RE: CORONAVIRUS – COVID-19 GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT – SPAIN
Branches will be aware the Government abruptly announced a 14 day self-isolation period for anyone returning from Spain, the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands over the weekend.
We contacted Royal Mail yesterday morning and have since seen the communication published by Royal Mail yesterday which can be seen in Appendix A.
I have formally written to Royal Mail last night requesting a meeting to discuss the Government announcement and their policy.
Whilst I acknowledge the announcement will have caught everyone by surprise and the Government have a lot to answer for in the way this has been handled, I do not believe Royal Mail’s response is taking into account the circumstances some of our members have found themselves in.
The policy of taking annual leave or unpaid leave is actually against the Government advice. The Government have stated they are relying on the goodwill of employers.
When making the announcement, quotes from the Government include:
“No worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised by employers.”
“If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they should, they can’t have penalties taken against them.”
“No employee should be penalised for following the rules and self-isolating.”
The irony will not be lost on our members if Royal Mail attempt to invoke the Government guidance on self-isolation and then do not follow the rest of the advice where employees should not be penalised.
We have also made Royal Mail aware in previous discussions and correspondence, some of our members cannot afford to take time off unpaid and will be forced to go to work, when they should be self-isolating.
There is a huge risk to other members if an employee feels they cannot afford to take unpaid leave and have to take the chance of coming to work, even if that means potentially spreading the virus and infecting other members within their office. Should this happen, Royal Mail will end up paying them and all of their colleagues sick pay, plus there will obviously be a disruption to the service.
Throughout the pandemic Royal Mail have continually told employees to follow Government advice. Their latest policy will be telling you to follow Government advice on self-isolation, however, Royal Mail will not be following the same advice and will end up penalising members who had no notice of the Government decision which requires members to self-isolate for 14 days on returning from Spain.
I have requested a meeting with the aim of discussing a mutually beneficial resolution.
We will keep members updated on any developments.
All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 420. Email address: khay@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Carl Maden Assistant Secretary (Acting) PTCS Department
POST OFFICE: POST OFFICE PENSION PLAN (DC SCHEME) – FOLLOW UP TO ONLINE SEMINARS
Further to LTB 347/20 dated 30th June 2020. Branches are advised that the two online pensions seminars took place as planned on 8th and 15th July regarding the Post Office Pension Plan (Defined Contribution scheme) in conjunction with the provider, Scottish Widows. I am pleased with the high numbers of participants on these online sessions and no doubt we will be working with the Post Office to organise similar events for the future. A further Joint Statement has been published today and is reproduced below:
Joint Statement from CWU, Post Office and Unite Post Office Pension Plan (Defined Contribution) – Scottish Widows – Online Seminar
Dear Colleague,
Thank you to those who were able to join the Scottish Widows defined contribution pension online seminars on either 8th or 15th July. We do of course appreciate that it wouldn’t have been practical for many people, particularly those who are customer-facing to have watched the seminar live.
With this position in mind, we are pleased the sessions were well attended and that hundreds of you were able to join either via phone or Webex. We hope you found the presentation both informative and helpful.
For those who were unable to join, or were only able to dial in, a link to the recording from the second session on 15th is as follows:
The full duration is 53mins with the main presentation ending at 36 minutes, followed by the Q&A.
A “One Update” was published yesterday containing the slides from the online seminars and the Q&A from the combined sessions (grouped by themes for ease of reading).
This activity is part of our ongoing commitment to you to raise awareness and knowledge of an important benefit. If you have any ideas or suggestions for further engagement, let us know.
If you have any questions about this communication please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Post Office Reward Team at RewardTeam@postoffice.co.uk or your Union representative.
Yours sincerely,
Maxine Cross Phil Savage Andy Furey Head of Reward Unite the Union Assistant Secretary Post Office CWU
Branches and Representatives are asked to bring this matter to the attention of our Post Office members and encourage them to watch the recording of the seminar and review the Q&As if they were unable to join the previous events.
Statement from Coronavirus RM team we have just received on anyone caught up with the Spain holiday issue.
A group comms update comes out tomorrow but we have just received confirmation that employees affected by the new isolation rules the absence should be taken as either annual leave or unpaid leave in cases that they cannot work from home.
The Government now advises “against all but essential travel to mainland Spain” (excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands) and has announced they will not hesitate to do this again for any country. Therefore, all future announcements for Spain or other countries will be treated in line with the current policy noted above. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave remains. Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken.
If they do not have any coronavirus symptoms after the 14 days, they can stop self-isolating and return to work.
If you or any member of your team is concerned about the financial impact of their absence, the Rowland Hill Fund may be able to help. The Fund can be contacted at rhfhelpline@royalmail.com.
Please be aware of the risks associated with travel for the foreseeable future. Travel and quarantine advice can change quickly. This could mean:
Travel to your planned holiday destination is prevented before you travel. You need to quarantine/self-isolate on return at short notice. Hotels or towns are put into lockdown, impacting your ability to return to the UK on your scheduled date. We will continue to monitor the Government and public health advice and communicate where required.
Proportionality and Representation – A New Direction
The purpose of this LTB is to update you on the new direction of moving proportionality and representation forward within the CWU.
Attached is a copy of the Proportionality and Representation report carried out for the GS Department by Katie Dunning.
The report includes data gathered between 2013 and 2019 and sets out the make-up of our membership and our activist base, specifically looking at Sex, Ethnic background, age and regional trends. We have also looked in more depth at part time workers, representatives who hold multiple roles in the union and participation trends for training and educational courses.
The data that has been used is from our membership database which is provided by members and branches as such it is the most detailed information available but cannot claim to be one hundred percent accurate or complete.
Moving forward we want to work closely with our regional structures to update this document so that it reflects how we look as a union but also assists in measuring any future proportionality work whilst setting clear objectives.
In 2019 conference agreed a number of significant changes to our representative structures and to our overall approach on equality work. The rationale for change was to break down silo working and bring our equality work into the mainstream structures of the union. Although we are still in the early transition of change this new model will raise the profile of our equality work and includes four new NEC seats and four executive seats (Women, BAME, LGBT+ and Disability) in each CWU Region.
In 2014 and 2015 a number of new policies were adopted to address the challenges of achieving proportionality and representation, however the new equality structures now in place have meant that some of the policies adopted in previous years have now become invalid.
The attached paper which has been fully endorsed by the NEC builds on some existing policy providing a framework and a new direction on how the CWU will strive to achieve proportionality and representation. The document has been broken into three separate tables to illustrate existing policy, strategy based on the principles of existing policy and new strategy.
A meeting has been scheduled on the 4th August with the Assistant Regional Secretaries and Regional Equality leads to discuss the attached framework and to set in place the next steps.
This will then be followed with a Branch online Q&A session on the 5th August at 15:00 which will include the General Secretary, further details to follow.
Any queries on this LTB should be directed to equality&education@cwu.org
Yours sincerely,
Kate Hudson Head of Equality, Education & Development
Royal Mail and CWU National Joint Statement – Consumer Collections Pilot and National Deployment
Further to LTB 331/20 which was focused on introducing the training plan for the introduction of Consumer Collections, the Department have now concluded a National Joint Statement for the initial pilot and rollout of the service and product.
As Branches will no doubt be aware there is undoubtedly a demand from online retailers and marketplace sellers to have a doorstep collection service for returns and outbound parcels. This growth in the market is being targeted by Royal Mails competitors, and therefore in order that Royal Mail can compete in the parcels market there is a need to provide a doorstep collection service for customers.
Customers will be able to book a collection on the Tracked Returns Portal; via retailer’s websites; on the Click & Drop shipping system; or on Royal Mail’s app. These items will be collected by the delivery staff who are in the vicinity or attending sites for deliveries.
The Joint Statement issued in June 2020 – LTB 331/20 set out the training plan, as below:
• Work Place Coach (WPC) training sessions to commence on 6th July and finish by the 7th August 2020.
• WPCs to cascade training to frontline OPG’s from 13th July and conclude by 9th October 2020.
Part of the agreed training plan was on the basis that Customers will be able to book a collection on the Tracked Returns Portal; via retailer’s websites; on the Click & Drop shipping system; or on Royal Mail’s app. These items will be collected by OPG’s who are in the vicinity or attending sites for deliveries. The service will be limited to no more than 5 addresses per day/delivery route Monday – Saturday, and items restricted to a maximum of 20kg and size.
Pilot and National Deployment Plan
We have now Jointly agreed with Royal Mail the deployment approach and timescales which are outlined below: –
CWU and Royal Mail via the Local Joint Working Group jointly conduct a pilot in West of England Area over a 4-week period;
• Pilot in the Bristol Operations Manager area – 21st September to 2nd October;
• Expand pilot to the remaining units in the West of England Service Delivery Leader area – 5th October to 16th October.
• Targeted National Launch – 19th October
The Joint Statement reaffirms that Health & Safety is of paramount importance and that the necessary SSOW will be put in place and that all issues arising in this respect will be proper to the relevant RM safety experts and the CWU National Health & Safety Department.
In addition, Branches will note that the Joint Statement also confirms that Royal Mail and the CWU will jointly review progress against the set criteria during the pilot phase including a study involving Industrial Engineers in order to determine and establish the correct time identified for the tasks involved. All data/information generated from the deployment will be shared with the CWU at a National level to assist with further discussions regarding future revision activity and Resourcing to Workload, along with the accuracy of traffic forecasting.
We will also Jointly review the pilot in order to resolve any issues highlighted arising from it and in order to jointly confirm the roll out timescales for National deployment which is targeted to commence on the 19th October.
Any queries to the content of the above please contact the Outdoor Department reference 532, email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.
We Can’t Breathe: Sporting legends and MPS back charity’s BLM campaign to end racism
SPORTS stars and MPS have come together to back a new Black Lives Matter campaign from anti-racism educational charity, Show Racism the Red Card.
This Friday (July 24) Show Racism the Red Card is launching a new video, ‘We Can’t Breathe’, to coincide with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The video which is being made available on YouTube, shows how the eight minutes surrounding George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis back in May went on to create a global reckoning.
It explores the horrifying murder and the resulting aftermath, including details of the protests which have since taken place all around the world in what can be described as the biggest civil rights movement in recent history.
Several sports stars and MPs such as David Lammy, Douglas Ross, Zarah Sultana, Shaka Hislop, Colin Charvis as well as Premier League host Manish Bhasin, are also supporting the campaign, to ensure conversation around the issue does not die down.
Appearing in the video, David Lammy, Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “You assume and hope and pray that at some point the officer might take his knee of his neck and then you watch this man die. But the truth is, I’ve seen these images before, I know that apprehension that comes in my stomach because I’ve felt it before. It wasn’t a shock but it was a revulsion.”
Douglas Ross, Tory MP, added: “He was pleading for his life, he was making it so clear that he couldn’t breathe. The point that really struck me was when the pain was moving through his body – his stomach was hurting, his neck was hurting. He was promising to comply with what was being asked for but wasn’t given that opportunity. while he was still conscious and able to make that plea, those pleas were ignored and those who were witnessing this were also trying to act on his behalf and pleading for his concerns and for him to be listened to. Sadly we witnessed a life being lost which never should have been lost.”
Former Newcastle United and Trinidad and Tobago International, Shaka Hislop, commented: “The experiences [in the George Floyd video] live out in real time and they weigh heavy. We took the decision, despite the pandemic, to go into battle in the nearest city where we live and join the Black Lives Matter march.”
Shocking figures show that black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be shot and killed by police. And in the UK during lockdown, London’s metropolitan police carried out 22,000 stop and searches on young black men – which is the equivalent to one in every eight young black men in London.
Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, added: “It’s scandalous that the leading cause of death for young black Americans is at the hands of the police so I absolutely and unequivocally support those who have taken to the streets and said enough is enough.”
Mr Ross added: “There is more of an emphasis now, there is a bigger lock in of people who maybe weren’t that connected with the campaign in the past, or had a passing interest. But now it’s right at the top of the social and political agenda.”
And Humza Yousaf, from the Scottish National Party, commented: “The police have to be willing to engage with the public, putting up defensive walls is the worst thing any police force can do. They have to acknowledge where there is an issue and then they need to rectify.”
He adds: “I see people talking about race now in a way that it has never been talked about before. People want to be educated about it and make a tangible difference. This is definitely a game changing moment.”
Zarah Sultana and Wales rugby national, Colin Charvis agree that education is key.
Ms Sultana commented: “We know that racism isn’t something that people are born with, it is something that is very much learnt. We know the power of education that can transform lives. We need to make sure that in our curriculum people are equipped for conversations around race.”
And Colin Charvis added: “Principally to drive this ambition for a fair and equal society, if it is driven from below, if our children, our educators, our adults are all beating the same drum when it comes to the anti-racism principles, that is a step forward. We can change and grow as individuals.”
Show Racism the Red Card which was established in January 1996 and is dedicated to combating racism in society through education. It utilises the high-profile status of football and football players to publicise its message and has a 24-year record of producing high quality educational films to combat racism in society.
Ged Grebby, Chief Executive at Show Racism the Red Card, said: “We are dedicated to tackling racism and promoting change in society through education. With this short film, we’re hoping we can again contribute to a discussion around combating rife racism in society.
“However more still needs to be done. As the recent events over the past couple of months show, racism is still very much alive around the world, and we stand alongside all those who are protesting against it.”
Tosca Fairchild, Chair of Show Racism the Red Card and Assistant Chief Executive Officer of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, added: “Racism persists in society, in the workplace and in our education systems and targeted assaults on someone based on the colour of their skin are all too common across the world – including at home here, in the UK.
“Show Racism the Red Card has existed for nearly 25 years, with the aim of combating racism in society through the production of high-quality educational resources. We believe that racism in society can be fought by challenging misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes and we continue to deliver educational sessions to more than 50,000 individuals per year at schools, workplaces and events.
“We hope that together we can at least ensure that the spotlight cast on this pervasive issue by George’s tragic loss of life is not in vain, and that we can affect some positive change.”
The video will be available to view on Show Racism the Red Card’s YouTube channel from Friday 24 July at 12pm.
CWU Submission to Low Pay Commission on National Minimum Wage 2020
The CWU has made the attached submission to the Low Pay Commission on the National Minimum Wage, which was endorsed by the NEC today.
The CWU’s submission highlights that our low paid members are key workers, and the coronavirus crisis has exposed the prevalence of low pay amongst workers who perform essential roles in our society.
The submission includes evidence from a survey of our members on low pay which CWU Branches helped to promote amongst members in May this year. We’re grateful for the assistance of Branches on this which helped generate over 500 responses to the survey from a group of around 3,000 members who were asked to participate. The survey showed that 89 per cent of respondents earning the real living wage or less said they felt they were paid unfairly and 69 per cent said their pay did not cover all of their outgoings.
The submission calls for a rise in the minimum wage to £10 per hour nationally and the rate of a real living wage in London as soon as possible. We also call for the abolition of age-related pay rates and the introduction of one minimum rate of pay for all workers regardless of their age, in line with CWU General Conference policy.
An article has been posted about this on the CWU website today at the following link, which also includes a link to the submission:
Hazards Conference 2020 – ‘Viral Action’ – Saturday 1st August – An ‘On-Line’ Free Event For Safety Reps:
This Year’s Hazards 2020 Conference will now be an ‘online’ event, taking place on Saturday 1st August 2020 – the first ever time the event has gone on-line in its history.
All CWU Health and Safety Reps are welcome to participate in this event which is both recommended, supported and sponsored by the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department.
The original 31st National Hazards Conference was scheduled to take place on 31July – 2 August, 2020 at its usual venue, the University of Keele, Stoke-on-Trent but like so many conference gatherings, it came as no surprise that the Hazards Campaign were forced to cancel the Conference due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
CWU/HQ are therefore delighted that the Hazards Campaign have not given up and are instead putting on this abridged version of the conference with a one-day, on-line conference involving international speakers and plenty of interesting subject matter on the Agenda.
Over 320 safety reps from all the UK’s Trade Unions, officers and activists attended last year’s conference, when it was a celebration of 30 years of the Hazards Conference.
The Conference Agenda
This unique Zoom based online conference starts with an international plenary and is followed by four specific subject workshops with brilliant speakers and experts throughout the day.
Each Zoom workshop will start at the advertised time and will provide an opportunity to join in the discussions and together help formulate action plans to direct Hazards Campaign work priorities for the next 12 months.
10.00 – 11.30 Plenary – with international speakers on Covid-19 and the impact on workers.
12.00 – 13.00 Safety reps taking the lead! – during and after Covid-19.
13.30 – 14.30 Fighting inequality in health and safety.
15.00 – 16.00 Mental Health and Covid-19.
16.30 – 17.30 Toxics Out! Air pollution, just transition after Covid-19.
‘Free Event’ – Donations Welcome The conference is ‘free of charge’ to participate but if delegates or their Union branch/organisation, would like to donate to the Hazards Campaign, all support would be most welcome. CWU/HQ will be sponsoring the event again this year.
HSE Releases Annual Workplace Fatality Figures for 2019/20
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual figures for the number of work-related fatalities in 2019/20, as well as the number of people known to have died from the asbestos-related cancer, Mesothelioma, in 2018.
The provisional annual data for work-related fatal accidents revealed that 111 workers were fatally injured at work between April 2019 and March 2020 (a rate of 0.34 deaths per 100,000 workers), the lowest year on record. This represents a fall of 38 deaths from the previous year, though it is likely that this fall was accentuated by the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the economy in the final two months of the year.
In line with previous years’ fatal injury statistics, these figures do not include deaths from occupational disease. Covid-19 infection is therefore not part of these figures and will not feature in fatal injury statistics in subsequent years*.
While there has been a long-term reduction in the number of annual fatalities (the number has almost halved in the last 20 years), aside from the current fall, the number has remained broadly level in recent years.
Following the release of the statistics, a statement from the HSE’s chief executive, Sarah Albon, said: “No one should be hurt or killed by the work they do. In these extraordinary times, we have seen many workers risking their lives to help others during the Coronavirus outbreak. Although these statistics are not a reflection on Covid-19 related loss of life, it is a pertinent time to reflect. Every workplace fatality is a tragedy and while we are encouraged by this improvement, today’s statistics is a reminder that we cannot become complacent as we look to continue to work together to make Great Britain an even safer place to live and work.”
The new figures show the spread of fatal injuries across industrial sectors:
40 fatal injuries to construction workers were recorded, accounting for the largest share. However, over the last five years the number has fluctuated. The annual average for the past five years is 37. The annual average rate over the last five years in construction is around 4 times as high as the all industry rate.
20 fatal injuries to agricultural, forestry and fishing workers were recorded, the lowest level on record. Despite this fall, this sector continues to account for a large share of the annual fatality count. It has the highest rate of fatal injury of all the main industry sectors, around 18 times as high as the all industry rate.
5 fatal injuries to waste and recycling workers were recorded. Despite being a relatively small sector in terms of employment, the annual average fatal injury rate over the last five years is around 18 times as high as the all industry rate.
These statistics remind us that in certain sectors of the economy, fatal injury in the workplace remains worryingly high. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounts for a small fraction of the workforce of Great Britain, yet accounted for around 20 per cent of worker fatalities in the last year. This is unacceptable and more must be done to prevent such fatalities taking place.
Work-related deaths fracture families, they shatter communities, and so many of them can be avoided. The work that the HSE does is about more than numbers, their role is to continually work with duty holders to ensure that they assess and appropriately manage risks to their employees. These efforts are a vital part of keeping essential services going, particularly as duty holders adapt to the current circumstances.
The three most common causes of fatal injuries continue to be; workers falling from height (29), being struck by a moving vehicle (20) and being struck by a moving object (18), accounting for 60 per cent of fatal injuries in 2019/20.
The new figures continue to highlight the risks to older workers; 27 per cent of fatal injuries in 2019/20 were to workers aged 60 or over, even though such workers make up only around 10 per cent of the workforce.
In addition, members of the public continue to be killed in connection with work-connected accidents. In 2019/20, 51 members of the public were killed as a result of a work-connected accident in HSE enforced workplaces (33 of which occurred in the Health and Social Work sector) and a further 41 occurred on railways (enforced by the Office for Road and Rail). No data is currently available on the number of such deaths in Local Authority (LA) enforced workplaces in 2019/20 as we have been unable to verify these cases with LAs during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, in recent years the number of such deaths has ranged between 12 and 16 deaths annually.
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 2446 in Great Britain in 2018. This is slightly lower than the average 2550 over the previous five years.
The current figures are largely a consequence of occupational asbestos exposures that occurred before 1980. Annual Mesothelioma deaths are expected to fall below current levels for years beyond 2020.
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 4 November 2020.
HSE – Accidents At Work – Key figures for Great Britain Last Year:
1.4 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
2,446 Mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures
111 workers killed at work
581,000 working people sustaining an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
69,208 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
28.2 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 (2017/18)
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Royal Mail – Mail Tray (Perstop Trays) Hygiene and Equipment Requirements
During the current Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic, Royal Mail have received a number of complaints from customers that mail trays (Perstop Trays) and other equipment is being delivered to them a in filthy condition, soiled with gloves, sanitiser wipes, food and other rubbish. Attached is a photograph of some of the trays in question that were returned to Royal Mail from one of the Company’s largest customers.
A communication is being issued today by Royal Mail (copy attached) along with two posters on correct waste disposal of PPE items (gloves, masks, tissues and wipes). Copies of the posters are also attached.
The message, which CWU supports, is that basic hygiene and infection prevention and control practices must be maintained. These are health and safety law requirements and as such Royal Mail must present equipment to its customers in a safe, useable state.
The posters have been produced to highlight the correct bins to use and are available on The Royal Mail ‘SharePoint’.
Managers are being asked to communicate to the workforce the importance of mail equipment hygiene and that failure to dispose of used equipment and rubbish correctly is both a health and safety issue and a serious threat to contracts that Royal Mail and Parcelforce hold with customers.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires Royal Mail to keep furnishings, fittings, equipment and all surfaces in the workplace clean and waste free. Rubbish and used protective items e.g., gloves, wipes and face coverings must be disposed of in the correct bin.
Both management and all employees have a responsibility to help keep the premises clean and tidy and to identify areas that fall below acceptable or safe standards. The practice and promotion of effective hygiene and cleanliness is a vital measure, particularly at present during the Covid-19 health pandemic.
Attachments:
Mail Tray Hygiene and Equipment Requirements Communication
Royal Mail Letter (Perstop) Trays Full of Rubbish (sent to a large customer)
‘Sort Your Waste’ Poster
‘Dispose of Used Protective Equipment In Designated Bins’ Poster
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 