What is the Great Daffodil Appeal?

Marie Curie Cancer Care – 2021 Great Daffodil Appeal:

What is the Great Daffodil Appeal?

Every March millions of people across the UK support the Great Daffodil Appeal by simply giving a donation to wear a daffodil pin. By wearing a daffodil you’ll be helping Marie Curie Cancer Care nurse terminally ill people in their final hours.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department are pleased to be able to be supporting the Marie Curie Cancer Care Great Daffodil Appeal again this year and seek your support.

A brief history of Marie Curie Cancer Care

The story begins in 1948, the same year the National Health Service was launched. Not long before the Hampstead-based Marie Curie Hospital was transferred to the NHS, a group of committee members from the hospital decided to preserve the name of Marie Curie in the charitable medical field. This was the beginning of the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation − a charity dedicated to alleviating suffering from cancer today − today known as Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The very first appeal was launched and brought in a substantial £4,000. By 1950 the ongoing appeal had raised a staggering £30,000 and two years later the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation officially became a charity – number 207994.

An extensive nationwide survey was undertaken to help identify medical, nursing and research needs in relation to cancer. The results formed the basis of the work of the Foundation and, largely, still do today.

The charity dedicated itself to:

• Providing specialist homes for the care of cancer patients.
• Providing nursing for patients at home.
• Educating the public on the symptoms and treatment of cancer.
• Providing urgent welfare needs.
• At the time these ideas were quite revolutionary and the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation quickly established itself as a leader in the field of improving facilities for cancer patients.

Today Marie Curie Cancer Care & Nine Hospices:

• is dedicated to providing more and better care for patients and their families through the Marie Curie Nursing Service and its nine hospices,
• is committed to carrying out the research and innovationnecessary to find out what the best possible care is and how best to provide it,
• will ensure measures are in place to give people the choice of place for their end of life care and death through The Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme,
• is determined that the needs of the dying remain on the political agenda and will continue to campaign for patients to be able to die in their own homes in all four countries of the UK through its policy and public affairs work.

Much has changed since the pioneering days of 1948 but Marie Curie Cancer Care’s core values have remained constant – putting patients and families first.

Request a box of daffodils and Display a box in your workplace:

Request a box of daffodils at:- https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/  A small box can make a big difference. Displaying a daffodil box in your workplace can raise much needed funds to help Marie Curie Cancer Care continue caring for people with terminal illnesses in their place of choice. Simply follow the link and fill in the request form and Marie Curie will send you a box of daffodil pins.

Where is the Money Spent?

Marie Curie Cancer Care spent £166 million on crucial caring services, research into terminal illness, and campaigning for better end of life care, as well as spending funds on improving awareness of the charity and generating future income. The figure is overwhelming, but so is the comfort that the money can provide.

Marie Curie’s Nine Hospices 

Marie Curie Cancer Care has nine hospices and is the biggest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

Day services 

Marie Curie Hospice day services offer flexibility and choice. People can attend a specific clinic, or a longer session tailored to individual needs. Marie Curie’s expert staff help people manage their symptoms and enhance their feeling of wellbeing. People have the opportunity to meet other people, share experiences, find the information they need and take part in a range of activities.

Marie Curie Nursing Services

Marie Curie’s network of nurses can support people and their family at home in their own familiar surroundings. Marie Curie Nurses and Healthcare Assistants provide one-to-one nursing care in people’s homes during the day and at night for between three and nine hours. They cover 95 per cent of the UK from remote Scottish islands, through villages and towns to the biggest cities.

Marie Curie Helpers

Marie Curie’s trained volunteers provide one-to-one emotional support and practical information to help people and their family cope with a life-limiting illness.

Get in touch

Marie Curie is grateful for the support of Trade Unions supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care and if interested will keep you up to date from time to time with details of how your support can help them care for patients and their families and will email you with information on how you can support Marie Curie and help them provide vital care to terminally ill people in your local area and across the UK. If you wish to receive such information by email just let them know:

By phone

Call free phone 0800 716 146
(Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm)

By post

Write to:
Marie Curie Cancer Care
89 Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7TP
E-mail
supporter.relations@mariecurie.org.uk
A member of the team will be in touch.

Marie Curie vision and strategic plan

• Putting patients and families first
• Everyone with cancer and other illnesses to have the high quality care and support they need at the end of their life in the place of their choice.

Marie Curie key objectives over the next three years include:

Better care

• Delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time
• Hospices being the hub of their communities
• Always improving quality

Wider reach

• Research and development to improve end of life care for everyone
• Being better known and understood
• Helping communities build better local care

Stronger foundations

• Increasing the money raised to fund services
• Growing volunteer support
• Improving efficiency and effectiveness, always demonstrating value for money

Please give your support.

For more information:

Marie Curie Cancer Care:- https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/ – Tel: free phone 0800 716 146

Macmillan Cancer Support:-http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx – Tel: free phone0808 808 00 00

NHS Choices:- http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx – Tel: NHS Direct 0845 4647

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 120/21 – Marie Curie Cancer Care – 2021 Great Daffodil Appeal

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POST OFFICE: POSTMASTERS: HORIZON INQUIRY – COURT OF APPEAL AND
GOVERNMENT BAIL-OUT FOR HISTORICAL SHORTFALL SCHEME

Branches are advised that a 5 day hearing is being held from 22nd March for the main
group of 42 appellants (former Postmasters and victims of the Horizon scandal) asking for
their convictions to be overturned. There are 2 limbs to the appeal when it comes to
wrongful convictions based on an abuse of process:

• Limb 1 is the lack of disclosure of vital evidence. The Post Office have conceded
  they are guilty of Limb 1 in the majority of the cases before the Court of Appeal.
• Limb 2 is the prosecutions were an affront to the public conscience. This is much
  more serious as it means the Post Office knew they should not be bringing the
  prosecutions but chose to do so anyway. The Post Office is resisting Limb 2 in all
  but 4 of the 42 convictions before the Court.

Also it should be noted that 6 former Postmasters have already had their convictions
overturned last December at Southwark Crown Court. These cases had been referred by
the CCRC and were heard at the Crown Court rather than the Court of Appeal as the 6
Postmasters were originally convicted at magistrates Courts. Crucially the Post Office did
not contest any of the appeals. LTB 594/20 dated 14th December 2020 refers.
The Court of Appeal’s deliberations has already featured highly across mainstream
broadcasting and wider media (indeed there was a feature on yesterday’s Radio 4 Today
programme). Clearly the Post Office is under immense scrutiny once again over this
appalling scandal.

A number of journalists yesterday picked up on a damning quote from Sam Stein, QC for
some of those appealing, who said in court: “The Post Office has turned itself into the
nation’s most untrustworthy brand.”

Below are a number of relevant media links:

https://www.postofficetrial.com/2021/03/post-office-shredded-documents-and.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/22/former-subpostmasters-begincourt-appeal-to-clear-their-names

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9388775/Dozens-subpostmasters-begin-legalbid-clear-names-Court-Appeal.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/court-of-appeal-fraser-high-court-ccrc-horizonb925514.html

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/former-post-office-workers-appeal-20228482

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/post-office-turned-itself-nation-135817227.html

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252498245/Post-Office-staff-instructed-toshred-documents-that-undermined-its-claims-Horizon-was-robust

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252498067/Subpostmasters-in-Court-of-Appeal-to-end-20-year-torment

Government to Provide Funding for Historic Horizon Shortfall Scheme

Paul Scully, BEIS Minister announced last Thursday 18th March that the Government
would be providing funding for the historic shortfall scheme in relation to problems with
the Horizon system which over 2400 Postmasters have applied for. The Minister stated
“…the cost of the Scheme is beyond what the business can afford”. Below is the
full statement from Government:

Problems with the Post Office’s Horizon IT System have affected the lives and
livelihoods of many postmasters.

Over the years, the Horizon accounting system recorded shortfalls in cash in
branches. The Post Office at the time thought that some of these were caused by
postmasters, and this led to dismissals, recovery of losses by POL and, in some
instances, criminal prosecutions.

A group of 555 of these postmasters, led by former postmaster Alan Bates, brought
a group litigation claim against the Post Office in 2016. It is clear from the findings
of Mr Justice Fraser, just how wrong Post Office was in its relationship with
postmasters and that there were clear failings with the Horizon system.

The Government pays tribute to those postmasters and colleagues across the House
who continue to shine a spotlight on such an important issue.

The Post Office reached a full and final settlement with claimants in the group
litigation in December 2019 and apologised for its past failings. That settlement was
an important step towards addressing the wrongs of the past, but it was only the
start of a long journey for the Post Office to repair and strengthen the relationship
with postmasters.

As part of the settlement the Post Office agreed to set up the Historical Shortfall
Scheme. The Scheme was open to current and former postmasters who did not
participate in the group litigation claim against Post Office and did not have a criminal
conviction, but who may have experienced and repaid Horizon shortfalls. It is
therefore an important step in making sure that all those who were affected have the
opportunity to seek resolution.

The Scheme closed in August 2020 and received over 2,400 applications. This
number was higher than the Post Office had anticipated when the Scheme was
established. All of these applications of course need to be properly assessed.

The Post Office is committed to the successful delivery and timely completion of the
Historical Shortfall Scheme. However, the cost of the Scheme is beyond what the
business can afford.

The Government will therefore provide sufficient financial support to Post Office to
ensure that the Scheme can proceed, based on current expectations of the likely
cost. The BEIS Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is
providing this support in his capacity as sole shareholder in the Post Office.

There are two reasons this is being done.

First, we must ensure that those postmasters who have applied to this scheme are
able to seek redress. By supporting the Scheme, we will make it possible for these
postmasters to be fairly compensated.

Second, we must protect the post office network. As we have seen through the
pandemic, it provides essential services to citizens across the country.

Without this support the Post Office would be unable to deliver fully the Historical
Shortfall Scheme and it would be unable to continue to operate its network as we
know it today. This is a critical intervention that benefits current and former
postmasters and the millions of customers that rely on their local post office branch.

The final cost of delivering the Historical Shortfall Scheme will be determined over
the coming months, including through the work of an Independent Panel. This
support will ensure that postmasters are appropriately compensated, however we
will not spend more of taxpayer’s money than is necessary to ensure the Scheme
meets its objectives.

The Post Office is rightly contributing what it can from its own resources to the
delivery of the Scheme.

While it is important that the Scheme remains independent of Government it is also
important that this shareholder support delivers Value for Money. The Government
is confident that the controls in place in the design of the Historical Shortfall Scheme
will make sure this is the case.

The Post Office will make the first offers to applicants shortly. However, given the
number of applications it will take time to work through all the claims that Post Office
has received. The Government would therefore like to thank postmasters in advance
for their patience and reassure them that their claims will be properly handled.

The Horizon dispute has affected the lives of too many people and supporting the
Scheme operated by Post Office will help them right the wrongs of the past.
We must also ensure that a situation like this can never be allowed to occur again.
That is why this Government has asked Sir Wyn Williams to lead the Post Office
Horizon IT Inquiry.

Sir Wyn’s Inquiry will work to fully understand what happened, gather available
evidence and ensure lessons have been learnt so that this cannot occur again. It will
also look specifically at whether the Historical Shortfall Scheme is being properly
delivered. The Government looks forward to receiving Sir Wyn’s report in the
Summer.

This announcement also attracted media attention on the day such as the following stories
in Computer Weekly and the Daily Mail:

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252498087/Government-to-bail-out-Post-Office-which-cant-afford-to-pay-compensation-to-subpostmasters

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9378827/Taxpayer-foot-bill-Post-Office-fiascopredicted-run-hundreds-millions.html

In conclusion, it is clear that the scale of this scandal is huge and, if the Post Office was a
private company, it would to all intents and purposes be bankrupt and calling in the
receivers. This is why the Government has had to step in and underwrite reparations for
the historical shortfall scheme. We can only assume that the overall compensation linked
to this scheme is enormous bearing in mind that the Post Office reached an out of court
settlement with the Justice for SubPostmasters Alliance (JFSA) of c.£58m in December
2019. It should also be noted that the Post Office has yet to publish its Annual Report &
Accounts for 2019/20 and will need to do so by the end of this month. Clearly it was
unable to do this previously, until the Government committed to the bail-out. We will of
course be scrutinising the Report & Accounts very carefully as the £58m doesn’t include
the Post Office’s legal costs.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 116/21 – Post Office – Postmasters – Horizon Inquiry – Court of Appeal and Government Bail-Out for Historical Shortfall Scheme

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Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 31 – March-April 2021

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 founder GJA Secretary and Newsletter editor was Graham Petersen who 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 and the successful TUC Occupational Health & Safety Diploma Course. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post and has been a visitor and guest speaker at CWU events and meetings. After 30 Editions, Graham stood down at the GJA AGM on 2 February and has handed over to Paul Atkin as newsletter editor and Tahir Latif as GJA Secretary. Graham remains a GJA Steering Group member. The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department would like to thank Graham for his excellent and dedicated work and input over the years on health, safety & environmental issues and campaigning and we wish him and his successors well in the future.

A copy of the GJA Newsletter No. 31 is attached.

Newsletter 31 looks at:

• Green Jobs – the failings of the budget – the FOE Apprenticeship Report – Parliamentary inquiry and GND campaign,
• Introduction to the new TUC officers for industry and climate and a model for training on organising for just transition in workplaces from the Wales TUC,
• Debating points on Net Zero v Zero Carbon, Climate jobs vs Green jobs and airport expansion,
• Links to studies on clean air and low emissions zone regulations,
• A roadmap to the COP (annual UN climate change conference). COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and the summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty that came into force in 1994).

Contents of GJA Newsletter No 31:

1. Editorial: Budget. Where are the Green Jobs?
2. Green Jobs and Skills
3. TUC appoints Policy Officers for Industry and Climate
4. Fight the Fire Book Review
5. Challenging bad air inside and outside the workplace
6. Leeds Bradford Airport: Fight the expansion
7. New resource – Greener workplaces for a just transition
8. The Roadmap to the COP
9. GJA AGM

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 117/21 – Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 31 – March-April 2021

GJA-Newsletter-31-MarApril-2021

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Joint Statement between RM National Distribution and the CWU on the Deployment of the 2020/21 National Network Revision – Update

The above Joint Statement communicated to Branches in LTB 056/21 detailed the process for the progression of the National Network Review. Stage 1 of the process, Data Gathering commenced on the 15th February 2021 and concluded on the 26th February. 

The expectation when the Joint Statement was concluded was that in line with previous National Revisions, Stage 2 of the process, the National review of the first cut Paragon outputs would follow immediately, however Royal Mail have informed the department that circumstances this year have resulted in an unavoidable delay.

We are informed that the data gathering process has exposed significant data gaps in the National Road Service List (RSL) data bank, due to the amount of change in Network volume and volumetric during the last year as a result of the Covid -19 pandemic and the associated changes in customer habits. The potential base RSL is in the region of 30k hours greater than the one used in the last Network review in 2018 with substantial increases in customer collections and the number of DO Feeder runs performed by National Distribution.

Royal Mail have indicated that updating the RSL in preparation for the running of Paragon has proved difficult to the point that rebuilding the RSL is easier than updating the previous version.

Given the above the release of the first cut Paragon outputs has been delayed and is now anticipated to be completed in mid-April. The process will recommence from that point in line with the Joint Statement.

The department has reminded Royal Mail of the agreed timelines signed up to in the Pathway to Change agreement to the deployment of the revision and the delivery of the SWW, equivalent benefit and impressed on the company our concern at the delay and our aspiration to reduce any delay to a minimum.

Further updates will be provided as the revised timeline is confirmed.

For the avoidance of doubt this delay only affects the National Distribution (Network) Review. 

Data Gathering has been completed at most Area Distribution sites and arrangements are being progressed to move to PAD Revision proposals on a site by site basis, as soon as the completed RSL information is available.

The department has been receiving some enquiries in relation to the commencement of the local discussions on the Network Review. We would therefore request that Branches and Representatives use the contents of this LTB to update our Network Professional Driver members on the current status of the activity.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 233.15

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 115/21

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Online Activity & Rally – UN Anti-Racism Day

On March 20th, 2021, UN Anti-Racism Day of events will take place in cities, communities and online events around the world organised by Stand Up To Racism and supported by the TUC.

At 1PM across the country people will be Taking The Knee with a live link-up to events takingplace around the world between 1-2PM. On social media please use the following hashtags #TakeTheKnee, #WorldAgainstRacism and #KillTheBill

A National Online Rally will take place at 5PM with speakers representing communities and organisations that make up the anti-racist movement in Britain and globally. A link to the event is also on the CWU Equality Month programme of events.

The CWU has long been at the forefront of pushing a strong anti-racism message and we are encouraging our representatives to register via the eventbrite – please share and also encourage your members to do so.

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

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 114/21 – Online Activity & Rally – UN Anti-Racism Day

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Correspondence with UK Government Calling For Priority Covid-19 Vaccinations For CWU Members:

CWU/HQ has been lobbying the UK Government at both a number of Skype meetings and in correspondence for priority to be given to postal workers in the next phase of the vaccine rollout programme along with other essential workers such as the Police, emergency services workers and teachers.

The Government and government agencies have been asked to recognise that CWU members/postal workers, POL and BT workers have come through a really tough time over the last year.

As ‘essential workers’ the Royal Mail, Parcelforce, plus POL and BT workforce have worked non-stop throughout the pandemic and lockdowns with no furlough paid time off arrangements, keeping the population in touch, providing a lifeline to communities across the UK, delivering record high levels of mail, parcels, essential goods, medications, Christmas gifts etc., providing access to the new on-line market place as the high street locked down and the population turned to e-commerce and the internet market. Additionally, the Royal Mail workforce has been called upon and indeed depended on by the Government, NHS, DHSC etc., to collect and deliver millions of Covid-19 test kits.

Sadly, a number of postmen and women have died of the Covid-19 virus and tens of thousands have been infected and made very ill in many cases, some have had to fight for their lives – but still this great CWU member workforce has coped and delivered for the Government and the nation.

Attached is the Union’s latest letter to Ministers and the recently received response from the Minister’s assistant which in summary:

• Thanks the Union for the letter to Health Minister Matt Hancock.
• Understands the Union’s concerns.
• Confirms that the Government is being guided by the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the Chief Scientific Adviser, Chief Medical Officer and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about which groups of people should be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccines.
• The collective conclusion of these experts is that the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to prioritise vaccinations of people by age.
• The experts have additionally concluded that targeted vaccination priority to occupational groups at higher risk of exposure would not be as effective in reducing deaths and hospitalisations as direct protection of those at higher risk of serious disease and an age-based programme.
• Delivery of a programme targeting occupations such as postal workers, Police, emergency services etc., would be operationally very complex and would risk slowing down the pace of the vaccination programme.
• An age-based programme will still protect individuals (such as postal workers) working in jobs with a potentially higher risk of exposure to the virus, with the most vulnerable in those occupations vaccinated first.
• Finally, the Government is making excellent progress with over 24million first dose vaccinations given to the most vulnerable and those who care for them, and the programme is on track to meet vaccination of all adults by the end of July.

Attachments: 

Copies of most recent letter to Health Minister and Reply.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

21LTB113 Correspondence with UK Government Calling For Priority Covid-19 Vaccinations For CWU Members

Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP

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Workers Memorial Day 2021 – 28 April 2021

What is IWMD?

Every year on April 28th, all around the world the trade union movement unites to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD21). As in past years, since its inception, the CWU once again gives its full support to WMD.

We remember those who have lost their lives at work, or from work-related injury and diseases. We renew our efforts to organise collectively to prevent more deaths, injuries and disease as a result of work. We organise in their memory.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government. In January 2010 the then UK Labour Government’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper announced that following a public consultation exercise which attracted a large number of responses, the overwhelming majority of which were strongly supportive of the proposal that the UK will officially recognise Workers Memorial Day, and that recognition will take formal effect on 28 April 2010, the international day of action for safety and health at work.

The WMD theme for 2021: “Health and Safety Is A Fundamental Workers’ Right”

Each year, the International Trades Union Congress decides on a theme for Workers’ Memorial Day:

This year, the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic has exposed an occupational health crisis in many workplaces around the world where workers are denied basic health and safety protections. We in the CWU have continued to prioritise the health and safety of our members and the vital importance of safety reps and safety committees including ‘Covid-Safe’ policies and practices during this last, challenging pandemic.

Many workers in many countries however don’t have the protection the need and deserve and many are wrongly victimisation for raising health and safety concerns The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reports that across the world, every day, people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases – more than 2.8 million deaths per year. Additionally, there are some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries each year.

The ILO aims to create worldwide awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries and diseases and to place the health and safety of all workers on the international agenda to stimulate and support practical action at all levels.

The pandemic demonstrates why health and safety must be a right for everyone who works. Illness anywhere threatens illness everywhere. Unions secured agreement at the International Labour Conference in 2019 that occupational health and safety should be recognised as an International Labour Organisation (ILO) fundamental right at work – the decent, universally accepted and binding rights protecting all workers, everywhere. The ILO Centenary Declaration accepts “safe and healthy working conditions are fundamental to decent work”.

On Tuesday 28th April, the trade union movement marks International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD20). This year, the number of people who have died in work will be far higher because of Coronavirus. Unions will be marking a minute’s silence at 11am on Tuesday 28^thApril to remember every worker who has died from the disease.

On 28 April 2021, unions can send a message that health and safety protection at work must be recognised as a right for all. Whether it is Covid or occupational cancers, or workplace injuries and industrial diseases, every worker should have a right to a voice and a right to protection. No-one should have to die to make a living.

How can people take part?

Workers’ Memorial Day 2021 public events for April 28th won’t be possible because of measures to contain Coronavirus/Covid-19. But marking International Workers Memorial Day has never been more important for workers lives and health and those of our families and communities. The TUC has suggested a range of ways to mark this year’s Workers Memorial Day. To spread awareness for #IWMD the TUC have produced a range of graphics for you to use and distribute. This campaign pack includes a selection of images to use on social media, and posters for you to print at home or print professionally. Details of actions and resources for the day can be found on the TUC’s dedicated website page. Follow this link for more details and resources: https://www.tuc.org.uk/international-workers-memorial-day-iwmd

Workers’ Memorial Day Posters

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has arranged for posters to be printed to publicise the day.  These will be distributed to branches and will be arriving by post in the next few days. A pdf downloadable version is attached to this LTB.

REMEMBER THE DEAD AND FIGHT FOR THE LIVING

The TUC, CWU and other affiliated Trade Unions will fight to maintain the memory of every workers’ life lost. We all fight for the justice of our colleagues, friends, and families. And we continue to fight for a future where no worker must risk their health or their life when going about their job.

Any enquiries relating to this LTB should be directed to Dave Joyce (djoyce@cwu.org).

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

21LTB112 Workers Memorial Day 2021 – 28 April 2021

Workers Memorial Day 2021

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Delivery of Material for May 6^th 2021 Elections – National Agreement

Branches will recall that LTB 166/19 detailed the arrangements for the delivery of Election Material and the increase to the Unit Payments in that regard. Also included in the letter from the Royal Mail National Delivery Director was a commitment to further review the payments going forward.

Branches will obviously be only too aware of the magnitude of events over the two years since that agreement was made. We have of course seen an unprecedented pandemic that has resulted in the way we all work and live being very much turned on its head. Whilst in recent weeks we have seen some letter volume return, overall there has been an advanced reduction in letter traffic and a seismic increase in parcels which has had the effect of changing the dynamic of the content of daily workloads, along with the current Covid operational arrangements in place, rendering it almost unrecognisable from those which were in place just two short years ago.

Additionally, we are now at the beginning of a period of significant change in Delivery Offices, whereupon all units will be undergoing revision activity leading to a reduction in the working week by October this year. Taking forward the significant commitments within the Pathway to Change Agreement and the discussions relating to this, have contributed in a major way to the ability to conduct a review of Election Material Payments being undertaken, notwithstanding the question of whether now is actually the correct time to do so in view of those aspects as outlined above.

That position will of course be kept under review going forward, upon the very much hoped for road to recovery from the pandemic and in the longer term, once the effect of the impact on the operation also begins to settle.

We have discussed with Royal Mail the major Election events due to take place on May 6th and attach for Branches the appropriate information.  The details of such are contained within the letter from Royal Mail. In addition, we also attach the National Agreement on the Delivery of Election Material for your continued information.

The below elections are taking place as follows:

• Scottish Parliament (Electing 129 MSPs (73 Constituents and 56 Regional Representatives)
• Welsh Assembly (Electing 60 MSs (40 Constituents and 20 Regional Representatives)
• London Assembly (Electing 25 AMs (14 Constituents and 11 Regional Representatives)
• London Mayor
• Regional Mayors (12 in total) Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, Bristol, Liverpool, Salford, Cambridge and Peterborough, West of England, West Yorkshire, Doncaster and North Tyneside
• Local Elections (154 in total including 119 postponed from 2020)
• Police and Crime Commissioners (41 Police Authorities in England and Wales)

To assist Branches with any questions on what ‘does and does not’ attract payment, the department have summarised the following:

• All Poll Cards attract the Unit Payments
• D2D items do not attract the payments
• Postal Ballot Packs do not attract the payments
• Candidate literature both addressed and unaddressed, which is identified accordingly will attract the payments – Candidate mail is expected in Scotland and Wales only
• Materials attracting unit payments and posted in traffic streams such as Retail/ DSA/wholesale should be delivered in line with normal delivery product specification standards, although where this is not possible due to local circumstances, sensible conversations should take place between the individual and their manager (with CWU Local Rep if required) to agree alternative solutions inclusive of other means of delivery or carrying over to the next day etc.
• Claiming of pressure overtime is not permitted for delivery of Election Material. This does not detract from claiming of overtime for normal excess mails on delivery

Hopefully the confirmation of these arrangements will be timely for the commencement of despatching arrangements for the materials linked to the forthcoming elections.

Any enquiries should be addressed to the Outdoor Department reference number 535.09, email address –sfishwick@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch
CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 111-21 Election material 18.03.21

Delivery of Election Material National Agreement

Letter to Mark Baulch 17_03_21

LTB 666.19 – Delivery of Election Material – National Agreement and Revised Unit Payment

Embedded document for LTB 666-19

Joint Statement Parcelforce Worldwide and the Communication Workers Union:

Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Guidelines for the Deployment of Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) in PFW

Branches and representatives will be aware that Section 2.3 of the Pathway to Change Agreement committed both parties to integrated discussions on the change agenda for Parcelforce and the enablers for the deployment of the Shorter Working Week.

For Depot Grades the Joint Statement: Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Change Agenda for the Technology Roadmap and Indoor and Admin Revision Activity in Depots and the Deployment of the SWW has been communicated via LTB 109/21. 

The activity for PFW detailed in the aforementioned LTB, details the Technology Roadmap that is being utilised in relation to C&D elements, which includes Planning Values (PV) and Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB). In addition, reference is also made to an agreed Joint Statement on Guidelines for the Deployment of Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA). The Postal Executive has endorsed the Joint Statement and a copy of the document is attached for your information. 

Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) technology is built on the same platform as PDA Outdoor Actuals, which is utilised in the RM Letters function. This technology provides geospatial information to enable a visual debrief to take place once a route has been completed. Parcelforce believe that the introduction of the technology will allow the business to use the data produced to significantly improve the quality of route structures, by identifying anomalies which address recognition and sequencing.

For the department, the priority in relation to what is largely tried and tested technology is to ensure that the de-brief process remains supportive and that the significant safeguards contained in current Parcelforce technology agreements are retained in full.

To this end the following safeguards have been secured:

 The activity will require no direct input from the driver, but will improve the quality of information available for de-brief activity. 

 De- brief activity will remain Peer to Peer. 

 Individual PRA data will remain confidential and will not be shared beyond the de-briefer, the Driver and the line management team. 

 Individual PRA Data will not be published or displayed anywhere outside the console. 

 The deployment of this new technology upgrade will be in line with the established principles defined in the 2011 “The Use of Intermec CN3 Scanners” agreement including: 

•  The right to privacy in the workplace.
•  No use of the data for individual performance management.
•  No use of the data for conduct code procedures.

 PRA will not be used automatically to update Planning Values (PVs). 

PRA will be deployed at all Depots in conjunction with the commencement of pilot activity in relation to the other elements of the Technology Roadmap (LTB 109/21 refers).

The deployment of PRA will continue to be monitored at National level by the ‘Table of Success’ Joint Working Group. A formal review will be provided to the National negotiators of this agreement within three months of initial roll out detailing any improvement recommendations.

Joint launch activity took place on 17 March 2021 for the sites involved in the pilot activity and it will also be the department’s intention to arrange a virtual Parcelforce Representative’s Briefing to enable discussion and full understanding of the commitments in the Joint Statement. Arrangements will be communicated as soon as they are finalised.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 054.06

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

21LTB110

Attachment 1 – JS on Guidelines on the deployment of PRA 17.03.21

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Joint Statement – Parcelforce Worldwide and the Communication Workers Union:

Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Change Agenda for the Technology Roadmap and Indoor and Admin Revision Activity in Depots and the Deployment of the SWW

Branches and representatives will be aware that Section 2.3 of the Pathway to Change Agreement contained a clear commitment by Royal Mail Group to the Parcelforce Worldwide brand and operational structure, while recognising the significant commercial and economic challenges the business faces. Parcelforce and the CWU therefore committed to progress integrated discussions building on the outstanding commitments in the 2018 Guiding Principles agreement and the change agenda and productivity improvements developed during the National talks leading to the Pathway to Change agreement.

The department has therefore been engaged in intense discussions with the business to ensure that these commitments can be delivered, in line with the timescales in the P2C agreement.

Discussions have now concluded with a Joint Statement being agreed and endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy of which is attached.

In summary the Joint Statement details the activity specific to our members based in the Depot operation, which includes the deployment of the technology flightpath in PFW and the completion of revision activity in the Depot Indoor and Admin/Customer Experience functions.

The attached Joint Statement defining the Technology Roadmap and Indoor revision activity confirms the delivery of the 2nd hour of the SWW for all Depot employees in line with the timeline for the full deployment of the Technology Roadmap currently targeted for Monday, 31st May 2021.

The Technology Roadmap now consists of three elements

•  Planning Values (PV’s) 
•  Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) 
•  Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB) 

Planning Values

Colleagues will recall that the 2018 Guiding Principles agreement included a review of all Planning Values. The work on the Outdoor (C&D) values was completed in 2019 but was not deployed as we entered dispute with the company. The revised values are based on IE measurement but now include bespoke rather than average walking time.

Work has also continued on the under the roof (UTR) values to ensure that all work performed by C&D drivers prior to departure is accounted for and has appropriate time assigned to it. In line with the deployment plan the revised Planning Values will be deployed across the Depot network on a phased basis. This excludes 7.5t Bulk routes at this time as work continues on PV’s for this activity.

On deployment road speeds which had been increased during lockdown will also revert to the standard allowance.

Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA)

PRA technology is built on the same platform as PDA Outdoor Actuals (OA) which is in use in the RM Letters function. This technology provides geospatial information, to enable a visual debrief to take place once the route is complete. This PRA technology will be deployed across the Depot network supported by agreed guidelines on the use of the data, which will be communicated via LTB 110/21). PRA will be enabled on Monday, 22nd March 2021.

Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB)

PRB is a solution to objectively assess workload on each PFW route before departure. It uses the REX system (inc. updated PVs) to calculate total workload demand versus available hours and allows the route to be topped-up/stripped-back as necessary.

It is hoped that PRB will remove the current frustration associated with legacy BSI “targets” and stop C&D drivers being scheduled beyond normal duty times. It will provide a standard non-optional National process for workload management, which is jointly owned by local CWU Representatives and PFW Managers.

As noted above, in addition to the current standard 15 minutes Under the Roof (UTR) time, an allowance has been developed for each depot based on the level of loading activity performed by drivers. This time allowance will be allocated in PRB.

Deployment Plan

While the department believes that there are some clear benefits both recognise that the Technology Roadmap constitutes a significant change to current arrangements and will require a phased and measured approach to deployment, to ensure that any technical issues can be identified and addressed and drivers can be fully supported throughout the process.

We have therefore agreed a phased approach with pilot activity at the front end to ensure that the introduction is technically sound and that routing anomalies can be addressed systematically to reduce any adverse aspects. To support this approach, guidelines for the change will be developed through the pilot activity.

The detail of the Pilot activity at 5 depots in Phase 1 and the subsequent roll out across four additional phases is laid out in the Joint Statement and displayed in the Annexe to the Joint Statement.

In effect in each phase PV’s will be enabled and PRB run in the background and jointly monitored for a period prior to full deployment. Following deployment of PRB any increase in workload will be managed through a 5-week flightpath, i.e. if a route had an increase of 10 stops the workload would be increased by 2 stops per week over a flightpath.

Both parties recognise that post departure ad-hoc collections are not currently being performed, however through the joint analysis conducted in preparation for the introduction of the Technology Roadmap it has been identified that a significant number of items are currently not captured by the REX auto manifest. While joint activity will focus on ensuring that all items are brought in scope, for the purposes of the pilot activity an ad-hoc time allowance will be applied to all routes. This time allowance will be based on the current average of out of scope items at each depot.

Revision Activity – Depot Indoor Warehousing, Admin and Customer Experience

The Joint Statement details the agreed change agenda and revision activity for the other Depot functions. In all cases assuming that the scoping work has been completed and a commitment given to an agreed outcome in each depot, the 2nd hour reduction in the SWW will be deployed for all Depot employees simultaneously. This may be in advance of the deployment of the Indoor change.

Deployment of the Shorter Working Week

It has been agreed that the deployment of the plan will deliver the SWW for all Depot employees. The business had indicated that they wished to deploy an equivalent benefit however the department has been successful in pressing for the reduction in time. Detailed guidelines will be produced to ensure that local Managers and Representatives are given clear guidance on options to remove the time, which ensures that the benefit is received in full while avoiding the conversion of standard time to overtime or Scheduled Attendance.

Remaining Functions – Hubs/Processing Centres

Further National discussions are at an advanced stage to define the change agenda for the Coventry National and International Hubs and Processing Centres to enable the SWW reduction in line with the timelines defined in the Pathway to Change Agreement. Further updates will be provided, when those discussions have been concluded.

Joint launch activity took place on 17 March 2021 for the sites involved in the pilot activity and it will also be the department’s intention to arrange a virtual Parcelforce Representative’s Briefing to enable discussion and full understanding of the commitments in the Joint Statement. Once arrangements have been finalised they will be communicated.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 054.06.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

21LTB109

Attachment 1 – Joint Statement – Parcelforce – Depot Change Agenda and SWW 17.03.21

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