URGENT CWU Exchange Mentoring – Activists Supporting Activists 2019 – Closing Date Extension

The deadline for applying to become a CWU Mentor has been extended until midday Friday 26th April 2019. Please consider putting yourself forward for this vitally important role! 

A key aspect of supporting our representative structure is the continuation, development and further roll out of the CWU Exchange Mentoring Scheme.

“CWU Exchange Mentoring” is the CWU mentoring scheme designed to develop new activists through utilising the skills and experience of our more experienced representatives.

The initial pilot scheme was targeted at relatively new Women, BAME and Youth activists who were active in their Branch, workplace or Region and most had been active for up to three years.

Widening the programme and selection of additional CWU Exchange Mentors

Potential new mentors from across the whole union are now invited to apply through a formal application process.

If any current representatives are interested, please complete the attached application form which will detail skills, experiences and understanding of mentoring.

A national Steering Group will shortlist the successful candidates and they will be invited to attend a two day training course. The following criteria will apply:

• At least 5 years’ experience within the CWU at a senior level at Branch, Regional, National, or IR level
• Excellent communications skills including public speaking
• A demonstrable commitment to developing new activists
• An understanding of the role of mentoring within a trade union
• Ability to commit specified time to the mentoring role
• It will be desirable but not essential to have experience of delivering training, workshops, briefings etc. to other representatives or in the wider labour movement.

Training

Building on the success of the Mentoring for BAME and Women courses delivered previously, we will provide a two day course with the following aims:

• To develop mentoring skills
• To understand the roles and responsibilities of CWU mentors
• To understand and apply mentoring skills in line with the requisite ethical standards
• To understand and apply the processes and policies of delivering mentoring according to the CWU Exchange Scheme

The training will be delivered by suitably qualified tutors on the following dates at the Elstead Hotel:

Course option 1: Commence 12:00 13th May 2019 – Finish 12:00 14th May 2019 

Course option 2: Commence 12:00 14th May 2019 – Finish 12:00 15th May 2019 

How to apply

Potential mentors will need to apply by completing the attached application form. Please give us as much information as possible and return your application by 17:00 on Friday 26th April 2019. 

We will ask potential mentees to apply via a similar application process in due course detailing their experience to date, any barriers that they are facing and letting us know what they are looking for in a mentor.

Selection and matching of Mentees and Mentors

The Steering group will then be responsible for short listing mentors and potential mentees and for matching them with one of our trained mentors. This will be based on geography, particular areas of interest, constituency, and what they are seeking from the mentoring process.

If you are interested please return your completed application form to:

Michelle Simpson, CWU, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RX. Alternatively email your application to learn@cwu.org

Any queries relating to this LTB should be directed to Lee Wakeman (lwakeman@cwu.org) in the first instance.

Yours sincerely,

Trish Lavelle
Assistant Secretary

19LTB 218 -CWU Exchange Mentoring – Activists Supporting Activists 2019 – Closing Date Extension

Mentoring – Application Form

Royal Mail Uniform Stand (Annual Conference)

Dear Colleagues,

Further to previous LTBs issued by the Outdoor Department, Branches are advised that Royal Mail will again be having a Uniform Stand at this year’s CWU Annual Conference, from Sunday the 28th April to Thursday the 2nd May. 

As with previous years, the stand will include a good range of uniform garments and footwear and this year will also include uniform ranges covering Fleet, Parcelforce and Engineers.

Uniform Z-Cards will also be available from the stand in addition to footwear posters, questionnaires and other uniform related items.

The holding of this stand by Royal Mail has now become a regular event at Conference and offers Branches and delegates the opportunity to raise general and particular issues and questions around uniform matters directly with Royal Mail.

Any queries to the content of the above, please contact the Outdoor Department, reference 500, email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch

CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 216.19 – Royal Mail Uniform Stand (Annual Conference)

POST OFFICE: BEIS SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY – POST OFFICE NETWORK

I am pleased to advise Branches and our Post Office members that a BEIS Select Committee Inquiry is to be held regarding the Post Office Network as follows:

BEIS Select Committee Inquiry – “the franchising of Post Offices, the reduction of Government subsidies, and the long-term resilience of the service”.

An evidence hearing will be held on Tuesday 21st May at which the Union will be giving oral evidence and written submissions have been invited prior to the closure date of Monday 6th May. We will be drafting a written submission in conjunction with the GS Department with support from our Research Department.

This is very positive news and we expect the Post Office to be highly criticised by key stakeholders for their decision to privatise 74 Crown Offices to WH Smith, which has consistently been voted the worst retailer on the high street by Which magazine. Importantly, three key aspects of written evidence the inquiry will be examining are:

Crown Post Offices

• Do you have confidence that franchises can maintain and improve current service levels in the Crown Post Offices they take over? 
• What contingencies should the Government have in place in case franchises fail? 
• Should the Government seek to ensure that staff terms and conditions are preserved when a franchise takes over a Crown Post Office?

A parliamentary press release containing the full details of the scope of the inquiry is attached to this LTB for your information. The link to the BEIS announcement on the parliamentary website is as follows:

https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/business-energy-industrial-strategy/inquiries/parliament-2017/post-office-network-17-19/

Further developments will be reported.

If you have any questions in relation to this LTB, please contact Lea Sheridan – lsheridan@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

19LTB215 Post Office – BEIS Select Committee Inquiry – Post Office Network

Attachment 1 to LTB215-19 – Press Release

CWU Annual Conference 2019 – Postal Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the 2019 Postal Agenda Pad has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the following link:

https://www.cwu.org/conference/annual-conference/

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

19LTB214 – CWU Annual Conference 2019 – Postal Agenda Pad

Postal Conference agenda pad 2019

Birmingham Pride 2019 – Midlands Region Training

To coincide with Birmingham Pride 2019 the Midlands Region have decided to host an afternoon of training on Friday 24^th May at Summer Lane, Birmingham for CWU representatives and members.

The sessions start at 13:30 and will raise awareness of LGBT+ inclusive policies and work-based practices, which will be a great way to celebrate the start of the Pride weekend. Then, on the 25^th May on the Saturday morning, we hope to have a large CWU delegation joining with us to attend Birmingham Pride with the Comms Team and the new Pink Hopemobile.

The Midlands Region are opening the two days to other regions so that they can join with them to have a fantastic couple of days.

A list of hotels is set out below for those that wish to stay on the Friday or Saturday evening.

• Holiday Inn Express, Snow Hill, Birmingham
• Hampton by Hilton, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham
• Premier Inn, Station Exchange, Birmingham
• Premier Inn, Waterloo Street, Birmingham

Could all representatives who wish to attend the education event on Friday 24^th May please email Kate Hudson at midlandregion@cwu.org with names of who will be attending.

Yours sincerely

Trish Lavelle

Assistant Secretary

19LTB213

Royal Mail Fleet: Pay and Attendance

Further to LTB185/2019 sent out on 22nd March, further discussions have taken place with Royal Mail Fleet. 

It has been agreed: 

•That the 2% RM Group wide 1st April pay increase will be paid to Motor Transport Grades in Fleet. The increase will be paid backdated from 1st April, in June wages. 

•That the unagreed revision guidelines issued in a home mailing by Fleet are withdrawn. Agreed revision guidelines have been negotiated and will be briefed to CWU representatives next week.

•Local revision discussions will take place before the CWU ballot on the proposed agreement, fulfilling a promise given to members that people will vote in the fullest possible knowledge of the implications of changed attendance patterns in their workshop.

In light of the above, it is intended to start the ballot on the proposed Appendix A Agreement on Friday, 24th May with the announcement of the result on Tuesday 11th June. 

The attached letter has been sent to Motor Transport Graded Members in Fleet. A meeting of CWU Fleet Area and Cluster Representatives is taking place on Wednesday 10th April at CWQ Head Office. 

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary 

19LTB210

Fleet Mail Out.05.04.19