Election of National Representative Positions – 2021

• Postal Standing Orders Committee – Vacancies

Further to LTB 262/21 dated 24^th June 2021, at the close of the nomination period the following Postal Standing Orders Committee positions remain vacant:

• 2 Positions – 1 of whom must be a Woman and 1 of whom must be Bame

The NEC has agreed the election arrangements for the National positions listed above.  Accordingly please find attached the relevant election regulations, appendices and nomination forms.

In accordance with the CWU policy of improving proportionality at all levels of the union branches will wish to note that Women and BAME quotas have now been included in the composition of the Standing Orders Committee positions.

Additionally branches are advised that the elections for the SOC in 2021 will be conducted using revised arrangements, a summary of which is set out below:

Election Timetable 

It is necessary for the election timetable to be significantly longer than normal to allow branches sufficient time to seek nominations from their members and to then subsequently agree on which candidates(s) they intend to nominate for election and, once the list of candidates is known to then decide which candidate(s) will receive the branch vote.

Nomination Process

In respect of seeking nominations branches will need to put in place a robust system and use all reasonable methods at their disposal to publish suitable notification throughout the branch area giving members the opportunity to submit their name for nomination to the position should they choose to do so.  Following this the branch would need to put in place arrangements to hold a membership meeting to decide which candidate(s) will receive the branch nomination.

On the basis that no face to face member meetings are currently allowed then this would need to be conducted via a suitable video conference platform such as Zoom or Skype, etc. that provides the opportunity for large numbers of members to take part if required.

Additionally branches will need to allow for members who do not have video conference capability to join the meeting by phone again if they choose to do so.

The timeline for the meeting would need to be agreed in advance and notification provided to members at least 7 days prior to the meeting taking place. 

Dispatch and Return of Nomination Forms to CWU HQ

Nomination forms will be sent to branches electronically (attached to this LTB) and it will be our intention to set up a specific dedicated election email address where branches should return completed nomination forms to.  The details of this will be included on the nomination form.

Nomination Forms will need to be returned by the advertised closing date to be included in the list of candidates. 

The revised system will avoid the necessity to return forms in the post system which of course may be subject to delay during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Dispatch and Return of Voting Papers

The respective constituency based voting papers will be sent by email direct to branches at the email address which we hold on file.  Branches should return the completed voting papers by email to the advertised CWU election email address.  Notification will be sent to branches confirming receipt of the voting paper, however it will the responsibility of the branch to ensure that voting papers are returned to the correct email address.

To be included in the ballot voting papers will need to have been returned by the advertised closing date and time.

Branch Voting Recommendations

Clearly we are in unique and challenging times and whilst branches would normally arrange mandating meetings to decide which candidates to vote for in the respective elections we do not believe that this is either practical or necessary during the current crisis.  Therefore, on this occasion this decision can be made by the Branch Committee and the decision subsequently notified to members of their branch accordingly.

Election Timetable and Term of Office 

The election timetable for the above will be as follows:

Nominations open:  5 August 2021

Nominations close:  26 August 2021 (14:00)

Despatch ballot papers:  2 September 2021

Ballots closes:  21 September 2021 (14:00)

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary    

21LTB321

Regulations – SOC Vacancies 2021

Nomination Form SOC Vacancies 2021

Candidates Biograhical & Consent Form

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Election of National Representative Positions – 2021

• CWU Retired Members Committee – Vacancies

Further to LTB 241/21 dated 14 June 2021, at the close of the nomination period the following Retired Members Committee positions remain vacant:

2 positions from England

1 position from Wales

The NEC has agreed the 2021 election arrangements for the National positions listed above.  Accordingly please find attached the regulations and nomination form.

Branches are advised that the elections for the Retired Members Committee Vacancies will be conducted using revised arrangements, a summary of which is set out below:

Election Timetable 

It is necessary for the election timetable to be significantly longer than normal to allow branches sufficient time to seek nominations from their members and to then subsequently agree on which candidates(s) they intend to nominate for election and, once the list of candidates is known to then decide which candidate(s) will receive the branch vote.

Nomination Process

In respect of seeking nominations branches will need to put in place a robust system and use all reasonable methods at their disposal to publish suitable notification throughout the branch area giving members the opportunity to submit their name for nomination to the position should they choose to do so.  Following this the branch would need to put in place arrangements to hold a membership meeting to decide which candidate(s) will receive the branch nomination.

On the basis that no face to face member meetings are currently allowed then this would need to be conducted via a suitable video conference platform such as Zoom or Skype, etc. that provides the opportunity for large numbers of members to take part if required.

Additionally branches will need to allow for members who do not have video conference capability to join the meeting by phone again if they choose to do so.

The timeline for the meeting would need to be agreed in advance and notification provided to members at least 7 days prior to the meeting taking place.

Dispatch and Return of Nomination Forms to CWU HQ

Nomination forms will be sent to branches electronically (attached to this LTB) and it will be our intention to set up a specific dedicated election email address where branches should return completed nomination forms to.  The details of this will be included on the nomination form.

Nomination Forms will need to be returned by the advertised closing date to be included in the list of candidates. 

The revised system will avoid the necessity to return forms in the post system which of course may be subject to delay during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Dispatch and Return of Voting Papers

The respective constituency based voting papers will be sent by email direct to branches at the email address which we hold on file.  Branches should return the completed voting papers by email to the advertised CWU election email address.  Notification will be sent to branches confirming receipt of the voting paper, however it will the responsibility of the branch to ensure that voting papers are returned to the correct email address.

To be included in the ballot voting papers will need to have been returned by the advertised closing date and time.

Branch Voting Recommendations

Clearly we are in unique and challenging times and whilst branches would normally arrange mandating meetings to decide which candidates to vote for in the respective elections we do not believe that this is either practical or necessary during the current crisis.  Therefore, on this occasion this decision can be made by the Branch Committee and the decision subsequently notified to members of their branch accordingly.

Election Timetable and Term of Office 

The election timetable for the above will be as follows:

Nominations open:  5 August 2021

Nominations close:  26 August 2021 (14:00)

Despatch ballot papers:  2 September 2021

Ballots closes:  21 September 2021 (14:00)

Branches will wish to note that the term of office for the 2021 Retired Members Committee will run from July 2021 for two years.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

21LTB320

Regulations RMC – Vacancies 2021

RMC Nomination Form 2021

Candidate Consent Form 2021

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The Pathway to Change Agreement and Culture – The Big Trust Survey Action Plans and Next Steps

Further to LTB 191/21 circulated on 11^th May 2021, Branches will be aware that it has now been over two months since the Big Trust Survey closed. As a part of the ongoing joint activity to improve workplace culture, in line with the joint commitments in the Four Pillars and Pathway to Change Agreements, discussions have continued at a national level in order to shape and agree the next phase of the Big Trust Survey.

Branches will recall that following the first agreed national Big Trust Survey, it was agreed that once a unit or shift had received their results and feedback, the local Rep and Manager would work together to agree a joint local action plan to address the areas identified for improvement, together with realistic timescales to resolve the highlighted issues. However, some concerns were expressed that, given the workload associated with the ongoing revision and realignment activity, the focus would not be on deploying the local culture improvements due to other commitments taking priority.

Coupled with this and as part of their drive to improve trust, Royal Mail Group wanted to hold a further interim questionnaire for all units on a phased basis from the beginning of July to December 2021. Given that action planning was far from complete, the Department informed the Business that it would not be appropriate to conduct a further trust survey at that time.

Branches will also be aware that the involvement of the Postal Department in relation to the survey itself is just one aspect of the ongoing work to improve culture, as well as the working environment, and it is important that this perspective is not lost going forward. Shelley Banbury and Katrina Quirke continue to meet with the Business on a weekly basis on behalf of the DGS(P) Department to consider and review the level of agreed action plans, obtain feedback from the Field and start shaping the duration and timeline of the next interim survey.

Some of the feedback provided by Branches highlighted a number of discrepancies in relation to the number of local action plans which had actually been agreed. This has resulted in several pointed discussions, but also ultimately helped to extend the timelines for the interim survey, amend the running order and shape the final question set.

In terms of the attached sequence and timelines, which will be used for the interim trust survey, these will commence on 16^th August and run until mid-January 2022. The order of the survey has been changed based on the feedback received, but is not an exact science. In order to install a further check and balance on the level of agreed action plans, Branches will also note that the attached slim-line questionnaire contains two particular statements regarding agreed action plans:

1. I am aware of a jointly agreed action plan for my unit;
2. I believe my unit is making progress against the action plan.

These will enable figures to be compared, identifying any existing gaps and targeting future activity. It will also provide a further vehicle to scrutinise data from the Business. Additionally, the statement about the local Rep / Manager relationship, as well as our key culture statement (‘I would recommend RMG to family or friends as a great place to work’) still form a part of the survey.

In terms of future activity, the Department has advised Royal Mail Group that there is a need to ask targeted, functional questions about the application of our national agreements. The Business has stated that they do not yet have an automated way to carry out the level of respondent segmentation required to allow function-specific questions. However, they are currently exploring ways and looking at different technical solutions, which would allow them to do this in the future. The Union continues to view the use of targeted, functional questions as a key element of improving workplace culture and are pursuing this issue as a priority.

Branches will appreciate that improving culture and the working environment will not take place overnight and involves a number of different facets. Involvement in the surveys is one of these and an important part of the overall joint programme. This approach was endorsed by the Postal Executive at a meeting on 2^nd August 2021.

Improving culture and the working environment remains a key focus of the Postal Executive and is not something that will be ignored. To continue to inform this work, it remains important for members to continue to highlight the matters prevalent in the workplace and maintain the momentum through action plans that continue the work associated in resolving as many concerns as possible.

In closing, I would like to thank all Branches, Reps and members for their ongoing work towards maximising the survey returns and helping to move our cultural change forward. Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 319/21 ATTACHMENT 1

LTB 319/21 ATTACHMENT 2

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In the coming weeks we will be launching a massive campaign to properly thank NHS workers.

The NHS are the best of us.

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CWUandProud

Royal Mail Group – Proposed Terms of Reference for a Trial of Booking ad-hoc Annual Leave through the People App

Further to LTB 017/21 circulated on 18^th January 2021, Branches will be aware that the DGS(P) Department has continued to monitor the development and deployment of the People App whilst ensuring that this activity does not abrogate either our national or local agreements.

The People App now has over 65,000 users and it is obvious that feedback is continually being given in relation to how the technology can be modified. At a meeting on 24^th June 2021, management tabled a proposal for conducting a pilot scheme to allow for the People App to be used to book ad-hoc annual leave.

Management were made aware that there were potential difficulties that would need to be discussed such as how an approach of this kind would impact on our joint aspiration to improve culture, ensure adherence to our national and local agreements and not be unfair to members who don’t have access to the App.  It was also stressed that the revised generic national trial and deployment agreements which had recently been finalised would hold the field.

Following further negotiations, the attached Terms of Reference were concluded and then endorsed by the Postal Executive at a meeting that took place on 3^rd August 2021.

Branches will note that the Terms of Reference are based upon the national trial and deployment agreements. The trial will take place in eight units representing a wide geographical spread for six weeks from 16^th August 2021.

The trial activity will be overseen in the selected units by Postal Executive members Mick Kavanagh and Steve Halliwell and at a strategic level by Katrina Quirke.  A full joint evaluation will be conducted at the end of the trial and be based on the nine points contained within the agreed success criteria.

Further updates will be reported in due course once the trial activity and joint evaluation have been concluded and the Postal Executive have considered the feedback.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

21LTB318 Royal Mail Group – Proposed Terms of Reference for a Trial of Booking ad-hoc Annual Leave through the People App

Attachment to LTB 318-21 030821 People App Attachment

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CWU NEC & National Representative Elections 2021 – Announcement of Ballot Results

Please be advised that the ballot results for the above elections will be communicated as follows:

• Civica have advised us that the count of the ballot papers should be concluded at approximately 14:00 on the 5^th August 2021. Following this they would then be in a position to produce the required ballot certificate(s) and declare the results between 15:00–16:00 on the 5^th August 2021. Once the results have been verified they will then be delivered to the Senior Deputy General Secretary.
• On receipt of the certificate, the Senior Deputy General Secretary will then make arrangements for an LTB containing the results to be immediately sent to all branches by email.
• Additionally, where the candidates have provided us with a current email address, we will send a copy of the LTB direct to all candidates standing in the respective ballots.
• The results will also be posted on the CWU Website.

Any enquiries regarding this matter should be directed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary department for the attention of Peter Metcalfe, email pmetcalfe@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

21LTB317

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National Network Review (Network 21) Update – Deployment Date

Further to LTB 178/21 please find attached for your information a Joint Statement which communicates the 6^th September 2021 as the agreed target deployment date for the National Network Review (Network 21).

The aim will now be to ensure that any outstanding issues are resolved, through the IR Framework if necessary, and duty sets and re-picks are concluded in readiness for the deployment date, in line with the terms of the attached Joint Statement.  The NWG will remain available to offer advice and assistance where necessary.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our Network members are made aware of the contents of this LTB at the earliest opportunity.

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

 Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

21LTB316

Final Network 21 Deployment Date – 02.08.21

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JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU IN REGARD TO CALL COACHING QUALITY AGREEMENT FOR PFW TELEPHONY 2021

Branches and representatives will recall that the Parcelforce Annex of the Guiding Principles agreement included a commitment to a Customer Service Review. A framework for this review, which entailed joint working in line with our long established Table of Success process, was concluded and circulated via LTB 345/18 on the 14^thJune 2018.  One of the key areas for development through the JWG was the reintroduction of the Mystery Shopper and Call Coaching.

Following on from the aforementioned LTB the Mystery Shopper Joint Statement – Customer Experience was communicated to representatives in September 2018. Recent developments in technology have however now evolved this process to a ‘The After Call Survey’ approach, which is based on the customer completing a questionnaire to provide feedback in terms of the response received.

Discussions have also been taking place in the spirit of our established Table of Success approach in relation to the outstanding Call Coaching element and an agreement on the approach to Call Coaching has now been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy of which is attached for your information.

In summary the approach is designed to support the joint commitment to improve customer experience and provide an integral framework of continued development for advisers in a positive manner.  The aim of Call Coaching is to support the individual, to build knowledge and confidence and to encourage better call quality.  It has not been designed for any other purpose and should be a positive experience that highlights strengths and identifies development opportunities.  However, where serious misconduct is noted during a recorded call or live call monitoring appropriate action may be taken.

To support this commitment the coaching will be delivered by trained coaches who have been selected as detailed in the Agreement between Parcelforce Worldwide and the Communication Workers Union regarding the Selection Process for the Resourcing of Customer Service Positions in Operational Units (LTB 520/14 refers).

 All staff are expected to participate in the Call Coaching programme in order to build their knowledge and confidence and to encourage better call quality.  The call coaching will support individuals in building confidence and professionalism in achieving a first time resolution to customer enquiries.  It will also provide training on how to deal with difficult or abusive callers.  Individual Call Coaching sessions will be available once a month if required.  In addition, ad hoc coaching/refresher training will be available to individuals as required.

Call quality in each depot will continue to be measured through the mystery shopping reports and relevant measures on the Customer Experience Scorecard.  General coaching needs will be identified from these reports.

The agreement confirms that if any individuals have concerns regarding how the process is being applied, they will have the opportunity to raise the matter with their manager with CWU representation if they so wish.  Equally, they will have access to the grievance procedure if they believe they have been treated unfairly or unreasonably.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 134.02.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

21LTB315

PFW Call Coaching Agreement 30.07.21