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LONDON, EAST & SOUTH EAST TUC PENSIONERS MEETING HELD AT CONGRESS HOUSE IN LONDON ON THE 26TH OF MARCH 2019

The theme of the meeting was how the exit from the EU affect the UKs older citizens? And what are the challenges we face?

There were due to be 4 guest speakers to the forum, only Chris Walsh of Age Platform Europe (UK Section) and Professor Anand Menon, Director, The UK in a Changing Europe attended.

Chris Walsh opened his contribution and cited many difficulties pensioners could be facing once we leave the EU on whatever kind of deal we face.

Equality has been a big leader in Europe relating to workers’ rights, but would they remain after Brexit?, it has to be remembered unless there is a General Election, the Tories will still be in government until 2022. Currently there are 1.6 million over 65’s in work, with the possibility of more being forced to work well beyond the current retirement age of 67, and 68 if you are born after April 1978.

Chris, also mentioned there could be lower food quality (chlorinated chickens, hormone fed beef, U.S. pharmaceutical testing over a one year period rather than the 3 adopted by the E.U. Under free market trading, environmental protection could be harmed. Healso stated that there could be travel problems travelling to Europe, citing the loss of the E111 health card, higher travel insurance, temporary travel visa’s and paying for temporary driving permits after Brexit.

Anand Melon who has appeared on many political shows, BBC’s Question Time and Newsnightconcentrated on the political implications that have taken place since the referendum vote. He explored many of the debates stating that a No Deal Brexitwould be bad, that the economic affects with a no deal would not have immediate affects, but would be more of a slow puncture before withdrawal effects will berealized.

On the political front, he believed that there is no feel for another referendum. A General Election would only be as a result of a no confidence vote in the government being carried. However, if Scottish Independence were to be raised once again there could be a possibility of Labour seats lost, therefore loss of a potential future Labour government.

Professor Anand continued to make the case for the difficulties Brexit have bought to the country in the way it has been handled by the government and the threats to such things as research where we are world leaders in some fields and would be lost after Brexit.

Austerity has been a major factor in the political arena since the Tory’s came to power, and without a deal, statements made by the Chancellor that austerity will be coming to an end were perhaps based on the potential contribution savings being made by exiting the E.U.

Other things mentioned were defence, and the possibility of an E.U. defence force should we leave, and perhaps leaving us with a weakened NATO should this be the case.

This is a potted report on the meeting, and at the time of writing, Brexit and its final implications are still full of ‘supposing’ and ‘what ifs’ as we are still some way off the final solution to Brexit.

Regards

Mick Goldsmith

Retired Members Secretary

Royal Mail Vehicle Fleet – Handbrake Safety Feature/New Technology Developments Update

This LTB is being issued to Branches and Regions as an update to LTBs 023/19, 025/19, 069/19 and 198/19.

As previously reported Royal Mail has had a worrying number of vehicle roll-aways since 2014, some of which have caused very serious injuries and even a fatality plus in some cases extensive property damage and huge costs have resulted. Police prosecution for serious Road Traffic Act Driving Offences can also be a result.

Royal Mail Handbrake Safety Campaign – “HIT” Acronym

Royal Mail with CWU support continues joint efforts to ‘raise the profile of vehicle rollaway risks and to promote the “HIT” driver parking safely Acronym as follows:-

Remember & Think “HIT”

• Handbrake On
• In Gear
• Turn the Wheels

Handbrake Safety Features & New Technology

The Health, Safety and Environment Department has been in ongoing discussions with Royal Mail Fleet firstly looking at what Handbrake Safety Technology is available on the market which is simplistic in design but has been engineered to make an enhancement to fleet vehicle operational safety and secondly, Royal Mail Fleet and the CWU have been conducting trials of three types of handbrake safety systems.

LGVs

Two types of handbrake safety systems are being trialled on two LGV Motive Units. These are the:-

• ‘DAF factory system’ and the 
• ‘Vision Techniques Brake-Safe system’
  

These two systems automatically apply the handbrake/park brake if the driver leaves the vehicle without applying the brake. LGVs have an airbrake system and automatic application via these new safety systems is possible.

Light Commercial Van Fleet

On the Light Commercial Van Fleet, two types of handbrake safety systems are being trialled and introduced.

These are the:-

• ‘TVG Parking Brake Safety System’ and the
• ‘Automatic Electronic Handbrake System’

The ‘TVG Parking Brake Safety System’

This system was initially fitted to 4 Peugeot Partner vans and the trial has now been extended to a further 100 new VW Caddy Vans and 1 Parcelforce Mercedes Sprinter van. This system consists of an Electronic Control Module and Sensor fitted in the handbrake mechanism. The electronic module detects when the vehicle door is opened and immediately checks the status of the mechanical handbrake sensor which will output a reading, having measured the amount of force applied to the handbrake lever and cables. If the electronic sensor and module detects that the amount of force applied to the handbrake has not reached the threshold and is insufficient to hold the vehicle firm when parked, an immediate loud audible alert will sound warning the driver to fully apply the handbrake to a point where the force exceeds the minimum threshold and the warning alert will then cease. Compared with existing standard systems where the driver is subjected to a repetitive automated reminder, this system will only ever voice a warning/reminder if the handbrake is not fully applied. (See attached TVG Specification Document).

Electronic Handbrake

The latest new batch of 217 Mk3 Petrol Engine Peugeot Partners and 15 Diesel Engine versions coming into service will come for the first time with an Electronic Handbrake which is operated by a switch rather than a standard handbrake lever. It can be applied manually but it automatically applies when the engine is switched off, so preventing the driver from exiting the vehicle and leaving the handbrake off or not applied firmly enough, as in some roll-away incidents. If the driver opens the door without applying the handbrake and without switching off the engine, a Visual Warning Display comes up along with a loud warning noise to alert the driver of what he/she has done wrong. This new technology development which thankfully Royal Mail Fleet Engineers have specified and included on this batch of vehicles will further contribute to combating the currently high number of vehicle roll-aways.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB204 Royal Mail Vehicle Fleet – Handbrake Safety Feature New Technology Developments Update

TVG-Parking-Brake-Safety-System-1

In the first of a new series: How to be a CWU Rep

We interview former local representative at Bridgwater Delivery Office, Dave Chapple.

This series is aimed at giving our reps and members advice on how to organise, win and inspire locally.

Give Dave’s episode a listen, subscribe to Soundcloud and look out for more great interviews in the coming weeks.

#TheCWU

IDAHOBIT AWARENESS WEEKEND

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

On 17th May 2019 is IDAHOBIT day to recognise and celebrate gender and sexual diversities around the world. 

For many decades trade unions have been in the forefront of the battle for equality in the workplace and in society. Through campaigning, awareness raising and representing those who suffer discrimination, the CWU makes a real difference.

This weekend course aims to:

• Raise awareness of issues which affect LGBT workers and the LGBT community
• Develop strategies to support LGBT activists and members in the CWU
• Understand the way discrimination impacts on LGBT workers.
• Provide a networking opportunity for LGBT and equality activists

The weekend will be an activity based course based on small group work, discussion and presentations. The course is aimed at anyone who wishes to increase their understanding of LGBT issues and will be particularly suitable for Equality Reps, LGBT activists and any CWU activist who wishes to better understand how the union can support LGBT workers.

Release: This course does not currently attract paid release from the employers that we work with. 

Dates: The following IDAHOBIT Awareness course is currently scheduled to take place at the CWU Education and Training Centre at Alvescot Lodge. 

• Friday 17th – Sunday 19th May 2019 (Closing date for applications – Friday 19th April) 

To book your place: Your Branch will have to approve your application, so contact your Branch Secretary. 

Expenses: If your Branch nominates you for this course they will usually cover your travel and subsistence costs and release costs from work if applicable. This can vary, so always check with your Branch Secretary in advance. 

Completed application forms should be addressed to: Maxine Todd, CWU Education and Training Centre, Alvescot Lodge, Alvescot, Bampton, Oxon, OX18 2PY, or emailed to mtodd@cwu.org 

Any queries relating to this LTB should be directed to Fevzi Hussein fhussein@cwu.org in the first instance.

Yours sincerely,

Trish Lavelle

Assistant Secretary

19LTB202 – IDAHOBIT Awareness Weekend

Application Form

Post Bank report published by the Labour Party

As you may be aware, last year the union commissioned a report for the Labour frontbench on setting up a Post Bank, how this could be delivered and how it would fit in with other policies, under a Labour government.

As you may have seen in the media over the weekend this has now been published by the Labour Party. The full document is available at the following link and a summary of its proposals – which cover Post Bank, RBS and setting up a National Investment Bank – is attached to this LTB: http://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Building-a-new-public-banking-ecosystem.pdf

The report builds on the previous work the union commissioned on a Post Bank from CASS and endorses the key arguments we have made over a number of years for a Post Bank to tackle financial exclusion, support small businesses and secure the future of the Post Office and our members’ jobs.

While this is an independent report and reflects the authors’ own views, we have worked closely with both them and with John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn’s offices in shaping it, and it is a major piece of work to develop the manifesto commitment we secured from Labour in 2017 (after our motion to Labour Conference in 2016), that it would ‘set up a commission to establish a Post Bank, owned by the Post Office and providing a full range of banking services in every community.’

With the Labour Party publishing the document itself, we also believe it will raise the profile of the policy for a Post Bank and embed it in the thinking of politicians and the public, as a key element of what a radical Labour government could do. Alongside Labour’s commitment to re-nationalise Royal Mail and bring it back together with the Post Office in public ownership, a Post Bank is at the heart of a positive vision for the future of the postal industry under Labour.

At the reps briefing on the Post Office campaign in November last year we recognised that it would be extremely difficult to stop the closure and franchising of branches that had already been announced and committed to working to shift the debate onto this positive vision for the future. The publication of the report is a key part of that and we will be undertaking various activities in the coming months to promote it, including holding an event in Westminster.

We will be asking members who are active in the Labour Party to take a motion welcoming the report to their local Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) and the fact the Labour Party is publishing it underlines how far it has come under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and is a further example of how our political work can help deliver for our members. Labour will now be considering the proposals in the report and we will be engaging with the frontbench further on this.

Finally, we are sure that branches will recognise this is an impressive piece of work and that it demonstrates again what connecting our political and industrial agendas can achieve in mainstream politics. We believe this is exactly the type of approach that can be developed across both constituencies and the communications sector.

We will keep branches updated on further developments and any queries on the contents of this LTB should be addressed to gsoffice@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

19LTB201 Post Bank report published by the Labour Party

19LTB201 Attachment -Labour Post Bank report summary

Hi All,

We worked with Labour over the weekend to secure coverage for the Post Bank announcement. Here are some links. It would be great if you could share them via social media:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47766134

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-bank-plan-for-post-offices-7xjbtx3ps

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-labour-would-set-up-a-publicly-owned-bank-run-through-post-office-1-4899024

http://www.cityam.com/275511/labours-john-mcdonnell-reveals-plans-turn-post-offices-into

This is a critical issue for our Post Office members so the more support you can give the better.

#SaveOurPostOffice