
• Improved reporting and analysis of all membership data.
• The organisers to be utilised in a more flexible way to support targeted campaigns within the unions overall strategy.
• Given the increased profile of the CWU and our innovative communications approach, the Head of Communications will undertake a review of all R&O materials to strengthen the CWU identity and brand.
• Linking our recruitment and organising work to the CWUs and TUCs campaign on a New Deal for Workers.
• The overall strategy to be coordinated around the following three areas:

*The main companies

*The wider communication and financial services sectors

*Digital platforms/New World of Work/Gig economy

• A process to evaluate the work of our existing organisers.
• A major national event later this year to launch the new strategy.
• Greater clarity on the role of our new regional structure and branches in supporting recruitment and organising work. This to include a 2 way process to enable the widest possible opportunity for Regions and branches to input their ideas.
• A comprehensive communications plan to explain the new approach and the reasons for this to our representatives and members.
• The introduction of clear and transparent targets to measure the success or otherwise of our campaigns.
• Agreed timelines to ensure we monitor progress and deliver on what has been agreed.
• The SDGS to produce a plan on the investment required to support the new strategy as part of the redesign project, including a full breakdown of our existing expenditure in this area to maximise the effectiveness of this.

THE CONTEXT THE CWU NOW OPERATES WITHIN

The “Organising for the Future” booklet published to Branches last year clearly set out the major challenges we face and the wider context we are operating within. The importance of the whole union grasping this wider context simply cannot be ignored or overstated.

Firstly, alongside the fact we have lost almost 100k members since the 1995 merger, is the stark reality, in both constituencies, that our membership remains overwhelmingly in companies that arise out of the old General Post Office. In postal, less than 1% of our members come from outside of RM, POL, or the island operators. In Telecoms and Financial Services, whilst the membership is more diverse, more than 85% of our members are in BT, Santander, O2 (formally in BT) and EE (now part of the BT Group).

Secondly, in contrast to our decline, the wider communications sector has seen major growth in a non-unionised workforce, exploited by the emergence of new companies that rely mostly on insecure and low cost employment models.

Thirdly, we rightly pride ourselves on being the strongest UK workplace trade union and for years and years we have set the high benchmark on pay, terms and conditions across the sector. But we know this is a constant battle against the race to the bottom, something which our members have become increasingly aware of. Therefore, as these pressures grow, signs of which are clear in both the RMG and BT right now, the only way we will ultimately maintain our own industrial strength is by being at the forefront of a wider fight to reverse membership decline and organise workers across the sector. This is also exactly the same debate and thinking that represents the only chance to reverse the fortunes of the wider trade union movement in society.

The truth is, taking on this fight by throwing the full weight of the union behind a fresh strategy, is the very essence of trade unionism and the core value of what the movement exists for.

CONCLUSION

In the last few years the union has worked hard through Redesign to finally tackle the issues that threaten the future of the CWU, the wider trade union movement and that are shaping the world of work in a very detrimental way.

We have set a clear direction for the union that has been overwhelmingly supported by Conference. On one hand, this has been about getting even closer to our frontline reps and members to ensure that protecting and enhancing their terms and conditions will always be at the heart of everything the CWU stands for. On the other hand, it has been about expanding and connecting the above thinking to the growing pressures that all workers face as a direct result of the political and economic forces that stand in our way.

The direction we have set is both challenging and ambitious in that it means we are serious about mobilising to rebuild the trade union movement, improve the lives of our members and all workers and to work towards fundamental political change.

Finally, whilst all branches will understand that there are no easy solutions to drive membership growth, we are confident that by working together in a more joined up way, we will ensure the CWU builds a more effective recruitment and organising strategy.

Further information on the New Strategy for Membership Growth will be sent to Branches in due course.

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB please forward to gsoffice@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

19LTB147 – A new strategy for membership growth

RMG/CWU Road Safety Campaign – Preventing Vehicle Rollaways – W/C 11 March 2019

Dear Colleagues,

The background and importance of this Road Safety Communications Campaign is to raise awareness of the controls that are required when parking vehicles to prevent rollaways. Vehicle rollaways can cause serious injury or even fatality, and drivers could place themselves at risk of prosecution of a serious motoring offence if they fail to comply with the controls in place.

The idea is that by carrying out the Campaign activities during the week, it will help to raise the profile of road safety and keep drivers safe. The planned tasks for ASRs are to carry out Safety Inspections and speak to drivers.

ASRs are to be fully involved and consulted on joint RSW activities.

Facts and Figures

• Rollaway incidents are on the increase, in 2017/18 we had 127 and YTD this year we have had 126.
• There have been two serious incidents involving rollaways causing life changing injuries to both an employee and a third party.

Please note that this Road Safety Campaign was planned for deployment on 18 March, but at two day’s notice, Royal Mail Group Communications has pulled this forward and it will now be deployed next Monday 11^th March.  I have informed the Royal Mail Global Director of Safety, Health, Environment and Sustainability that it is unacceptable for Royal Mail Group Communications to do this in relation to moving important Health and Safety Campaign dates at short notice and that we will not be able to fully support or commit to Campaigns under these circumstances.  The Royal Mail Group Road Safety Team has suggested in response that ASRs may wish to spread activities over the two weeks, w/c 11^thMarch and w/c 18^th March.

In conclusion, we are leaving this to ASRs to decide locally how they best wish to approach this, but we have made it clear that moving dates at short notice in future is not acceptable.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB146 RMGCWU Road Safety Campaign – Preventing Vehicle Rollaways – Week Commencing 11 March 2019

HIT Posters

Leaflet Final Mar 2019 campaign

RS Campaign – Preventing Vehicle Rollaways – logistics handout Final 4

RSC Preventing Vehicle Rollaways Mar 2019 ASR activity plan Final 4

RSW Preventing Vehicle Rollaways – Managers Checklist Final 4

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT LEAN ACADEMY (CILA)

Branches and representatives may be aware of a managerial programme entitled Continuous Improvement Lean Academy (CILA).

Our understanding of the programme is that it focusses on management leadership behaviours in general but also discusses some lean management tools, which enable managers to consider what improvements they are going to focus on their plants. The business view is that part of the day job for the plant management team is to develop improvement plans and this training helps them do it the right way.

For absolute clarity this a managerial activity and the CWU has therefore had not had any input into the programme that has been developed, nor have we agreed to the participation of representatives in any associated workshops.

Historically the department initially received enquiries from the field in 2018 in relation to involvement of representatives in the activity and representation was made to the business. At that point we made it absolutely clear to the business that our view was that the issues of Employee Engagement/Continuous Improvement were proper to discussions between the DGS(P) and the appropriate RM representative and as such we would be referring the matter accordingly.

Since that time the subject has been discussed at NPG meetings and our belief was that while the CILA programme was still being used for managerial training/support our representatives were not being asked to participate in the activity.

We have now been advised from the field that representatives are once again being invited to attend workshops associated to CILA and that there may be some suggestion by management that this is a joint venture.

The advice of the department is that our position is unchanged, this is not a joint venture and we have not agreed to the participation of representatives in the activity/workshops. Representation has therefore once again been made to the business in relation to this issue and as such the department would advise that our representatives should politely decline any invitation to attend the CILA workshops.

Equally, it is reaffirmed that that any managerial proposals emanating from the CILA activity should be progressed in line with our National agreements and the IR Framework.

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: 711.06

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

LTB 143-19 – Continuous Improvement Lean Acadamy (CILA) – 06.03.19

ROYAL MAIL – INTRODUCTION OF APPRENTICES IN HR SERVICES

Branches will be aware this week is National Apprenticeship week. It is therefore timely to report on a positive set of discussions with HR Services management regarding the introduction of an Apprenticeship programme across various specialist areas in HR Services including Pay, Pensions, Recruitment, Advice Centre, PSP Support and Learning in Pond Street Sheffield. It should be noted that this initiative is aimed at relatively new employees and replaces the previously agreed NVQ arrangements.

As a result of our discussions and a joint review, we have now reached agreement to introduce a series of Apprenticeship Schemes for approximately 28 existing members in HR Services. As you would expect, the various Apprenticeship Schemes will be run by qualified external providers.

We have communicated a Joint Statement directly to our members in HR Services via Royal Mail’s “Service Matters” publication. The JS is attached to this LTB for your information. We have also recently concluded the final plans specifically for apprentices within the Pensions team; however, due to the complexities in this area, this took a little longer to organise than in the other areas.

I am therefore pleased to report we have agreed to progress 8 members through the Workplace Apprenticeship in the Pensions Administration unit with the launch of this programme planned for 1 April. An addendum to the original Joint Statement has also been agreed to include the Pensions unit and is attached to this LTB. This addendum has been published in the latest addition of “Service Matters”.

Importantly, the approach agreed to the introduction of this Apprenticeship Scheme is aimed at up-skilling and developing current employees and therefore crucially the members’ pay and the contractual number of hours of work is fully in line with the Four Pillars Agreement which introduced for these grades a 34 hour net working week from October 2018.

A total of 28 apprentices are planned to be in place across the various functions in HR Services by next month including the 8 in Pensions admin. I’m sure Branches will agree this is a positive development and it is good to be able to report we have reached agreement with Royal Mail for them to invest in developing the skills of our members.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

19LTB140 – Royal Mail – Introduction of Apprentices in HR Services

Attachment 1. Apprenticeship JS

Attachment 2. Addendum to Joint Statement Regarding the Introduction of HR Services Apprenticeship Scheme