TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU IN RELATION TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF PHOTO ON DELIVERY

Branches and representatives will be aware that since the start of pandemic in March 2020 signature on delivery has been suspended in Parcelforce. However, 95% of Parcelforce deliveries require a signature and since this approach has been adopted delivery denials have increased by over 50% leading to a significant increase in compensation claims.  During this period other carriers have developed the use of photo on delivery and have reported a significant reduction in customer enquiries, complaints and compensation claims.

The ongoing Covid-19 related restrictions have increased the need for PFW to develop contactless delivery options, which provides proof of delivery and improves the safety of Parcelforce drivers and customers.  Equally, there is a growing demand from posting customers to provide evidence that their consignments have been delivered.

Discussions have therefore been taking place with PFW in regard to pilot activity relating to a photo on delivery process, which can be used instead of a signature being required at the point of delivery.  A Terms of Reference has now been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy of which is attached for information.

Colleagues will note that subject to the required technological changes being made to the PDA’s the pilot activity is anticipated to commence at Cleveland Depot on the 12^th July 2021 and will be jointly monitored via the Table of Success Joint Working Group process, to enable analysis of the outputs from the activity.

Subject to JWG recommendation and National sign off the remaining depots would then adopt the new process from week commencing 19^th July 2021.

Depots will be fully briefed on the changes including the following:

• Confirmation of the new delivery process and reasons for the change. Drivers will receive training on the new process and using the PDA to capture the photo.
• Clarification that photos should be taken of an open door and the parcel only. Photographs should not include an identifiable image of the customer and additional care should be taken in this regard where the parcel is accepted by a customer who may be a minor.
• Details that photos will need to be taken for all deliveries to the addressee/neighbour. This is not a requirement at Post Offices.
• Confirmation of how to deal with any customers that refuse for an image to be taken at the address (these will be treated in the same way as customers who refuse to sign for items)

The document acknowledges that there may be instances where a customer refuses, or objects to having their photo taken and includes protection for PFW drivers in such circumstances.

Subject to JWG recommendation and National sign off the remaining depots would adopt the new process from week commencing 19^th July 2021.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 111.06

Yours sincerely 

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

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TERMS OF REFERENCE BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU IN RELATION TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF PHOTO ON DELIVERY

Background

The Table of Success processes have established a structure that strengthens the partnership approach and involves the CWU in the widest set of business issues. Building on this way of working together, the following Terms of Reference support the implementation of changes to help the business deal with delivery enquiries and potential customer claims.

Introduction

Since the start of pandemic in March 2020 signature on delivery has been suspended, with drivers instead entering XP1 in the signature field on the PDA.  Since this approach has been adopted delivery denials have increased by over 50%.  During this period other carriers have developed the use of photo on delivery and have reported a significant reduction in customer enquiries, complaints and compensation claims.

The ongoing Covid-19 related restrictions have increased the need for PFW to develop contactless delivery options, which provides proof of delivery and improves the safety of Parcelforce drivers and customers.  Approx. 95% of PFW deliveries should be signature on delivery and feedback from the PFW commercial team is that they want to introduce photo on delivery at the earliest point, in order that PFW Customer Service advisors can respond to queries from customers who claim that they have not received their parcel.  Equally, there is a growing demand from posting customers to provide evidence that their consignments have been delivered.

Subject to the required IT solution being finalised PFW will introduce photo on delivery, to replace signatures, it is currently anticipated that this will take place from 19^th July 2021.  The photo will assist in dealing with customer enquiries.  Initially the photo will be provided to posting customers upon request only. Customer Service advisors will access the image via PDA front-line.  Future phases of the project will aim to add the photo to the dashboard so that customers can self-serve.

Pilot Activity 

Pilot activity associated to the introduction of the Photo on Delivery initiative will take place in line with our established Table of Success processes via the Resourcing Joint Working Group format.

The change will be deployed to the devices in the last two weeks in June in switched off state.

The process will initially be deployed at Cleveland Depot from week commencing 12^th July 2021 and will be monitored for one week by the JWG.

The JWG will collect feedback from depots on the pilot activity and tailor support to address any business or employee concerns that are identified.

It is currently anticipated that the other depots will then adopt the new process from week commencing 19^th July 2021, subject to JWG recommendation and National sign off.

Proposed Introduction of Photo on Delivery

We will ensure that depots are fully briefed on the changes, including:

• Confirmation of the new delivery process and reasons for the change. Drivers will receive training on the new process and using the PDA to capture the photo.
• Clarification that photos should be taken of an open door and the parcel only.  Photographs should not include an identifiable image of the customer and additional care should be taken in this regard where the parcel is accepted by a customer who may be a minor.
• Details that photos will need to be taken for all deliveries to the addressee/neighbour. This is not a requirement at Post Offices.
• Confirmation of how to deal with any customers that refuse for an image to be taken at the address (these will be treated in the same way as customers who refuse to sign for items)

Once the depots/wider business has been fully briefed a change will be deployed to the PDA which after the item has been scanned, will replace the signature with a photo screen.

When the photo on delivery function is introduced, we will jointly monitor via the Table of Success Joint Working Group process, the following:

• Actual time taken to take photos; the initial assessment is that it takes no longer than signature. It has been agreed however that should additional time be required it will be added to the current PV’s, although current PV’s will not be reduced as a result of the introduction of this initiative.
• Improvement to customer enquiries, obtaining feedback from Customer Experience
• Customer feedback
• Feedback from depots and identify any improvement opportunities

It is acknowledged that on occasions drivers may get challenged by customers on taking a photo.  Where that is the case, we will ask drivers to politely advise the customer that they are requested to take a photo as proof of delivery, but where the customer refuses items will be returned to sender.

It is jointly recognised, that there could be instances where a customer may object or refuse to allow the driver to take a photo.   It is also recognised that with SOP’s adjusted due to current social distancing arrangements Drivers may not be able to retain the parcel.  Should this arise then under no circumstances should the driver become involved in a confrontation with the customer.  The driver should however report the incident to the De-briefer on return to the depot.  The driver will not be held responsible for the customer behaviour in such circumstances.

 Any questions of interpretation, implementation or application of this Terms of Reference shall be referred to the signatories as a matter of urgency and will be dealt with inside the provisions of the appropriate industrial relations framework.

Jamie Stephenson                                      Davie Robertson

Parcel Operations Director                      CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 287/21

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ROYAL MAIL: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CE) – TEMPORARY INCREASE IN RESOURCING

Branches are advised that there will be a temporary increase to resourcing in Customer Experience to support the operation over the summer period.  The following Joint Statement highlights this positive development and also outlines the progress made in some of our Joint Working Groups linked to the Pathway to Change Agreement and the CE Refocus plan:

Dear Colleague,

 Temporary increase in resourcing

 As we start our journey on the CE refocus we thought it was important to provide a resourcing update which will support our operation and will hopefully ensure a better quality of service for our customers and in turn relieve pressure on you.

 In recent weeks we’ve explained our thinking regarding our refocus plan.  Following delivery of the Shorter Working Week, our attention has turned to the 6 strands of our refocus plan and our Joint Working Groups, that will help shape the necessary changes.  With any change plan it’s important to prepare for transition and resource appropriately.  We are therefore pleased to announce the following temporary resource measures to support our plans over the coming months:

 New Fixed Term Contracts (FTCs) – 15 agency workers have been converted to FTCs (in Dearne, Plymouth and Stoke).

 New agency – Over the coming weeks 103 Summer agency will be arriving to support our peak annual leave and to help facilitate term time.

 This is welcomed news for everyone in CE and although the additional support is being put in our Dearne, Doxford, Plymouth and Stoke sites, this will have a positive impact on our teams in Bangor and Glasgow as well and the work they do.

 You are encouraged to get involved and share your thoughts and ideas.

 Now that our Joint Working Groups are up and running you can expect to hear more about how you can get involved.

Planning for our extended opening hours pilot is well underway with more information being made available to the relevant teams in WTL’s over the next few weeks.  We’d encourage you to get involved if you can and support the pilot to help us gain the insight we need to create our optimum future working model.

 The Home/Office hybrid Joint Working Group has also met a number of times and an important communication will be coming out to you in due course from this group.

We hope you find these updates useful and they give comfort that all aspects of change are being jointly considered, including any impacts.  CE has lots of change ahead, but it is also an exciting opportunity to do things differently and for you to be part of shaping our future.

 As always thank you for your continued hard work and the care you give to our customers every day.  Please let us know if you have any comments on these matters by emailing CE.Enquiries.Inbox@royalmail.com

Kind regards,

Susan Howlett                                                      Andy Furey  

CE Director                                                           CWU Assistant Secretary

Our Representatives will continue to engage with management on each of the six Joint Working Groups over the coming weeks and further developments will be reported as appropriate.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 288/21 – Royal Mail – Customer Experience (CE) – Temporary Increase in Resourcing

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Joint Communication From Royal Mail And The CWU Regarding The Deployment Of Scan In Scan Out (SISO) In Processing Functions

Branches and representatives will be aware that activity that has been taking place in relation to the deployment of Scan In Scan Out (SISO), formally known as Automated Hours Data Capture (AHDC).

Attached for information is an agreed Joint Communication, to provide an update on activity that has been taking place in the processing functions. Colleagues will note that attached to the document are Processing Deployment Guidelines (Annex A). Also attached is FAQ sheet which details questions and responses from Joint Launch activity that took place on the 1^stJuly 2021 (Annex B).

In terms of the Processing Deployment Guidelines, extensive discussions have taken place to conclude the document, which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive.

The Processing Deployment Guidelines document recognises the key principles and enablers for the introduction of the SISO equipment focusing on the reason for deployment, the protection of individual’s privacy and supporting consultation and negotiation as outlined in the Industrial Relations Framework.  Commitment has also been obtained from RM that SISO data will be used in compliance with Royal Mail policies and GDPR regulations and the contents and spirit and intent of the 2018 Guiding Principles.

The document highlights that joint working at sites must commence at the start point for deployment activity and be maintained throughout.  Both parties should take joint ownership of all steps and in doing so ensure the following:

• Scan In/Scan Out will be the underlying technology tool used as the automated solution for employees to log in and out when an individual starts/finishes work and capture collective hours of attendance. Scans will only be required from employees aligned to the unit. This must include everyone who performs operational work, including those attending for OT/Rehab duties from other sites. Employees based at distant units will not be required to scan in or out when visiting the site as part of their duties.
• The automated solution across all Mail Centres and RDCs is consoles. However, there may be some large Parcel Sort Centres and Hubs (NDC and future hubs) where, due to the number of people and site layout, Speedstiles may be installed. National Joint Working Group will agree the list of all units with their unit specific automated solution i.e. Consoles or Speedstiles. This list will form part of this TOR as an Annexe A.
• The location of consoles and Speedstiles will be agreed locally, by the CWU and RM, before the design is finalised and signed off by the Plant Manager.
• The use of Speedstiles at any site will be for the express purpose of signing in at the start of the duty and signing out at the end of the duty and where possible, will be located close to the unit’s primary entry/exit point.
• Speedstiles will not act as a barrier or be used to record or control the movement of employees within the confines of the building during their shift.
• Only start and finish scans will be displayed on the dashboard to support resourcing arrangements. In-between scans will be discarded. No local manager will have access to any data other than individual’s start and finish time.
• Movement between work areas and time on / off the operational floor will not be monitored / captured via SISO and manual processes will continue as current.
• Consoles will be placed at an appropriate location agreed locally, preferably near existing signing on areas and/or close to the route to entry and exit to the operational floor. At sites included in the original AHDC TOR, i.e. PRDC, Greenford and Warrington, Speedstiles will be removed in line with the principles agreed this TOR.
• Agency consoles will be installed for the use of agency and casual workers; installation locations will be agreed locally.
• Local plans must be deployed in such a way that all employees feel respected and trusted coupled with their privacy being honoured. At no point must employees feel contained on the operational floor or being monitored, in line with the agreement. Therefore, joint local communication and engagement plans will be deployed in advance of the installation. This will inform our employees of the objectives of the project, what changes to expect on site and ensure they are aware of how to provide feedback to the project team.
• It is the responsibility of every RM employee to record their attendance by actively scanning in and out when they start and finish work. RM and CWU will work together to promote participation to ensure scan compliance is 100%.
• Installation plan to be jointly risk assessed.
• All Communications and engagement activities to be jointly agreed.
• The SISO project deployment lead will attend each unit and ensure co-ordination of all activities and report regularly to the Plant Manager and Local CWU representative on progress/issues for resolution.
• Ensure contractors fully understand locally agreed plan of installations; any input, advice or caution from contractors to be addressed jointly.

To support the deployment activity, each unit will be required to conduct a post implementation review twelve weeks after commencement of SISO.  This activity will enable joint analysis and assess whether the local deployment plan is achieving SISO’s agreed key principles, the quality of data being produced, start and finish scanning compliance and detail any learnings from the activity.

The department believes that the attached document now provides robust guidance for our representatives in the processing functions covered and ensures full CWU involvement from the earliest opportunity in relation to the SISO activity. 

Please note that separate discussions are currently taking place in relation to SISO activity in Delivery Offices and therefore the attached documentation is applicable only to the processing functions.  

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 733.03

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 285/21

Annex A – Joint Comms & Annex A – 06.07.21 (Signed)

Annex B – Processing SISO FAQs

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Dog Law for Professionals Seminars 2021 – Focusing on Criminal and Civil Dog Law:

Specialist dog law solicitor Trevor Cooper has contacted the Health, Safety & Environment Department to announce that with Covid lockdown restrictions now easing, he is proposing to run a new ‘Dog Law for Professionals’ seminar tour which will look at key dog law subject matter and current dog law developments and hot topics. Trevor wishes to gauge the level of interest and demand.

These highly recommended UK dog law seminars are hosted by the UK’s top dog law lawyer Trevor Cooper. Trevor Cooper (Solicitor) is the well-known principal lawyer of Cooper & Co. (Solicitors).

The dates for the new proposed professional dog law seminars tour for 2021 are:

• 1st November – London
• 2nd November – Bristol
• 3rd November – Manchester
• 4th November – Harrogate

The seminars cover a range of subject matter e.g.; Dangerous Dogs, Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, Dogs Act 1871, Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1965, The Law on Strays, Animal Welfare Law etc.

Seminars will cost £120 to attend.

Any CWU Rep interested in attending or for further information please send Doglaw Ltd an email to: info@doglaw.co.uk to express your interest or they can be contacted on 0800 999 3647.

These seminars are organised by Doglaw Ltd and are aimed at entertaining the audience as well as to educate and inform. The feedback received from these talks is consistently positive and that they represent good value for money. No prior legal knowledge is required so go along and learn!

Trevor Cooper’s seminars are recommended by the Health, Safety & Environment Department

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 284/21 – Dog Law for Professionals Seminars 2021 – Focusing on Criminal and Civil Dog Law

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UPDATE ON CWU ANTI-RACISM WORK

The purpose of this LTB is to update branches on the progress with the CWU Anti-Racism Statement and set out our next steps.

As set out in LTB 213/21, we produced this initiative in response to the TUC and Stand Up to Racism’s call for a one-off demonstration of taking the knee in workplaces.  We decided instead to produce a statement that called out racism and set out our values as an organisation to build a foundation upon which we could further engage members on our anti-racism work.

To date, we have had an excellent response from across the union to the statement, with over 12,000 CWU members voluntarily signing up.

The CWU Anti-Racism Statement is one of several important interventions that the union has made in recent years. These include:

• Achieving by far our biggest ever turnout at any national Anti-Racism demo
• Selling over 1500 CWU Anti-Racism football shirts in conjunction with Show Racism the Red Card and Fairshare
• Holding a very successful first ever live Facebook session directly with members

The above actions, in addition to the work of our Branches and the union’s historical activity in this area, has put CWU in the forefront of the trade union movement when it comes to anti-racism activities.

The NEC has now agreed to build on this foundation by developing a more robust day-to-day strategy, taking it out into the regions and branches. This will include educational and engagement activities, as well as further events and communications – all aimed at expanding direct engagement in a way that builds on the values of the union.

A further paper will be brought to the next NEC meeting with more detailed plans for this approach, linking back to the commitments made in the original Anti-Racism statement that has received widespread support from across the union.

Finally, a further copy of the CWU Anti-Racism Statement is attached to this LTB and we would ask Branches to continue to work on increasing membership sign up to this.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be sent to the General Secretary’s office – jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary                                                           

Kate Hudson – Head of Equality, Education & Development
21LTB281 UPDATE ON CWU ANTI-RACISM WORK


CWU ANTI-RACIST STATEMENT

The values of a trade union bridge every divide and the CWU is a strong anti-racist organisation.

We deliver change together, we win ballots together, we take on employers together, and we will confront racism together.

Our priority is to unite working people by recognising that we share far more in common with one another than we do with those who seek to exploit and divide us.

The signatories of this statement commit to:
 

–  Calling out and challenging racism wherever we see it, in wider society or the workplace
 

–  Uniting working people, by being open to new effective approaches, including practical steps that tackle racism and all forms of injustice through the power of our collective strength

–  Promoting this statement to colleagues, friends and family – urging them to show their support.

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RMG Menopause Guide – Supporting Women Through The Menopause – Updated Guide For Managers

Updated Guide Background

LTB 149/18 announced that agreement had been reached between the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department and the Royal Mail Group Head of Health on the introduction of the first ever Royal Mail Group Menopause Guide for Managers in 2018, entitled “Supporting Women At Work Through The Menopause.” The guide has recently been updated and published in the Royal Mail Group standard format.

This guide outlines the symptoms that some women suffer when going through the menopause, how these symptoms can affect them at work, and practical advice and guidance for managers to give help and support to these women.

Expert Input To The RMG Guide

In the build-up and in preparation for the introduction of the guidance in 2018, meetings involving Royal Mail Group and the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department took place with Professor Amanda Griffiths of the Nottingham University School Of Medicine, who is an expert in the field of the menopause and author of many research studies and guidance on the issue. Professor Griffiths was also involved in the production of the 2016 “Faculty of Occupational Medicine” guidance on menopause and the workplace.  Professor Griffiths concluded that it’s good to see that menopause is increasingly being widely recognised as a potential problem and is no longer ‘taboo’.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department also met with Jeremy Bevan HSE Head of the HSE Vulnerable Workers Team in 2018. He advised that more awareness and some simple changes, many that women themselves have recommended, can make their working lives during this time much easier.

Both experts endorsed the RMG/CWU approach. 

Main Topic Areas In The Guidance:

• Overview
• What is the menopause?
• How does it affect women?
• How might it affect work?
• What do I need to do as a manager?
• Where to go for further information
• Forms

The Guidance has been placed on the Royal Mail Group Health & Wellbeing pages of the Royal Mail Group intranet with publicity through the normal Royal Mail and Parcelforce media and communication channels.

Managing An Employee’s Return To Work And Menopause

In 2018, the CWU Health Safety and Environment Department pointed out that line managers need to be trained and informed in order to be aware of how the menopause can affect work and what adjustments may be necessary to support women who are experiencing the menopause. Royal Mail Group responded positively by adding a new paragraph to their “Managing Short Term Absence & Informal Absence Review Guide” to help managers deal with absences relating to the menopause. The paragraph headed “Managing an employee’s return to work” states – “Employees may find it difficult to discuss their health concerns particularly for conditions that are of a personal nature, such as irritable bowel syndrome, the menopause or gender related health issues.

Managers should allow time and listen to the employee when having these conversations.” The emphasis is on the manager to listen and understand that this is a health condition affecting a certain age group of women where they may not be able to perform elements of their duty on a particular day but may be able to perform some other work within the office for example. This is a small but positive step, coupled with the fact that members can ask to be interviewed by someone of the same sex, and combined with the ‘Menopause at Work’ Guidance was a positive move in the right direction.

Research Reports

A 2018 ‘ComRes’ study looking at how the menopause affects women at work and in their relationships, and the treatments they found effective found:

• 70% of working women didn’t want to make their employers aware of their menopause symptoms.
• 48% felt that their mental health had suffered as a result of the menopause.
• 25% said that the menopause made them want to stay at home.

A 2018 ‘King’s College London’ study looked at how symptoms of menopause affect women’s work and careers and found women struggling with menopause symptoms. The study concluded that a simple self-help cognitive behavioural therapy programme, provided in short practical and accessible guidance on the subject and coping at work, would have a positive effect, helping to reduce the degree to which women felt their symptoms were causing them problems and improving the way in which they felt they could discuss menopause in the work place, thus challenging the stereotypical belief that women in menopause are ‘past it’. The study found many women suffering from these debilitating symptoms and feeling unsupported during the menopause with some dropping out of the work force. This natural process has been overlooked and considered a taboo for too long it concluded. Findings from the study:

• In the UK there are 4.3 million women aged 50 and over in employment. By 2020 1 in 3 UK workers will be over 50. All female workers will go through the menopause. The average age of menopause for women in the UK is 51. Some begin in their early 40’s and for others it can go on into their late 50’s and beyond.
• 3 in 4 women experience menopause symptoms and 1 in 4 of these women experience severe physical or psychological symptoms.
• 4 out of 10 women haven’t ever consulted their GP about symptoms of menopause.
• Employers should do more to provide support and better protect these women.

Websites with good Menopause advice and guidance are:

• NHS guidance on the menopause: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
• Women’s health concerns: https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/menopause/
• Menopause matters: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
• Menopause exchange: https://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk/
• Manage my menopause: https://www.managemymenopause.co.uk/

A copy of the RMG updated Menopause Managers Guide is attached.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 283/21 – RMG Menopause Guide – Supporting Women Through The Menopause – Updated Guide For Managers

Menopause Guidance

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PHASE 2 – 2021 NATIONAL RECRUITMENT EXERCISE OF LGV DRIVERS

Branches and representatives will be aware that LTB 159/21 communicated the Joint Statement Between Royal Mail National Distribution And The CWU On The 2021 National Recruitment Exercise Of LGV Drivers.  Phase 2 of the recruitment campaign had been due to commence on 14 June 2021 however unfortunately a slight delay has been experienced while the numbers and locations of vacancies were finalised by the business.

The department can inform you however that the Phase 2 activity will now commence on Monday 5^th July 2021.  The recruitment will be open to C+E licence holders (Class 1 HGV) who also hold a valid DCPC.

All applications will need to be submitted via the Royal Mail SuccessFactors platform (Annex A).

Following a number of enquiries received by the department during the Phase 1 recruitment activity we would ask that anyone interested in progressing to one of the advertised roles ensures that they have the ‘CE’ (Class 1 HGV) category on their licence.  Individuals with C, C1 or ‘C1E’ licence categories only do not hold the required qualification and will not be eligible to apply for these roles. 

We would also advise members that Royal Mail will only consider applications for the site that has been applied for during the process via SuccessFactors.  Therefore, in order to maximise the potential of progressing to a professional driving role, members are encouraged to submit applications separately for each site that that they would be interested in within the geographical area required. 

There will be c395 vacancies available for application from the 5^th July 2021 (full and part time roles).  Details of the location of the vacancies and requisition numbers for the roles are included as Annex B.  Internal candidates are requested to use these requisition numbers for applications.

Closing date for applications will be Sunday 18^th July 2021.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 211.07

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 282/21 – Phase 2 LGV Driver Recruitment (C+E Licence Holders) – 05.07.21

Annex A – SuccessFactors

Annex B – LGV Recruitment 5th July

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UPDATE ON CWU POLITICAL WORK: BUILDING COLLECTIVISM

The purpose of this LTB is to update branches on a very important policy discussion held recently at the NEC on the topic of building collectivism in society.  It is also to inform branches of our intention to engage the entire union on a major consultation regarding the union’s political work and the direction we will take going forward.

As branches know, the current political, economic, and social environment is one of the most difficult in the history of the Labour movement and the CWU is committed to facing these challenges with an equal level of ambition to deliver for our members.

As we grapple with the major challenge of building a post Covid and Brexit future, we do so knowing that there is already a deep structural imbalance of power and wealth in the world of work, how the economy operates and in the inequalities that permeate wider society.  Furthermore, the fundamental issues of how society addresses climate change and the fourth industrial revolution will also increasingly impact on the growing sense of insecurity and anxiety that people are feeling over the future.

Regrettably, at a time when the country needs transformative change, the Labour Party are arguably further away than ever from delivering this.  Although polling consistently shows that people are rightly dissatisfied with the Government’s handling of the pandemic, the Tories remain significantly ahead of Labour in the opinion polls – whilst Labour remain trapped in its “forever” factional war. Whilst we welcome Labour holding the Batley & Spen constituency, and congratulate Kim Leadbetter on her election, we must remember that this was already a Labour-held seat and that Labour lost 7.5% of its vote.  If such a result were to be replicated across the country, the Labour Party could lose a further 50 seats on top of the 2019 General Election result.

We have yet to see anybody step forward with the leadership or vision to unite the Labour movement and to chart a different course.  This is the reality of Labour’s disconnect with working people that has been decades in the making, exactly as we pointed out in the intervention we made in advance of the Hartlepool by-election.

Another crucial Labour failing has been to allow Boris Johnson and the Tories to get in front of them on their so-called levelling up agenda, confirming to the electorate not only that Labour cannot articulate what it stands for – but also that it had lost its emotional connection with its traditional supporters.

There is of course a lot of interesting analysis as to why this has happened and debates about Metropolitan elites, red wall seats, identity politics, values and culture wars are taking place across the political spectrum.

In considering the political context set out above and the divisive and polarised nature of political debate today, it’s clear that the key question facing the trade union and Labour movement is how do we unite working people and build a coalition of support across class, gender and race to deliver the changes we aspire to.

In answering this question, we believe that it’s time for trade unions to come together and set out our own distinct agenda that can lead the way forward for the whole labour movement.  This must focus on how we build collectivism to influence and shape the future that we want for our members, our families and society.  It’s about reinforcing and going further on the direction we have already taken in connecting our industrial and political work and calling for the movement to seriously get behind the New Deal for Workers campaign.  It’s also about linking up with groups and communities that have emerged from the pandemic with a strong sense of what can be achieved through collective power. 

The positive news is that this direction is gaining traction both within other trade unions and more recently within the Labour Party.  In leading on this, the CWU IS forging a route that others can follow and we have made it clear to the Labour leadership that they must focus on changing the world of work and how the economy operates.

In terms of our relationship with the Labour Party, this must now be about strengthening our support for local and regional Labour leaders who are delivering change on the ground in a way that supports our members, working people and the communities they live in.  The NEC endorsed this approach in a previous document, and it is now time to build on this in a more structured way with a deeper understanding across the union of how these developments are beginning to change things on the ground and what our role is in supporting them.

It is our intention to now engage the whole union in the debate about the way forward for our movement. The NEC will meet for an away day in July to develop this thinking, to set out the next steps for our New Deal for Workers Campaign and to look at how we build collectivism in our society.  This engagement will also be taken out into the union and we are developing a major consultation programme with members, Branches and Regions on the important issues that have been covered in this letter.

Any enquiries of the above LTB should be sent to the General Secretary’s office – jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 280/21 – UPDATE ON CWU POLITICAL WORK BUILDING COLLECTIVISM

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JOINT STATEMENT – CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (CEV) ABSENCE AND POLICY TALKS BETWEEN RMG AND CWU ARISING OUT OF THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT

Branches will be aware we consistently questioned Royal Mail’s policy throughout the pandemic regarding absence for our members who had to shield due to being in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) category. Royal Mail have counted shielding during the pandemic as sickness absence which we have continued to challenge strongly.

This was a huge concern as this would mean these members would face up to 3 years going forward on half or nil sick pay should they need to take further time off due to illness, their disability or their health condition.

Since our members in the CEV category returned to work in April 2021 we have been in negotiations with Royal Mail in order to remove these absences from the sick pay entitlement.

The negotiations have been long and protracted, however we are pleased to inform you we concluded talks on Wednesday 30th June with the attached agreed Joint Statement which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive at its meeting today. Whilst we acknowledge the decisions taken during the pandemic were at a moment in time, we are pleased, having reflected on the policy decisions taken, Royal Mail want to work with us on mutual interest solutions. Royal Mail have confirmed any sickness absence due to shielding during the pandemic will be removed from the sick pay entitlement for our CEV members.

This will be done in two stages:

Stage 1
For shielding absences incurred since November 2020, this will be managed through the PSP system and member’s records will be updated automatically by September 2021. This can be done as from November 2020 there was a specific absence shielding code which was used for PSP.

Stage 2
For all previous shielding absences, this will be done manually as all absences will have to be checked and anyone who was in the CEV category and absent due to shielding will have the absence credited back to them. This will be completed by December 2021.

Any member who is in the CEV category and is unfortunate enough to need to take sickness absence prior to the completion of the stages above, will have their record amended immediately and therefore will continue to receive the sick pay they would have received without the shielding absences included. This means no member in the CEV category should lose out on sick pay entitlement due to having had to shield during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To confirm the changes, all members in the CEV category will also receive a letter, informing them of the changes to their sick pay entitlement.

Update on Policy Negotiations

As part of this joint statement we are able to update Branches on the progress of the policy negotiations as part of the Pathway to Change Agreement.

The discussions have predominantly focused on the attendance agreement, however we have also touched on other policies. Our main priority has been to ensure Royal Mail adhere to our agreed processes and agreements.

Within the joint statement RMG and CWU re-commit to our existing policies, processes and agreements. To build trust, it is really important for all employees to feel that they have been treated fairly and consistently.

We believe the recommitment in this joint statement presents an ideal opportunity for Reps at all levels to ensure all of our policies and agreements are being implemented correctly. It is imperative we do everything we can locally to ensure this commitment is carried out. If misapplication of any of our agreements does occur, this should be challenged locally and if necessary followed up through the dispute resolution procedure (DRP) process.

Branches will know due to the pandemic, appeals have been performed virtually. We have received many enquiries about how appeals will be performed going forward. We have been discussing this issue and negotiations are continuing. We will provide an update as soon as we have information on the next lockdown review. We appreciate there are different dates for reviews in the devolved governments and we will be monitoring the advice from all.

My thanks go to our representatives and members in all grades for your outstanding effort during the pandemic.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 415 Email address: khay@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,
Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary (Elect)

LTB 277/21 – JOINT STATEMENT – CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (CEV) ABSENCE AND POLICY TALKS BETWEEN RMG AND CWU ARISING OUT OF THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT

Joint Statement

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Parcelforce Worldwide – Joint Communication – Pathway to Change Update

Attached for the information of Branches, Representatives and Parcelforce members is a Joint Communication agreed with Parcelforce to provide an update on agreed initiatives to address current issues associated to the REX technology.

In recent weeks, senior members of the Royal Mail/ Parcelforce Management Teams and the department have visited a number of Depots and sought direct feedback from our members on the prevailing issues associated to Auto REX.

A number of common themes were explored relating to continued routing issues and the perception that adherence to the delivery sequence has restricted the ability of Drivers to use their experience to resolve routing problems and manage their day which has undoubtedly adversely affected morale. This direct, detailed feedback has been invaluable and has greatly assisted in informing talks to agree steps to resolve the issues.

The attached Joint Statement details agreed phased trial activity designed to address the common themes and restore to the Driver more control over their load plan, start point and route schedule, while retaining the ability for PFW to offer the 1-hour ETA which is essential in the premium market sector that Parcelforce operate. Trial activity will be closely monitored by the Joint Working Group.

In addition, arrangements have been made to enable the JWG and the Regional Organisers to meet Geoplan and directly address the many issues raised by our members relating to the REX routing performance. Arrangements are also being confirmed to create a monthly forum to allow a number of Representatives to engage directly with the JWG.

In recognition of the efforts of our members it has been agreed that the trial activity will not delay the deployment of the SWW in Depots. Arrangements are being made to fast track local discussions on the arrangements with a view to concluding agreements by Friday, 9th July 2021. 

The department believes that there is now an opportunity to address some of the current REX issues and updates will be provided as the trial activity progresses. The department would be grateful if Branches could ensure that the contents are brought to the attention of our Parcelforce members.

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

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 276/21

Parcelforce Pathway to Change Update Document 01.07.21

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