BT Quarter 1 Results

Please find below a statement which has been issued today to the press and placed on social media relating to BT’s results announced today. 

BT remains in a strong position financially as it publishes its Q1 2020/21 results today.   Unsurprisingly Covid 19 has impacted on the business with a fall in revenue and profits.  That said BT remain a hugely profitable company with reported pre-tax profits of £561m.  Phillip Jansen, CEO has stated he expects to return the business to sustainable adjusted EBITDA growth as the business recover from the impact of Covid 19.  

Andy Kerr, Deputy General Secretary for Telecoms and Financial Services – CWU stated:

“This crisis has shown that the BT workforce have been crucial in keeping the UK connected.  BT are a hugely profitable company who receive enormous amounts of government funding to deliver broadband.  It’s our members who have continued to work throughout the pandemic to deliver on this.    Most businesses have taken a hit from the Covid 19 pandemic and its clear BT will bounce back. The news of an impact on their financial revenue and profits will come with anxiety for the workforce however, as BT are embarking on a major restructuring programme involving mass redundancies of its workforce.   Any loss in revenue and profit should not impact on future job security and terms and conditions for dedicated frontline workers.  The CWU believe BT should halt any redundancies and stop the race to the bottom on pay terms and conditions for telecoms workers”.   

BT’s press statement can be found at the following link: https://newsroom.bt.com/trading-update-results-for-the-three-months-to-30-june-2020

Yours sincerely,

Andy Kerr

Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)                                            

LTB 408/2020

National Terms of Reference for the Deployment of a Hydrogen Powered Van Trial

Branches will be aware of the trial of a CNG Iveco Van and the trial of gas powered motive unit at the Chorley Vehicle Operating Centre, both of which are trialling alternative fuels as oppose to the various number of Electric Vehicles (EVs) on trial in deliveries.

Branches will wish to note that Aberdeen City Council has approached Royal Mail to trial a hydrogen powered commercial vehicle to use in the Altens Delivery Office, Aberdeen, free of charge. Hydrogen is high quality energy and is used to power fuel cell vehicles. Fossil fuels which mainly include petroleum and coal provide for the major extent of energy needs around the globe today. Hydrogen however readily combines with other molecules. The most common way to liberate hydrogen is to use heat and catalysts to reform hydrocarbons. Hydrogen fuelled vehicles emit no greenhouse gases or other pollutants, as during combustion, hydrogen only produces water vapour thus reducing the release of harmful gasses such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, as described in the above mentioned PE documents.

The vehicle to be deployed is a Euro 6 Ford Transit L3 H3 converted to run on hydrogen, which uses blends of hydrogen and diesel for performance and emissions reduction. The range of the hydrogen converted vehicle whilst running on hydrogen is dependent on the specific duty cycle but estimated to be 120 miles.

The Project is a result of the Council’s role within the EU funded ‘Civitas PORTIS’ project which looks at sets of sustainable mobility measures in port cities to improve the attractiveness of the urban environment. The Council is committed to Aberdeen becoming a more sustainable, low carbon city. The Council want to encourage the uptake of low emission vehicles, particularly hydrogen vehicles, within the private sector as this is part of their solution to improving the city’s air quality, cutting carbon emissions which will have the associated health benefits. The Council also want to continue to lead on hydrogen technology. With Royal Mail participating in the project, the intention will be to promote the involvement and willingness by the private sector to trial hydrogen vehicles.

Cross departmental discussions have therefore taken place in relation to an agreement to enable the activity to take place. The CWU will be fully involved in all aspects of the trial locally, to help promote the benefits and purpose of the trial. The trial will be jointly overseen and monitored by RM Fleet Innovation and Environment Manager, who will provide periodic reports to the CWU both locally and nationally.

The trial activity will be the subject of a joint review six months after the commencement of the trial and periodically thereafter, as agreed by the Royal Mail Fleet Operational Specification Group (RMFOS). Local Managers and CWU representatives and drivers involved in the trial will also feed into this process.

The attached visuals indicate the vehicle to be deployed in the trial which will be wrapped in red and will also be branded with the cruciform as well as a reference to hydrogen. Branding has yet to sign off the final livery

and the safety documents will be assessed against this. The vehicle has also been checked for suitability of collection and delivery in Altens.

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

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch

CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 407-20 TOR – On Deployment Of A Hydrogen Powered Van Trial – 31.07.20
TOR Deployment of a hydrogen powered van trial – 31.07.20
Hydrogen Powered Van Trial – Altens Photo 1
Hydrogen van powered van trial – Altens Photo 2

Mail Centre Processing – Alphanumeric Barcoding

Branches and representatives are informed that the department have been receiving enquiries over recent days in relation to documentation that is the field regarding changes to sorting methods for Tracked items, which utilises Alphanumeric coding on barcodes.

We can advise that a meeting has taken place with the business in relation to the issue and the department have been informed that the business are introducing a simplified Alphanumeric sorting method into Mail Centres for both the Inward and Outward Tracked areas, from the 10th August 2020.

The change in method involves the use of Alphanumeric coding on barcodes for Tracked items. This method has been used successfully in the RDC’s for some time and is now being introduced into Mail Centres to provide uniformity.

The business have advised that it is now possible to introduce the method into Mail Centres, as a threshold level of c80% has now been achieved in relation to the inclusion of Alphanumeric coding on barcodes for Tracked items.

The business have confirmed that the move to Alphanumeric coding is a change in designation rather than an actual change to sort selections. Therefore, the number of sort selections remains the same and the use of the Alphanumeric process provides one cohesive plan for Tracked items.

It is not anticipated that the change in method will have any impact on headcount or presentation to Delivery Offices.

Attached for information is documentation that the business has shared with the department in relation to the change.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 709.02

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant SecretaryLTB 406/20
Annex A – Tracked Alphanumeric Sorting Ops Brief v1.0
Annex B – Alphanumerical Tracked Label Example
Annex C – Copy of Alphanumeric Outward Secondary Road Breakdown August 2020_v1.0
Annex D – Manual Pcls_Bullring Setups_COVID19_Ver 0.2
Annex E – Copy of Alaphanumeric_Deployment_Mail_Centre_Activites_Timeline_v1.0
Annex F – Alphanumerical Sorting Aid Examples
Annex G – Copy of Tracked Coding MASTER_Jan 2020_Ver 002

Redundancy Training

Following a number of requests from Branches to provide training since the announcement from BT Group on compulsory redundancies, we have arranged for an accredited redundancy course to be delivered through Ruskin College. 

The initial pilot course is scheduled to run over three days (25th, 26th & 27th August 2020) and will be delivered “virtually” from 09.30 – 16.30 using Ruskin’s “Google Classroom” platform. Regular screen breaks are assured throughout the course. 

Priority will be given to applicants from Branches with members in BT and the class size is capped at 25. 

Applications will be accepted from Branch Secretaries only by emailing the following details to learn@cwu.org before the deadline of midday on 18th August 2020: 

• Name of applicant
• Membership number
• Email address

The course will cover the following topics:

• Course Aims and Objectives, Course Introduction
• Accreditation and introduction to Google Classroom
• What is Redundancy?
• Redundancy Process
• Collective Consultation
• Has the work disappeared or diminished – Activity
• Suitable Alternative Employment
• Selection Process
• Redundancy and Unfair Dismissal
• Notice and Redundancy Pay

The course does not attract formal paid release, however local arrangements may apply. The course will be reviewed after initial delivery and further dates will be scheduled if feedback is positive.

Any queries on this LTB should be directed to equality&education@cwu.org 

Yours sincerely, 

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 405/20 – Redundancy Training

ROYAL MAIL: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, GRADUAL RETURN TO THE WORKPLACE

Further to LTB 250/20 dated 12th May. Branches will be aware many of our Customer Experience members have been working from home during the pandemic with all sites operating at a greatly reduced capacity to ensure social distancing measures are adhered to. We have been in discussions with management throughout this difficult period with the safety and well-being of our members being our clear priority.

Given the recent Government announcements including an encouragement to return to the workplace, our discussions have included the steps needed to be taken to plan the gradual return to the CE Units. Steve Keeley, Newcastle Amal (our Doxford Health & Safety Representative), has been leading on these talks and I am grateful to Steve for his efforts in engagement with management to ensure the appropriate procedures and measures are being taken. The following Joint Statement has been agreed:

Welcoming you into the office… step by step
It’s hard to believe less than three months ago, many of you were leaving your places of work to continue providing an essential service to our customers, from your own homes. It’s been an unsettling time for all of us, and we’re proud of how everyone has continued to support our customers – often in challenging circumstances.

Whether you’ve been working from home, remained working in your site, or returned to it more recently, we appreciate that recent government announcements, encouraging an earlier return to offices, will have caused uncertainty and anxiety for many of you. Consequently we want to share with you our plans on how we aim to move forward over the coming months.

Customer Experience has an important role as our business and our customers face difficult challenges in these uncertain economic times. We’re keen to ensure we all move forward with a continued focus on supporting our customers as effectively as possible, and your wellbeing is vital to us. Over the coming weeks we’ll be welcoming everyone back into their office environment, safely and on a gradual, considered basis.

COVID Secure: It’s different
We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make sure all sites are clean,
safe and fully certified as COVID Secure in readiness for you to return. To ensure
everyone’s safety, changes have been made to both the physical environment
and how we plan for you to work within it. The changes you can expect to see
at your site are:

1. Your site will have been Covid-19 safety checked with a COVID Secure
certificate on display.
2. To ensure social distancing, each site has a reduced capacity limit, so
bringing staff back will be planned on a gradual basis.
3. The ongoing cleaning schedules will be more regular, thorough and
extensive.
4. There will be new signage, one way systems and Perspex screens located
around the building.

A clean and clear desk policy will be in operation – to support this you will find
any personal items left on desks prior to leaving will have been removed, placed
in bags and labelled for you.

Working with you to achieve a gradual transition
Locally, managers and union reps will continue to work together and involve
teams at each stage to enable us to move forward at a sensible pace.
What you can expect over the coming weeks:
• You’ll start to hear more from your site teams about local arrangements, as
well as site welcome communications to give you an insight into how the
working environment looks and feels.
• From mid-August, we will start to bring in teams, depending on site capacity
this may be on a rotational basis. This will enable you to prepare together,
with your team leader and colleagues, and support each other. Your line
manager will talk to you more about this in due course.
• To support this rotational approach, we’ll aim to re-allocate all available non
specialist equipment so that, wherever possible, you’ll be able to leave
equipment at home when returning to sites temporarily.
• If you wish to return to work in your office earlier than mid August, you’ll
be very welcome. Please let your line manager know and they will help
make arrangements.

If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your line manager or your
Union Representative in the first instance. You’ll be receiving further
communications from your local site teams as we move forward safely, together.

Lastly, we wish to thank you for all your hard work and efforts.

We will continually monitor the effectiveness of the above arrangements. In the
meantime, all CE Reps are encouraged to engage with their local Unit managers
regarding the specific practicalities for the members in their site.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 404/20 – Royal Mail – Customer Experience, Gradual Return to the Workplace

JOHN DUFFUS – CAPITAL BRANCH VICE CHAIR AND HEALTH AND SAFETY LEAD

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that John Duffus, Capital Branch Officer, Vice Chair and Health and Safety Lead, passed away suddenly overnight on Monday 27th July.

John was a committed trade unionist and Labour Movement activist who had a long history of working tirelessly on behalf of our members and the CWU.

He was very well known and highly respected within the Capital Branch and across the Telecoms and Financial Services Constituency.

He was also very well known for his contribution within the London Region and the excellent Health and Safety work he carried out on behalf of the union.

In conveying our sincere condolences, I know I speak on behalf of the whole union in saying John will be sorely missed and that our thoughts are of course with John’s family and friends at this very sad time.

Given ongoing restrictions with funeral arrangements due to COVID19, we are advised that the Capital Branch will circulate any further information on this.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 403/20 – JOHN DUFFUS – CAPITAL BRANCH VICE CHAIR AND HEALTH AND SAFETY LEAD

Building Safety Bill Published

The UK government has published its long-awaited Building Safety Bill, which will introduce new and enhanced regulatory regimes for building safety in England and construction products throughout the UK.

The Government announcement described the reforms as “the biggest change to the building safety regime for 40 years”. Businesses will need to quickly adapt to ensure they are prepared.

The provisions contained in the ‘draft’ Building Safety Bill provide a complete regulatory overhaul and signals a new era in the way buildings are constructed, and new standards and controls on construction products used.

The 334-page Bill contains wide-ranging changes from new, more stringent requirements on the built environment sector around building safety standards and the introduction of a new Building Safety Regulator (HSE). Here are the key changes that will affect residents, developers and landlords.

The new building safety regulator 

One of the earliest proposals to the building safety system put forward by former HSE CEO Dame Judith Hackitt, in her ‘Grenfell Fire Disaster’ inquiry report on building safety was a call for a building safety regulator to be put in place.

A new building safety regime, overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), will apply to all new multi-occupied residential buildings over 18 metres, or six storeys, in height in England. Existing buildings will be brought within the system on a phased basis.

The duties of the new Building Safety Regulator are mainly two-fold: to introduce a better safety system and impose sanctions and regulations to ensure this happens. To achieve these, it will look to put in place a more stringent regulatory framework to implement a stronger focus around building safety for developers and landlords.

This will include introducing steps to improve the competence and capabilities of those working in the built environment sector, through instructing an industry-led competence committee and publishing non-statutory advice and guidance for various sectors. It will also lead on establishing and improving on standards within the building control sector, an area that has come under scrutiny following Grenfell.

In addition, the regulator will have powers to take enforcement action and impose sanctions on the corporate bodies or building control companies that do not meet regulatory standards. It will also act as the building control itself on some of the higher-risk buildings.

Dutyholders

A new dutyholder system will be implemented in every building, which aims to ensure that the person or entity that creates a building safety risk is responsible for managing that risk. The building cycle will be split into gateways – phases of the building’s life – with different dutyholders for different gateways. For example, the dutyholder for the design phase of the build will be the principle designer. For the construction phase, it will be the principal contractor.

The gateway will be assessed at each handover by the regulator, which will be allowed to step in and stop progress when it feels building safety aims are not being met. These different phases will be connected by a ‘golden thread of information’ which will include details about the original design and construction, as well as details on the changes and upgrades to the building during its lifecycle. The information will be held digitally so anybody at any stage can access it when needed.

Once the building is occupied, the dutyholder will become the accountable person. The accountable person, usually the building owner, will be responsible for the safety once people are living in a block. The accountable person will also be responsible for registering the building with the Building Safety Regulator and securing a building safety assurance certificate before it is occupied. The certificate will only be issued once the regulator is happy that the accountable person meets statutory obligations. This process will also be brought in for existing buildings.

Building safety managers

When the Building Safety Bill has been passed through Parliament, the accountable persons will be required to appoint a building safety manager for every high-rise building in the country. The building safety manager’s role will be to support the accountable person in the day-to-day management of the building to ensure safety standards are adhered to.

The building safety manager will be key in communicating the work that has taken place on the building to stakeholders, ensuring the building is meeting the regulator’s requirements and being on top of any advice or non-statutory guidance put in place by the regulator.

The Building Safety Regulator has the power to veto the appointment of a building safety manager if it believes that the person does not meet the competencies required. If an accountable person fails to appoint a building safety manager without a reasonable excuse, they then run the risk of facing an unlimited fine or could be jailed for up to two years.

Increased sanctions

The bill amends the 1984 Building Act and associated regulations for all building work. New criminal liability will be introduced for breaches of the building regulations; for offences committed by a corporate body with the consent or connivance of a director, manager or officer, or where an offence is attributable to their neglect.

Under the Bill, the Building Safety Regulator (HSE) will be handed a number of new powers to ensure individuals and businesses adhere to the new rules. This will include powers to issue stop notices on construction projects found to be breaching regulations. The regulator will also be allowed to issue compliance notices, which will compel accountable persons to fix certain issues by a set date. Failure to comply with compliance or stop notices could result in an unlimited fine or two years in prison.

The regulator will also be able to hold badly performing building control bodies to account and ban or remove them from the inspector’s register where necessary. Another significant change is around prosecutions. Under the new rules, if a corporate body is found to have committed an offence but is regarded that it was committed with “consent or connivance” of a director, that director may also be prosecuted. The Bill also increases the time limit for prosecution for contravention of building regulations from two to 10 years.

Costs to leaseholders

In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, leaseholders have borne the brunt of many of the costs associated with fixing fire safety problems, defects and implementing interim fire safety measures.  Under the new plan, a new “building safety charge” will be set up for leaseholders. This new charge will be separate to the service charge, which is what fire safety works are currently paid through. Freeholders will be required to hold the money from the new charge in a separate account held by a financial institution and will only be allowed to pay for works with this.

Leaseholders will also be allowed to refuse payment if the charge is deemed “unreasonable” or if the freeholder has not provided a clear breakdown of costs. However, under the new rules, leaseholders will be required to pay the fire safety charge within 28 days of when the bill was issued and will be required to cover some of the new measures brought in under the Bill, such as paying for a building safety manager and the day-to-day management of the building.

Competence Requirements 

New competence requirements will apply to all of the proposed new roles, as well as to a wider range of professionals and tradespeople. The new regulator will hold and maintain a register of competent principal designers, principal contractors and building safety managers. Oversight of training and competence will be provided by an industry committee.

New committees

Alongside the creation of a new Building Safety Regulator, there will be several new bodies set up to support its work. The first will be the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, which will be put in place to provide evidence-based guidance on new issues that emerge in the built environment sector. The regulator will be able to use the committee to investigate emerging problems or issues in the built environment sector.

There will also be a new committee for industry competence, which will be put in place to overcome the fragmented and inconsistent competence of workers and managers that currently exists in the building safety sector. The Competence Committee will inform the regulator on improvements to competence frameworks and training to ensure capabilities of the sector improve.

A new Residents’ Panel will also be put together to ensure residents have a voice in the changes being made to building safety guidance and will include residents of high-rise blocks and representative tenant groups. It is the role of the Building Safety Regulator to consult the Residents’ Panel on its strategic plan and any changes that may impinge on their rights and obligations. The regulator will also have a statutory obligation to regularly publish statements outlining how it will engage with residents in its work.

New Homes Ombudsman

The Building Safety Bill places a requirement on the housing secretary to arrange for a new system of redress to be put in place for owners of new build homes. This will take the form of the New Homes Ombudsman and allow a better mechanism for new homeowners to make complaints against developers about the quality of the construction of their new home and have them investigated.

There is currently no mechanism for new homeowners to make these complaints. It is imagined that the Ombudsman will take on an enforcement role to take action against those developers found to be in breach of the New Homes Ombudsman’s code of practice.

The Ombudsman will work alongside developers to come up with a code of practice that could be used in relation to sales, marketing and standard and quality of workmanship, which would allow developers and buyers to be aware of the standards expected. All developers of new homes will be required to join the scheme, with potential sanctions being imposed on those that do not. Developers will likely be legally required to advertise their membership to the scheme to prospective buyers.

Further updates will be published as the Bill progresses.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 402/20 – Building Safety Bill Published

Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 27 July-August 2020

The Greener Jobs Alliance was launched to promote skills training and job creation to meet the needs of Britain’s rapidly growing low carbon sectors and to green the whole economy.  The transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy can drive sustainable economic recovery and job creation in every part of the country as well as making existing jobs more secure. But this requires a more strategic national and local approach to deliver the workforce skills needed and to stimulate demand for clean energy and energy efficiency services.

The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises at a national and local level to build the broadest possible support for the policies, investment, partnerships and commitments needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.

The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises with training bodies, colleges, universities, employers, local and national government, trade unions, housing associations, campaign and community groups – to build the policies, investment and partnerships needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.

The GJA runs a number of ‘free’ courses on the environment for Trade Union Reps in different parts of the UK which have been attended by a number of CWU Reps.

The GJA came into existence as a result of funding from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC.

The GJA Newsletter editor is Graham Petersen, also the GJA Secretary. Graham is well known to the CWU and has a long standing working relationship with the Union. He is a former TUC Tutor and Course Designer who created Safety Reps training courses. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post.

Newsletter 27 examines the detail of the Government’s claims to be supporting a Green Recovery and provides updates on a range of union/workplace climate initiatives.

Contents:

1. Editorial
2. July Budget: peanuts for ‘green recovery’
3. GJA demands action on green skills
4. ‘A million new jobs needed’, TUC
5. No-deal Brexit threat to manufacturing
6. Give our young people and the planet hope – Unite
7. Unions call for ‘Retraining Revolution’
8. Canadian unions demand Green Youth Job Guarantee
9. COVID-19: Unions demand WHO action on airborne spread of virus
10. Just Transitions: ‘one concept, different meanings’

See attached July-August 2020 GJA Newsletter No. 27.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 401/20 – Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 27 July-August 2020

GJA-Newsletter-27-July-August-2020

World Lung Cancer Day – 1 August 2020

Taking place on 1 August, World Lung Cancer Day raises awareness about lung cancer and its global impact. The day aims to create an educational movement of understanding lung cancer risks as well as early treatment around the world.

Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Around 47,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK.  It’s estimated that lung cancer accounts for nearly one in five cancer deaths globally. In 2012, there were 1.8 million newly diagnosed cases of this disease alone.

Lung cancer is also one of the most common work-related cancers, caused by exposure to dangerous carcinogens such as asbestos, silica dust and diesel fumes. However, it can be prevented by putting in place measures to control exposure at work.

IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety & Health) is calling for support for World Lung Cancer Day and is encouraging everyone to use their ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign resources to help raise awareness of how to protect people from this deadly disease. Further IOSH information and resources are at:- https://www.notimetolose.org.uk/world-lung-cancer-day-2020/

In support of World Lung Cancer Day, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), calls for more awareness and understanding of lung cancer risk factors, as well as the importance of early screening and treatment. See attached ‘FIRS’ Fact Sheet.

Cancer Research UK are supporting the World Lung Cancer Day and their special web page is at:- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/donate/world-cancer-day-2020

Lung cancer is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 cancer deaths according to the World Health Organization. While lung cancer and breast cancer are diagnosed at the same rate (11.6 percent), lung cancer kills more people yearly than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer mortality is projected to reach 2.45 million by 2030, a 39 percent increase in just over a decade.

While most understand that smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer at 80 percent of all cases, other lesser known risk factors include the environment and genetics. Environmental exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium and uranium has been linked to lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer also increases with a history of cancer in another part of the body, age, family history, radiation to the chest area and lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Access to screening options and education is vital for early detection and treatment. Low-income countries, where survival rates are significantly below the average, report only a 15 percent availability of treatment through public health systems. More that 90 percent of high-income countries report vital access to care.

Lung cancer symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain, coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used to diagnose lung cancer include chest x-rays, CT and PET scans, bronchoscopy and needle biopsies. If you are a current or former smoker and over the age of 55, you may be a candidate for a low-dose CT scan screening that can potentially detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.

Identifying symptoms:

Identifying symptoms early can mean that treatment is more effective. Warning signs to look out for include:

• a persistent cough
• a cough you have had for a while that gets worse
• breathlessness
• coughing up phlegm with traces of blood
• an ache or pain in the chest or shoulder
• loss of appetite or unexpected weight loss
• tiredness

Lung Cancer Facts:

• The most frequently diagnosed cancer is lung cancer.
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer at 1.74 million (18.4 percent).
• Lung cancer deaths exceed breast cancer mortality for women in 28 countries.
• Lung cancer mortality is projected to reach 2.45 million worldwide by 2030, a 39 percent increase since 2018.
• About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are as a result of smoking tobacco.
• Smokers exposed to other known risk factors such as radon and asbestos are at an even higher risk.
• For men, lung cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, it is third for women.

Prevention of lung cancer:

Over 80% of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking and other risk factors are air pollution, workplace exposure to Asbestos, Silica and diesel engine exhaust fumes and ionising radiation. Stopping people being exposed to these risk factors can help to prevent lung cancer.

The NHS Prevention – lung cancer advice is as follows:

Smoking

If you smoke, the best way to prevent lung cancer and other serious conditions is to stop smoking as soon as possible. However long you have been smoking, it’s always worth quitting. Every year you do not smoke decreases your risk of getting serious illnesses, such as lung cancer. After 10 years of not smoking, your chances of developing lung cancer falls to half that of someone who smokes. “NHS Smokefree” can offer advice and support to help people quit smoking. Call 0300 123 1044, or visit the website.  A GP or pharmacist can also give advice about stopping smoking.

A balanced diet

Research suggests that eating a low-fat, high-fibre diet, including at least 5 portions a day of fresh fruit and vegetables and plenty of wholegrains, can reduce the risk of lung cancer, as well as other types of cancer and heart disease.

Exercise

There’s strong evidence to suggest that regular exercise can lower the risk of developing lung cancer and other types of cancer. Most adults are recommended to do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, plus strength-training exercises on at least 2 days each week.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 400/20 – World Lung Cancer Day 1 August 2020

FIRS-WLCD-2020-Fact-Sheet

ROYAL MAIL: TRAFFIC TRANSFORMATION – PRODUCTION DEMAND SUPPORT ROLES – JOINT STATEMENT

Further to LTB 363/20 dated 14th July and the associated Joint Statement regarding the resultant changes created by the switchover on 29th June to the new Traffic Transformation solution.

We held a productive joint conference call with Royal Mail management and the impacted LA grade Product Demand Support members on Friday 17th July and the preference forms were subsequently distributed. An agreed set of Q&As (attached to this LTB) arising from the call and from emails received has been sent to the members.

A further conference call was held with management earlier today and the feedback was there has been a good response to the preference exercise, although there are still 10 days remaining until the closing date of Friday 7th August. Branches and Representatives are encouraged to engage with members to ensure they have everything they need in terms of information to enable them to complete and return the preference forms.

The following Joint Statement has been published today:

Joint Statement between Royal Mail and the CWU regarding the preference exercise for the Production Demand support roles

Further to our previous Joint Statement on the 14th July 2020, Royal Mail (RM) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) held a joint conference call with all impacted people on the 17th July 2020 to give people the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts. Thank you to everyone who attended the call and asked questions. We have communicated a further frequently asked questions document which contains the additional questions asked on the call.

A preference exercise commenced on 17th July 2020 for all LAs performing the Production Demand Support role who are in the affected population. To date we have had circa 60% of responses to the preference exercise. There is only one week left for the people outstanding to complete the online preference form
so please remember to set aside some time to complete this before the closing date on Friday 7th August 2020.

We wish to reassure you, as with any changes that impact upon people, our discussions align fully with existing agreements, particularly Managing the Surplus Framework (MtSF). MtSF is the agreement between Royal Mail and CWU that covers the policy and approach for dealing with surplus situations, redeployment and redundancy terms including selection criteria. The overarching objective is to deliver change without recourse to compulsory redundancy, in line with MtSF.

We understand this situation may be unsettling for some and we are fully committed to jointly providing support to all our colleagues who will be affected by the changes over the coming weeks. You can continue to ask questions by emailing traffic.transformation@royalmail.com

Tony Lewis                                                       Andy Furey
National Process Performance Leader                 CWU Assistant Secretary

Branches are urged to bring this JS and the associated activities to the attention of our LA members on Production Demand Support. I am both pleased and satisfied that this activity is being conducted fully in line with the MtSF agreement.
Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 399/20 Royal Mail – Traffic Transformation – Production Demand Support Roles – Joint Statement

Attachment 1 to 20LTB399 – TT PD Support FAQ’s 160720

Attachment 2 to 20LTB399 – TT PD Support FAQ’s 220720