Month: July 2019

RE: Engineering Technician Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on Parcel Sorting and Conveyor Machines Please find attached a

RE: Engineering Technician Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on Parcel Sorting and Conveyor Machines

Please find attached a Joint Statement signed by James Baker (Chief Engineer at Royal Mail) and Dave Joyce (National Health, Safety and Environment Officer) on use of PPE when working on PSM and conveyor machines. Although this is a health and safety matter the Joint Statement also deals with the issue of compliance, with potential use of the Conduct Code where this is persistent. In my view this is therefore an issue proper for consideration by the Postal Executive.

A number of safety issues specific to these machines have been identified by members and representatives and provision and use of appropriate protective equipment and clothing is appropriate.

The non-compliance section proposes a “tiered” approach based on discussion to reinforce the need to wear PPE before any potential conduct code action may be contemplated. It is also clear that any application of the Conduct Code should be as a last resort and with a view to achieving compliance rather than punitive in nature.

Any enquiries should be addressed to PTCS department, quoting reference PTC/RH/kh/120. Email address: khawkins@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis
Assistant Secretary

19LTB429 Engineering Technician Personal Protective Equipment

429.Att



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Royal Mail Fleet – Next Steps

Royal Mail Fleet – Next Steps

Following the rejection of the negotiators’ agreement between Royal Mail and CWU a series of meetings have taken place to determine next steps.

It has been agreed that the 2% pay increase will flow through to shift and senior technician allowances, backdated to 1st April 2019. It is expected that the increase, with back pay, will be implemented before the end of the month. 

The CWU has pressed for immediate implementation of the first one hour reduction in working time in recognition of the ongoing co-operation in change by Fleet Motor Transport Grades, with full backdating to 1st October 2018. 

Our understanding following the most recent meeting last week was that Royal Mail was prepared to implement the one hour reduction in working time but were unwilling to agree backdating. However subsequent correspondence from the business has indicated that it is not in fact prepared to implement the one hour reduction without further conditions. The Union is seeking an urgent meeting to clarify and resolve the issue and a further report will be issued following that meeting.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 201 email address: khawkins@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

 

Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary

19LTB427



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NEC, Industrial Executives and Regional Secretary Elections 2019 – Despatch of Ballot Papers

NEC, Industrial Executives and Regional Secretary Elections 2019 – Despatch of Ballot Papers

Further to LTB’s 405/19, dated 2nd July 2019 and 410/19, dated 3rdJuly 2019, Branches will be aware that the above LTB’s provided information (provided to the CWU by ERS) as to the status of the despatch of the ballot material for the NEC, Industrial and Regional Secretary 2019 elections.

In particular LTB 410/19 informed Branches that we had received notification from ERS that the ballot material would be despatched from 3rd July 2019. We subsequently passed on this information to Branches so they could arrange the distribution of their own localised ballot information.

In normal circumstances if the ballot material had in fact had been despatched on 3rd (as we were advised) then this would mean that the packs would start to “hit doormats” on either 5th or 6th July 2019. However on the afternoon of Saturday 6th July we started to receive emailed correspondence and telephone calls from a number of branches advising us that no ballot packs had been received to date. We had not been advised of any delays by ERS and our concerns were heightened due to the fact that the branches contacting us were geographically spread across the entire UK.

Clearly we were very concerned about the situation and therefore we immediately contacted ERS to seek answers in relation to the non-arrival of ballot material. A meeting was arranged with senior members of the ERS management and the CWU which took place late afternoon on Monday 8th July 2019. At the meeting ERS informed us that they had encountered a number of difficulties during the despatch process which resulted in a delay of the ballot material.

Due to the seriousness of the situation we asked ERS to provide us with a written explanation.

Attached to this LTB is a copy of the correspondence which we have received from ERS. This provides an explanation of what actually happened, what they are doing to rectify the situation and an update on where they are with the despatch of delayed ballot packs.

Once again we would emphasise that between the 3rd July and the meeting with ERS on the 8th we had not been made aware of any problems or delays. At the meeting ERS apologised for this oversight and as you will see from the attached, they have now put the apology in writing.

Please be assured that we have done everything within our power to ensure that the ballot papers were sent out in accordance with the timetable however the delayed despatch of ballot material is completely outside of our control.

We completely share the frustration and disappointment of our branches regarding the unacceptable delay of ballot packs and we have arranged further high level meetings with ERS to seek further information/more detailed answers to how this situation materialised.

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

Yours sincerely,

 

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 428.19 – NEC Industrial Executives and Regional Secretary Elections 2019 – Despatch of Ballot Papers

Attachment – CWU Postal distribution statement 9th July 2019

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KELLY MARY FAUVRELLE APPEAL FUND

KELLY MARY FAUVRELLE

Following the horrific murder of Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, a postwoman from Croydon, the CWU has launched an appeal fund to provide a lasting memorial for Kelly and to support the family with the funeral costs.

This is being done in conjunction with our Croydon and Sutton Branch and we will liaise with the family to ensure we respect their wishes.

Donations can be made on the following link:-

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kellymary

Any money left over will go to support campaigns, events and organisations that stand against knife crime.

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

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

19LTB425 Kelly Mary Fauvrelle



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GLYN MASON FORMER BRANCH SECRETARY KINGSTON AREA BRANCH 

GLYN MASON FORMER BRANCH SECRETARY KINGSTON AREA BRANCH 

It is with regret that I write to inform you that Glyn Mason, former Kingston Area Branch Secretary passed away recently.

Glyn was a Gold Badge holder and worked tirelessly on behalf of the CWU and its members from 1968 as a Branch Secretary and Area Representative until his retirement in 2004.  Glyn continued as the Kingston Area Branch Retired Members’ Secretary until 2017.

Our thoughts are of course with Glyn’s family and friends at this sad time and on behalf of the CWU, I convey our deepest sympathy and condolences.  He will be sorely missed by members, colleagues and friends within the union and the wider labour movement.

For those who wish to attend, the funeral will take place on Monday 22nd July  at Kingston Crematorium, Bonner Hill Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 3EZ, at 3 p.m.

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

 

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

424-19 Glyn Mason Former Branch Secretary Kingston Area Branch



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Royal Mail Group Holiday Pay 8/7/19

Royal Mail Group Holiday Pay

Further to LTB 416/19 regarding the issue of average pay on annual leave.

Branches will be aware that the Department has been exchanging correspondence with Royal Mail Group concerning the wording of Paragraph 2 of the COT3 legal documentation. Our concern centred on the fact that the initial wording may have resulted in members not receiving back pay in the event of a collective national agreement being concluded. Following various drafts and after consultation with the Union’s Legal Advisor, I am pleased to announce that the following words have now been agreed:

“For the avoidance of doubt the terms of this agreement do not preclude the claimant from receiving the benefit of any deal reached nationally between the Company and CWU on holiday pay with respect to any holiday taken after the date of the national agreement. In the event that the Company and CWU enter into a national agreement which includes payments to employees in respect of the period prior to the Company’s payroll systems being updated to allow for future holiday pay to include payments reflecting regular overtime, any payment to the claimant will be pro-rated or reduced to extent that it is necessary so that the claimant does not recover payment twice for the same holiday.”

I can confirm that the Department has notified ACAS and Unionline of the above. This should now ensure that those claims where the monetary offer has been agreed by individual members (subject to acceptable terms and conditions) can be progressed.

Once again I would like to thank all Branches for their ongoing efforts in relation to this whole matter and for assisting with the ever increasing number of cases.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

 

Ray Ellis
Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

19LTB421 Royal Mail Group Holiday Pay



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Letter Automation Strategy – CSS Machine Removal Programme

Letter Automation Strategy – CSS Machine Removal Programme

Both departments continue to receive reports from Branches and Divisions on proposals in the field for CSS machine removals from MPU’s. In some cases these proposals involve changes to mails presentation and sequencing levels to the point that sequenced mail on Wave 2 could be replaced by walksort or even batch sort solutions. In our opinion this flies in the face of previous business policy with regard to sequencing levels and indeed National agreements.

Within our respective forums we have informed the business that we do not believe that this activity could be described as Business as Usual and that matters relating to future automation strategy and the location and utilisation of machines across the Mail Centre and MPU estate are an integral part of the Strategic Review of the Operational Pipeline defined in Section 14 of the Guiding Principles agreement. It is the non-adherence to the commitments in Section 14 of our agreement which has in large part led to the current Point of Principle disagreement between the company and the Union.

Clearly letter decline will be a factor in any agreed strategy going forward. However much like the Parcel Strategy announced by Royal Mail at their Capital Markets day, the CWU expect to be fully involved in the development of future operational design rather than have the business thinking forced through as a “fait accompli”.

We have therefore written to the business requesting that all current activity in this area is ceased until such time as proposals on any National strategy have been presented to the CWU, cross functionally in line with the commitments in the Guiding Principles and that agreement has been reached on an onward process.

We would therefore request that where proposals are received for CSS machine removals that they are brought to the attention of the respective departments and that they are entered into the IR Framework on the basis that the strategy is proper to National consultation and agreement in line with National agreement.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.orgquoting reference number: 712.02.

or

Outdoor Department, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference number: 540.

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary                              

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary         

19LTB420

 



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Durham Miners Gala – 13 July 2019

Durham Miners Gala – 13th July 2019

The 135th Durham Miners Gala will be held on Saturday 13th July 2019.

This is a stand-out annual event in the Labour movement’s calendar, where trade unionists from across the country will gather in Durham, giving a voice to the oppressed throughout the world and celebrating trade union and community values.

Beginning with a banner parade through the city, attendees march to the old racecourse, where political speeches are then delivered from the stage. This year I will speaking at the event, and will be highlighting the importance of our New Deal for Workers Campaign. As part of this, I will be making a call to action for all trade unions to work together to change the balance of forces in the world of work.

We are calling for as big a CWU turnout from Branches as possible on the day, in Durham.

This year, the CWU will also be hosting social media platforms for the event.

CWU Branches can also show their support by joining the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala and becoming what’s known as a “Marra”: The link for this is as follows:-

https://www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org/join_us.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed togsoffice@cwu.org

 

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 417.19 – Durham Miners’ Gala

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HSE Publish Annual Workplace Fatality Statistics 2018/19

HSE Publish Annual Workplace Fatality Statistics 2018/19: 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual figures for work-related fatal injuries for 2018/19 as well as the number of people known to have died from the asbestos-related ‎cancer, Mesothelioma, in 2017.

The provisional annual data for work-related fatal injuries revealed that 147 workers were fatally injured between April 2018 and March 2019 (a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 workers).

Although the 2018/19 figures saw an increase of 6 workplace fatalities from 2017/18, the number has remained broadly level in recent years:-

Workers deaths recorded by the HSE over the last 10 years show:-

The release of workplace fatality statistics by the HSE is a reminder that employers cannot become complacent and the HSE needs more resources and a more pro-active drive in preventing injury, ill health and death at work.

These fatalities need to be considered alongside the number of accidents at work each year:-

Key figures for Great Britain (2017/18)

  • 1.4 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
  • 2,523 Mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2017)
  • 147 workers killed at work (2018/19)
  • 555,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
  • 71,062 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
  • 30.7 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • £15 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2016/17)

The new figures show how fatal injuries are spread across the different industrial sectors:

  • Agriculture, forestry and fishing, and construction sectors continue to account for the largest share of fatal injuries to workers (32 and 30 deaths respectively in 2018/19).

The figures also indicate those sectors where the risk of fatal injury is greatest:

  • Agriculture, forestry and fishing and waste and recycling are the worst affected sectors, with a rate of fatal injury some 18 times and 17 times as high as the average across all industries respectively (annual average rates for 2014/15-2018/19).

The statistics are also a reminder that, in certain sectors of the economy, workplace deaths remain worryingly high. This is unacceptable and more must be done to prevent such fatalities taking place.

Government and HSE claims that the UK has the best safety record in the world is little comfort to the family, friends and colleagues of the 147 whose lives were cut short this year while doing their job and those suffering life changing injuries or industrial diseases!

The three most common causes of fatal injuries continue to be; workers falling from height (40), being struck by a moving vehicle (30) and being struck by a moving object (16), accounting for nearly 60 per cent of fatal injuries in 2018/19.

The new figures continue to highlight the risks to older workers; 25 per cent of fatal injuries in 2018/19 were to workers aged 60 or over, even though such workers made up only around 10 per cent of the workforce.

In addition, there were also 92 members of the public fatally injured in incidents connected to work in 2018/2019, approximately a third of which took place on railways.

Mesothelioma, which is contracted through past exposure to asbestos and is one of the few work-related diseases where deaths can be counted directly, killed 2,523 in Great Britain in 2017- a broadly similar number to the previous five years. The current figures are largely a consequence of occupational asbestos exposures that occurred before 1980. Annual deaths are expected to remain broadly at current levels for the rest of the decade before beginning to reduce in number.

A fuller assessment of work-related ill-health and injuries, drawing on the HSE’s full range of data sources, will be provided as part of the annual Health and Safety Statistics release on 30 October 2019 and a further LTB will be published in due course.

Further information on the annual statistical releases can be found here:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB418 HSE Publish Annual Workplace Fatality Statistics 2018-19 Mesothelioma in Great Britain

Mesothelioma in Great Britain

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Election of National Representative Positions – 2019  CWU Retired Members Committee

Election of National Representative Positions – 2019 

  • CWU Retired Members Committee

Further to LTB 377/19 dated 17th June 2019, please see below results of the ballots that closed today.

 

 

Please find attached a branch analysis of the ballot results.

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 

19LTB419

Ballot Returns

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