National Briefing – Thursday 27^th February 2020

Branches are further advised that a National Briefing will be held on Thursday 27^th February 2020 to provide colleagues with an update on latest developments in the Royal Mail Group dispute and set out the Union’s strategy/activity going forward.

The Briefing will be held at Trade Union Congress House (TUC), 28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS commencing at 11:00 and concluding no later than 15:00.

The following Representatives are invited to attend the Briefing:

• Postal Branch Secretaries (or their substitute)
• Divisional Representatives (Including Technical Services)
• Regional Secretaries
• Parcelforce Regional Organisers
• Royal Mail Property and Facility Solutions Cleaning Regional Representatives
• Royal Mail Property and Facility Solutions Engineering Regional Representatives
• Royal Mail Property and Facility Solutions Engineering National Representatives
• Area Delivery Representatives
• Area Processing Representatives
• Area Distribution Representatives
• Area Safety Representatives
• Area Admin Representatives
• Customer Experience Representatives

Branches should note that in line with our proportionality requirements and previous attendance arrangements at National Briefings, it is requested that in addition to the above each Branch send two Unit Reps to the Briefing, one of which must be a woman.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department quoting reference 24000.

Yours sincerely,                                                                                  Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger                                                                                    Dave Ward

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                                     General Secretary

LTB 072-20 – National Briefing – Thursday 27th February 2020

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Posters for you to print and display in the office / use for gate meetings. Please make sure every office gets these

Timetable https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ballot-timetable-vote-yes-poster.pdf

Gate Meeting Template https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Gate-meeting-template-poster.pdf

I’m voting yes 1 https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Im-voting-yes.pdf

I’m voting yes 2 https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Im-voting-yes-white.pdf

IAmTheUnion 🙋‍♀🙋‍♂

Coronavirus Outbreak – General Update, Royal Mail Latest Advice, FAQs and CWU Royal Mail Members Returning From China

This update to Branches and Regions follows LTBs 033/20, 043/20, 054/20 and 063/20.

Background

You will obviously be aware of the above which has dominated world news since 31 December 2019, when the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) China office heard the first reports of a previously-unknown virus behind a number of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in Eastern China with a population of over 11 million.

Following this, World News reports have covered the progress and spread of the Virus daily, including the growing numbers infected and growing death toll.  The latest numbers are 40,000 infected and 900 deaths in mainland China.  310 cases have been reported across 24 other countries and two deaths outside China, involving 2 people who had visited the Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei Province of China.

Coronavirus Symptoms and Prognosis

The symptoms of coronavirus are often mild – including runny noses, headaches, coughs and fevers.  In some cases they lead to more serious respiratory tract illness including pneumonia and bronchitis.  These can be particularly dangerous in older patients, or people who have existing health conditions, and this appears to be the case with this current novel coronavirus.  On February 5, Chinese health officials reported that two-thirds of the people who have died from coronavirus were men, more than 80 per cent were over 60 years old and they typically had pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Travellers Visiting China

UK Nationals and travellers visiting Wuhan City, the Hubei Province of China and other specified areas and in China have been advised by the UK government to leave China and return home.  The UK Government

offered repatriation flights and quarantine facilities on return to the UK for those in Wuhan City.  Others returning home to the UK have been screened on route with temperature checks and told to ‘self-quarantine’ once home and to stay indoors, avoiding contact with other people. They are to call NHS 111 to tell them of their recent travel and to follow this advice even if there are no symptoms of the virus. What this means in practice is a period of ‘self-quarantine’, staying at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan or Hubei Province and other specified areas. Individuals have been advised that they should not go to work, school or public areas. They should also try to avoid having visitors to the home, but it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food.

Further Travel Advice from the CMO and Royal Mail Group

The UK Chief Medical Officers are now advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild. These areas have been identified because of the volume of air travel from affected areas, understanding of other travel routes and number of reported cases. This list will be kept under review. Advice for travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province remains unchanged.

Royal Mail Group have advised all Managers that if any staff member has returned from the affected areas listed above they should speak to their line manager before returning to work. Based on the latest information from Public Health England, Royal Mail Group Safety, Health & Environment Business Partners will advise managers accordingly.

Royal Mail Group have added that – In the interests of employee health they strongly recommend that employees do not travel to China and also review the latest travel advice from Public Health England before any travel likely to take them to designated areas of coronavirus high risk.

Royal Mail Group add that they will continue to take the wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously, monitoring the situation closely, monitoring information published by the Chinese authorities, World Health Organisation, Public Health England, Health Protection Agency and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – and will act on PHE advice which is updated daily and in the meantime will continue to keep their guidance, policies and procedures up to date, sharing regular updates and information.

CWU Royal Mail Group Members Returning From China

A number of ASRs raised with the Health, Safety & Environment Department the fact that we had a number of members visiting China in the Province identified as the source of the virus and that there were obvious concerns firstly regarding the risk of those individuals returning and infecting others at work if symptoms and quarantine advice was ignored and secondly the impact on the individuals if they followed the self-quarantine advice.  Discussions with the Royal Mail Head of Health took place and a small number of individuals were identified as currently visiting China and about to return to the UK.  Contact was made with all individuals and Royal Mail has agreed to adopt a supportive policy for these members at this time of a health emergency, offering support and advice in respect of the 14-day ‘self-quarantine’ period, as advised by the government (through the Health Protection Agency, Public Health England and NHS, etc.), on return to the UK before returning to work and finally to ensure that the individuals suffer no loss or personal detriment.

The Two Most Frequently Asked Questions:

“Can you catch Coronavirus from Parcels and Packages Posted from China to the UK?”

‎Since the Coronavirus Outbreak in China, this has been the most frequently asked question from CWU Members, Reps and Customers.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said:‎ It is safe to handle parcels from China.  People receiving packages are not at risk of contracting the Coronavirus.  From experience with other coronaviruses, the WHO knows that these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or packages.‎  Additionally at present the information from Public Health England (PHE), with whom Royal Mail Group are working closely with, is that ‘the risk of Coronavirus transmitting to people from the surfaces of things such as parcels and packages is low.

Royal Mail Group continue to reiterate the message from the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, PHE and NHS that good work practices, including good hand hygiene‎, washing regularly with soap and water and the use of gloves, where required is the best defence against the risk of virus infections.

Disposable gloves are available to Royal Mail employee on request through their line manager and the gloves are a recommended additional health precaution. Antiseptic Wipes are also available on request.

“How long does Coronavirus survive on surfaces?”

Information from Public Health England is that the risk of people being infected with Coronavirus from a surface is low and the virus may survive a few hours.  Simple disinfectants can kill the virus making it no longer possible to infect people. As with all mail handling and all other roles, good hand and personal hygiene should be maintained to minimise the risk of any infection, such as colds and flu, which are very common at this time of year. Hands should always be washed before eating and any gloves worn for mail handling should be washed frequently.  Managers have been asked as part of good hygiene and ‘housekeeping’ to remind employees of the availability of antiseptic wipes for handheld shared items such as PDAs, finger scanners, multi-use keyboards, etc. ensuring the Office has an adequate supply of wipes.

Royal Mail Group continue to reiterate the message from the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, PHE and NHS that good work practices, including good hand hygiene‎, washing regularly with soap and water and the use of gloves, where required is the best defence against the risk of virus infections. Disposable gloves are available to Royal Mail employee on request through their line manager and are the gloves are a recommended additional health precaution.  Antiseptic Wipes are also available on request.

Remember – Maintain Good Basic Hand Hygiene

• The WHO, PHE, NHS and doctors advise everyone to maintain good basic hand and personal hygiene standards, washing hands regularly to minimise the risk of any infection as this virus outbreak develops. Use sanitizer gel or wipes and gloves when working as an added barrier precaution.
• Disposable gloves are available to Royal Mail employees on request through their line manager and the gloves are a recommended additional health precaution.
• Antiseptic Sanitising Wipes are available to Royal Mail employees for wiping handheld shared items such as PDAs, finger scanners and multi-use keyboards, etc. also as a recommended additional health precaution. Managers have been asked to ensure Offices have an adequate supply of wipes.

Conclusion

While the number of cases in China is still going up, other countries have not seen the same level of transmission.  Cases in the UK have risen to 8.  So far, 27 nations have caught the virus before it became a larger outbreak and have so far limited the numbers and prevented it getting a foothold in the general community to date but global health security is only as strong as the world’s weakest link.  At this stage we don’t know if it will spread worldwide or disappear.  In the mean time we all need to maintain basic hygiene rules and follow Health Agencies advice.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Health, Safety & Environment Department on telephone number 020 8971 7365.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

20LTB071

20LTB071 Attachment

Election of:

• Royal Mail Divisional Representatives – 2020
• Royal Mail Divisional Representatives (Substitute) – 2020
• Royal Mail Divisional Chair – 2020

Further to LTB 040/20 dated 24^th January 2020 at the close of nominations at 14:00 on 10^th February 2020, the following were received:

ROYAL MAIL DIVISIONAL REPRESENTATIVES  

ANGLIA Steve ButtsEastern No 4*ElectedBarry JenningsNorthern Home Counties Postal*Elected

LONDONMark PalfreySouth East London Postal & Counter*ElectedJohn SimkinsLondon Phoenix*Elected

MIDLANDSimon EdmundsNottingham & District Amal*ElectedPaul KennedyBirmingham District Amal*Elected

NORTH EASTGary HodkinsonSouth Yorks & District Amal*ElectedBob McGuireNewcastle Amal*Elected

NORTH WALES/NORTH WESTMark BoltonNorth Lancs & Cumbria*ElectedIan TaylorGreater Manchester*Elected

SCOTLAND/NORTHERN IRELANDKenny LoganScotland No 2*ElectedTam DewarGlasgow District Amal*Elected

SOUTH CENTRAL Dermot FullerSouth West No 7(Ballot Required)Paul GarrawaySouth Central PostalRob HayhurstWessex South Central

SOUTH EAST David BennettSouth East No 5(Ballot Required)Darren ShadeKent InvictaStephen  WiselySouth East Thames AmalPhilip WrightKent Invicta

SOUTH WEST/SOUTH WALES Les EvansSouth West Wales Amal*ElectedAndy NashBristol & District Amal*Elected

ROYAL MAIL DIVISIONAL REPRESENTATIVES (SUBSTITUTES)

ANGLIA Kevin MartinEssex Amal*Elected

LONDONMark DolanNorth/North West London*Elected

MIDLAND Steve BlowerNottingham District Amal*Elected

NORTH EAST Steve WarrenSouth Yorkshire & District*Elected

NORTH WALES/NORTH WEST Paul DugdaleNorth West Central Amal*Elected

SCOTLAND/NORTHERN IRELANDFra MartinNorthern Ireland Combined(Ballot Required)Robert StorrieScotland No 5

SOUTH CENTRAL Darren ButcherSouth East No 5(Ballot Required)Rob HayhurstWessex South Central

SOUTH EAST Alaisdair MacLeodCroydon & Sutton Amal*Elected

SOUTH WEST/SOUTH WALES Stephen CoombesWestern Counties*Elected

ROYAL MAIL DIVISIONAL CHAIR

ANGLIA Trevor WilliamsonEastern No 3*Elected

LONDONBarry NelsonSouth East London Postal & Counters*Elected

MIDLAND  Linford GibbonsNottingham District Amal*Elected

NORTH EASTGraham CloughSouth Yorkshire & District Amal*Elected

NORTH WALES/NORTH WESTLenny CrookNorth Lancs & Cumbria*Elected

SCOTLAND/NORTHERN IRELANDJim McKechnieGlasgow &  District Amal*Elected

SOUTH CENTRAL Stewart HardieWessex South Central*Elected

SOUTH EAST Liz PhillipsKent Invicta(Ballot Required)Angela WhitterCroydon & Sutton Amal* Note: Branch Ballot (Not Individual Member Ballot)

SOUTH WEST/SOUTH WALES Paul WottonWestern Counties*Elected

The timetable for the above elections are as follows:

Ballot Papers dispatched:                             17 February 2020

Ballot Close:                                                     2 March 2020 (first post)

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

20LTB070

Live from a dispute strategy meeting

DO NOT REPLY 🛑

AHDC/RS Meeting at CWU HQ 10/02/2020
Dear Colleagues

Resource Scheduler and Auto Hours Data Capture
During the months of Jan and Feb 2020 the CWU offered Royal Mail a period of calm in order to hold talks to try and move forward all of the issues involved in the National dispute. In turn, RM informed the CWU that it will be pressing on without agreement with its future plans, including the roll out of two systems called RS and AHDC.
What is RS?
RS is an automated system that can in theory align individuals against workload. This means it has the potential to change the work you currently perform during your normal working day and your daily and weekly attendance patterns. RM has also expressed the view that RS could also be used to schedule annual leave. RM are clearly seeking to develop RS in order to curtail the ability of CWU Rep’s to negotiate your local workplace duty arrangements and attendance patterns.
What is AHDC?
AHDC is an automated signing in and out system that will allow RM the ability to micro-manage you and scrutinise your every move. RM want to link AHDC to pay and use it to govern the level of overtime you are paid. AHDC has already been used by the business at the temporary Christmas Sort Centre at Greenford (Tetris) last/this year to determine the pay of agency workers without any discussion with the CWU.
Background
The CWU agreed to a limited trial of AHDC in four workplaces from May to August 2018, with agreed protections and safeguards on its use. The trial ended without jointly agreed recommendations on further deployment and raised a number of serious questions for the CWU in regard to the system’s accuracy and ability to fully record all hours worked and/or attended by individuals.
The CWU also agreed to a limited trial of RS in five work places from July 2018 for a period of two months, again with agreed protections. Following a further extension of the trial, RM requested for all trial activity to be postponed in March 2019 as the system was not working as planned.
In both cases the agreed Terms of Reference confirmed that there would be no further roll out or deployment without consultation and agreement at National Level. No such agreement has been reached in either case. Despite this, RM has now decided to press on and deploy both RS and AHDC without agreement and by executive action in a number of workplaces including: PRDC (London), NWRDC (Warrington), Greenford Mail Centre, Warrington Mail Centre, Slough DO, Windsor DO, Maidenhead DO, HCN (Hemel Hempstead DO), Northwood DO, Altrincham DO, Sandbach DO, Tarporley DO, Northwich DO and St Helens DO.
As has been demonstrated over many years the CWU is not opposed to new technology to enhance and improve operational capabilities. However, this new technology has very different focus that is aimed at you and your performance as an individual, in order to drive further efficiency. We have therefore made our position very clear to RM:
That a National agreement needs to be reached on the application and the use of new technology (such as RS and AHDC) and an undertaking that RM will not use new technology/data as a vehicle to introduce working arrangements adverse to the interests of our members and as measurements to be used against our members by applying constant pressure through continuous improvement techniques, in effect dehumanising the workplace.
RM’s decision to press on with both RS and AHDC is not an extension of former trials held last year. It is a stated intention by the business to impose these systems across the whole of RM, starting with the above mentioned workplaces.
For absolute clarity:

RS and AHDC are not proven or agreed systems, even RM have acknowledged this.

RS and AHDC are designed to re-write our current duty and resourcing arrangements, removing or restricting the ability for the CWU to negotiate at local level

RS and AHDC will be linked to pay, has the potential to be used to stop pay and be used to bank hours if you happen to finish in advance of your time and override locally agreed overtime arrangements.

RS and AHDC have the real potential to dehumanise the workplace, turning you into a number with a computer determining your daily and weekly attendance patterns, working day and ultimately your pay.

The above is why the CWU Nationally has not agreed to either initiative and will continue to support your local reps in defending you from their roll out at your workplace.

For the Attention of All London CWU members

Urgent Update Feb 2020 on CWU’s decision to ballot the membership for strike action

Dear Colleague

Royal Mail over the last three weeks have made a calculated decision to move ahead with their Business strategy without agreement.

Approximately 30 offices across the Country have been given notice that revisions including MPU closures and Post Box Strategy Revisions will be introduced within the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Royal Mail’s decision to introduce these unagreed plans, means there are a significant number of OPGs who don’t know if they have a job and if they do in which location within 4 to 6 weeks.

In London, Camden NW1 MPU has been given notice it will be closing in 4 weeks and the work transferred to Greenford Mail Centre. The staff at Camden MPU do not know where they will be working in 4 weeks’ time and if they have a job, what they will be performing?

This is totally unacceptable. Royal Mail should be ashamed with themselves.

In fact, Royal Mail has adopted a new charm offensive spinning and trying to justify their decision to introduce unagreed change on revisions.

However, the cold and stark reality is that their decision to push ahead with unagreed change leaves post workers in those sites with an uncertain future.

We understand that Royal Mail will be announcing more executive action over the next few weeks. Royal Mail are currently targeting MPU closures, Post Box Strategy, VRs linked to a Mail Centre realignment, moving delivery starts back and removal of improved attendances in delivery.

At the same time running parallel to this Royal Mail are also introducing their new parcel strategy by imposition and not negotiation.

This includes introducing in Swindon and Crewe the removal of larger parcels (above shoe box size) from the core delivery and moving it later.

Their end game plan is that approximately one in every six deliveries will become a later driver who will deliver the larger parcels for not only the office they work but the catchment areas which the Later Acceptance Office currently delivers for.

The driver will move later in the day and deliver all the larger parcels for a number of offices. The remaining 5 walks will be asked to absorb the drivers’ delivery. Additionally, Royal Mail plan to reduce replenishment van duties.

The Delivery Offices in the wider catchment area will lose this workload completely, meaning that there will be a requirement for reductions in duties, attendances and hours.

Royal Mail’s end game is to have 3 super parcel hubs across the UK which will automate the larger parcels to around 200 to 300 offices.

This is completely game changing and will have an impact on every office, every function and will lead to significant job reductions and new ways of working.

Royal Mail are trying to impose this far reaching plan on the workforce. This is simply unacceptable.

Additionally, Royal Mail has decided to introduce Automated Hours Data Capture (AHDC) into a number of offices including PRDC by imposition.

Royal Mail say on their Communications that it simply designed to replace having to sign in and out with a pen and paper.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Royal Mail want to introduce automated signing in and out and link it to the hours you actually get paid and your attendance times.

In fact, in Greenford Mail Centre a manager attempted to use the data from the automated hours data capture to change part timers starts time by 30 minutes and removal of scheduled attendance.

Royal Mail are trying to con its workforce by deliberately not telling employees that the only way that the cost of introducing the equipment for automated signing in and out is by linking it to what is paid in overtime, SA and eventually to use it to resource introduce revisions and annualised hours.

Royal Mail are also imposing Resource Scheduler (RS) which is designed to produce a different duty schedule for offices on a weekly or seasonal basis.

The imposition of AHDC and RS is part of Royal Mail’s wider strategy called Enterprise which is designed to link PDAs, AHDC and Traffic Transformation together to produce a new duty list for a delivery office per week or for a period and reduce overtime, rest day working, part timers hours above contracts, change start times and remove improved attendances.

This policy is ultimately designed to reduce the unions ability to consult and negotiate on duties and resourcing as the computer and systems are designed to introduce the change.

It is against this backdrop that the CWU has been left with no other alternative than to ballot the membership for strike action.

The ballot timetable is that ballot papers will be dispatched on 3rd March and the result will be announced on 17th March.

All industrial action ballot results are important but rarely have we seen Royal Mail management deciding to virtually de-recognise the CWU and impose what they want without any safeguards for members as we see now happening.

The CWU had been perfectly reasonable and said that we would talk with Royal Mail about the issues they want providing they halted the executive action.

To date all Royal Mail have done is threaten to introduce more executive action.

It is therefore essential that members vote once again to support your union who is fighting to stop Royal Mail’s imposing change on the workforce which will have far reaching effects on jobs and terms and conditions.

Over the next few weeks all Reps will hold membership meetings to inform you of the reasons to vote yes in the Industrial Action Ballot.

However, perhaps the biggest reason to vote yes is to inform Royal Mail that imposition is never the answer to introducing change on the workforce. This union can never allow Royal Mail to impose change on the membership.

By voting yes, the membership will once again demonstrate that they stand by their union and demand negotiation on their future terms and conditions and not dictation.

Please vote yes and make your voice heard to Royal Mail that we will never be defeated.

A statement by the London Divisional Committee