Month: March 2022

Reinstatement of Doorstep Signature Capture on Signed-For Deliveries

Reinstatement of Doorstep Signature Capture on Signed-For Deliveries:

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the joint priority of Royal Mail and the CWU has beento protect our members and customers.

In order to maintain a Covid secure workplace, one of the many Covid-19 controls introduced was to temporarily suspend the capture of signatures from customers on Personal Delivery Assistants (PDAs) from 14 March 2020 in order to maintain social distancing and reduce potential risk of transmission of the virus whilst using the Personal Delivery Assistants (PDAs) in close contact with customers.

The UK Government has, as you know, now removed all Covid restrictions in England, as has the Northern Ireland Government. The remaining Covid restrictions and rules are in the process of being removed by the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales over the next two weeks as two years on, life is now increasingly returning to normal and normal services are being restored by all industries across the UK, including public transport which is now operating at virtually full capacity.

Against this backdrop, Royal Mail have informed the Union that customers, both major companies and the public are asking for signatures to be reinstated as they value (and pay for) the added proof of delivery assurance that Royal Mail’s secure delivery signature feature provides them with.

Royal Mail and Parcelforce are increasingly using ‘Capture Photo’ to confirm proof of delivery but it is likely that there will always be some items that require a signature to be recorded and captured.

Start Date:

Following discussions with Royal Mail who have consulted CWU/HQ on this issue, Royal Mail will re-instate signature capture as a Standard Operating Procedure from 4 April 2022.  There is no proposal from Parcelforce at this time to re-instate signature capture.

Initial and Refresher Training:

In order to ensure that in Offices where staff may need initial or refresher training, this should be provide as soon as possible with a view to full re-instatement of signed-for, signature capture deliveries being in place by 30 April 2022. This is in order to give workplace coaches time to check in with new starters and those that need a refresher.

WTLL Staff Briefing:

The WTLL Staff Briefing on ‘Re-instatement of Signature Capture’ for the delivery workforce has been finalised and is attached. This will be delivered by DOMs and WPCs. CWU Safety and IR Reps will be fully involved.

PPE

PPE will be provided to all delivery staff requesting it and this will include gloves, hand sanitiser and facemasks if required. The message to members is please do utilise and use the PPE items if you wish and maintain good hygiene standards. PPE use is recommended but not mandatory, in line with Government guidance.

Dog Awareness

Royal Mail and CWU agree that the safety of our delivery workforce is paramount, and dog awareness must be taken seriously. We have worked hand-in-hand with RMG over a number of years to minimise the risk to colleagues from dog attacks and to develop the right tools and procedures to keep our colleagues safe from harm by dangerous dogs. Royal Mail and the CWU are in full agreement that at this time of change and transition back to ‘business as usual’, capturing signatures once again, it is crucial that delivery and collections staff are reminded of the correct procedures around dog awareness. More than 80% of dog attacks take place on the doorstep and garden path. Many households previously without dogs have acquired a pet during lockdown and it is estimated that the UK now has 17 million pet owning homes, with the majority of them being dog owners. While members are collecting signatures at the door they are at a higher risk of a dog attack. Members should therefore be vigilant at all times and be alert to a possible increase in the number of dogs they encounter on their rounds when delivering parcels or signed for items to addresses with a dog. The WTLL Briefing will make reference to dog awareness and the risks that will be present. Additionally, a second WTLL Briefing on dog awareness will be delivered concentrating on the ‘AVOID’ acronym message;

The AVOID message, outlined below, is crucial at this time. ‘AVOID and Stay Safe’

  • Avoid: interacting with any dogs. More than 80% of dog attacks happen at a customer’s door or in their garden so take no risks and never put your fingers through a letterbox. Never accept a dog owner’s assurances – always ask owners to restrain their dogs – put them in a secure place and step away.
  • Value yourself: It could happen to you – don’t think it can’t!
  • Observe: Check your Walk Log and mark your frame with yellow dots.
  • Inform: Report all new dogs to your manager. Report all incidents involving dogs no matter how minor – all dog attacks must be reported to the manager, Police, Royal Mail Security Helpdesk and the Royal Mail USO share-point.
  • Defend: Use your delivery equipment (pouch or trolley) to form a barrier and defend yourself if necessary.

Managers and Workplace Coaches have been requested to ensure that staff are briefed on the importance of using ‘AVOID’ and being dog aware.

Risk of Confrontation

The risk of confrontation is to be briefed to staff and is included in the second WTLL Briefing along with dogs. The agreed position is that if delivery staff at any time feel threatened or find themselves in conflict with a customer then they should remove themselves from the threat and leave the item if necessary and leave the premises.  It is important that, if at any stage a frontline employee feels threatened or in danger, they should walk away from the doorstep (leaving the item if unable to take the item back) and inform the Security Helpdesk, their manager and the police (if required). 

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

A revised and updated ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ (SOP) has been drawn up and is attached. This will be briefed to staff and be part of the training.

Attached please find copies of:

  • WTLL Staff Briefing ‘Re-instatement of Signature Capture’ for the delivery workforce via DOMs and WPCs.
  • WTLL Staff Briefing on Dog Awareness and Risk of Customer Confrontation as Signature Capture is re-instated and Capture Photo on Delivery is embedded as a delivery feature.
  • Standard Operating Procedure covering; Delivering Barcoded Items, Inflight Requests, Delivering To Customers and Signature Capture, Age and ID Verification, Capture Photo, Delivery To Neighbour, Not Delivered, Local Collect – Special Delivery, International, RM ‘Signed For’, RM Tracked Items and Barcoded Parcels, Issue Preventing Signing For the Item(s) of Mail and PDA Contingency.
  • Three examples of RM plasma screen shots which will appear on screens during April.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

Mark Baulch
Assistant Secretary

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary                                           

22LTB134 Reinstatement of Doorstep Signature Capture on Signed-For Deliveries

Re-instate Signature Capture Brief V1.2 21032022

Dog Awareness Brief ZW V1

SOP D22.2 Deliver Barcoded Items (1)

Signature Capture TV Screen1

Signature Capture TV Screen2

Signature Capture TV Screen3

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DRIVER CAREER PATH – ALLOCATION OF TRAINING PLACES AND APPLICATION PROCESS

DRIVER CAREER PATH – ALLOCATION OF TRAINING PLACES AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Further to enquiries received in the department, we are writing to clarify the selection criteria for the allocation of training places related to the Driver Academy – Career Path activity, the E-Learning aspects of the training course and address communications on eligibility released by Royal Mail late last week.

Selection Criteria

Branches will recall that the Driver Academy Approach – Driver Career Path Training initiative was launched in December 2021, LTB 527/21 issued on 6th December 2021 refers. The application process opened on that date and closed on 3rd January 2022.

That application process attracted a huge response from our members across Royal Mail Group with an initial application of over 7000 for 500 training places. Even after filtering out managerial applicants and those not meeting the criteria, over 6000 applicants remained for the available places.

At the time of the launch the selection criteria, based on the current National resourcing agreement for Professional Drivers, was published as part of the application literature and included in LTB 527/21.

Selection Process Criteria: 

  • No current record on an individual’s licence of dangerous driving or drink or drug related driving 
  • Less than 6 points on driving 
  • Good conduct in accordance with Royal Mail Group (Serious Conduct and above will require review before selection is made).
  • Tie Break. Where two or more individuals are considered suitable for a lesser number of vacancies we will revert to Resourcing Area (see below) and Length of Service in line with the Way Forward Agreement.

 Resourcing Area:

  1. A reasonable travel distance of the resourcing unit; reasonable is normally considered to be within one hour.
  2. Outside the resourcing area other National people from anywhere in 
  3. Requests for transfer by individuals with special circumstances will be considered jointly and prioritised on a case by case basis.

Branches will recognise that for some time Royal Mail has had an issue with the age demographic of MGV and LGV Professional Drivers, the average age in both categories now being in the mid-fifties age range. Following the closure of the application process Royal Mail raised concerns with the Union that the current selection criteria was likely to exacerbate the age demographic issue. Due to the huge over subscription for places and the age demographic of the applicants the use of length of service (seniority) as the tie break would result in an outcome which very heavily favoured older applicants.

As an example, in the category of Car to MGV, 51% of total applicants were under the age of 40, however using current criteria only 1.2% of those applicants would be selected. 98.8% of the available places would be allocated to the 49% of candidates aged 40 or over, with 45% of places allocated to those 50 or over. Similar results were seen in the MGV to LGV category with 100% of places allocated to those over 40 and 63% to those applicants over 50 years of age.

These outcomes would in fact raise the average age demographic, which in Royal Mail is already significantly older than in the wider UK industry. According to the Office for National Statistics in the UK Industry the average age of LGV Drivers is split almost 50/50 above and below 50 years of age, whilst in Royal Mail over 71% of Professional Drivers are over 50.

The proposed response from Royal Mail as a condition of progressing the training was to remove length of service from the selection criteria and move to a subjective interview approach, which the department rejected. In our view seniority is not the problem and it remains the sole, wholly objective filter available to us, which does not introduce managerial preference into the selection process. The CWU was therefore in a position where this impasse, which has delayed the allocation of places, was in fact threatening the progression of the training program.

The priority for the CWU has therefore been to ensure that this crucial training package proceeds and delivers the opportunity for our members to progress to Professional Driver Roles, while protecting the terms of current National agreements.

Discussions with the business have therefore now concluded in the introduction of an additional selection criteria introducing an age banding approach. This approach, which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive, is an exceptional measure applicable to Driver Career Path only that aligns the number of training places offered in each group based on the number of applications received in that age band.

The table below denotes the number of training places allocated in each age band. By aligning places against application percentages in each category the process will start to redress the age demographic time bomb Royal Mail faces.

Within the Age Bands, training places will be allocated in line with agreed criteria with Resourcing Area and length of Service (Seniority) retained as the tie break criteria. No age groups are excluded and training places will be offered in every age band from which applications were received.

The exceptional measure Age Band Criteria is only applicable to the training places associated to the Driver Career Path Process and agreed resourcing arrangements for Professional Driver Roles remain in place and are unaltered by the change.

The size of the response means that there is no way to accommodate every applicant in this process. With 6000 applicants for 500 places, whatever selection process was adopted, only 1 in 12 applicants can be successfully selected. As such the number of disappointed candidates will outnumber those selected with regard to this first tranche of training places. To meet the demand and appetite for progression the department will be seeking to maximise the number of training places in future Driver Career Path tranches.

The decision to add an Age Band Criteria was necessary to ensure that the agreed training program commenced as promised to provide opportunities to our members and to start to stabilise and future proof the internal Professional Driver Resourcing base.

Driver Academy Eligibility C1 Licence Holders

The department also received enquiries surrounding training eligibility. The department were made aware that members who had been advised that they were successful candidates in the Driver Academy Career Path for MGV to LGV training and who held a C1 Licence or entitlement, had subsequently been contacted by Royal Mail and informed that they were ineligible and that their offer of training had been rescinded.

The department immediately raised the matter with Royal Mail, as it appeared that the business had effectively excluded the majority of MGV Drivers from the MGV to LGV program. Royal Mail have apologised and confirmed this was a clerical error and that the offers of training will be re-issued to the successful candidates as soon as possible.

Driver Academy Training

Unlike previous Career Path Initiatives Royal Mail, through the external training provider Systems Group has sought to secure Government funding for the Driver Training Program. To do so the course has to include additional on line learning elements, including Theory and Driver CPC elements, in addition to the in cab training. Release will be provided for candidates to fully participate in these activities although candidates may be required to do an element of online study within their own time.

The department understands that the e-learning activities will be scheduled events and as such we have raised the issue of release for Night Shift employees. Royal Mail have confirmed that where the scheduling of e-learning sessions would preclude night workers having sufficient rest then two-nightrelease can be allowed. Discussions on this should be progressed locally once the schedule is known.

The in cab driver training is condensed into the final weeks of the programme, therefore there should not be any e-learning required once this starts. The Driver Training is one full week so the release for this part is continuous.

Below is the training programme for both Car to MGV and MGV to LGV:

CAR TO MGV

Scheduled online course time over the first 7 weeks is 35 hours and a further 20 hours is scheduled in for the Theory Training self-study on mock tests.

Online time is scheduled to be very little as many of the participants will have driving experience already so they will be very familiar with many of the areas that will be covered. For those with less experience the actual course content is 20 hours over the first 4 weeks so this leaves approximately 2 hours per week to complete any self-study that is required

MGV TO LGV

The assessments help the provider to understand each candidates IT knowledge/capability to be able to do the learning online and to be able to read and understand the questions and tasks.There is also an element of online tests at the commencement of training and the business has confirmed there is no pass/fail outcome from these tests. The results are designed to give the training provider an indication of the level people are working towards for their English and Maths to facilitate the Theory elements of the course.

The department would request that the contents of this LTB are brought to the attention of our members across Royal Mail Group.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 216.01.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 132/22

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Coronavirus Update – Planned Easing of Covid-19 Restrictions in Scotland:

Coronavirus Update – Planned Easing of Covid-19 Restrictions in Scotland:

Further to earlier LTBs, this is a summary update following last week’s announcement by the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and a subsequent communication to all managers in Scotland by Royal Mail Group on Friday evening 18 March.

The Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland including ‘mandatory face masks/coverings had been set to be scrapped today, Monday 21 March.

The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that the requirement to wear masks in certain indoor settings and public transport will be extended for another two weeks to 4 April to help get over an ‘infection spike more quickly.’

From last Friday, and in line with other UK nations, all remaining Covid-related travel restrictions and remaining domestic legal measures were lifted and replaced with appropriate guidance which includes requirements on businesses, service providers and places of worship to retain customer contact details.

The face masks/covering rule will be reviewed again in two weeks – before Easter recess – with the expectation that this regulation will be removed and converted to guidance in early April.

As for testing, for the next month until Easter, there will be no change to official advice. That is, if you don’t have symptoms, you should continue for now to use a lateral flow test twice weekly, daily for seven days if you are a close contact of a positive case, and before visiting someone who is vulnerable.

If you have symptoms, you should continue to get a PCR test, either at a testing site or by post. However, from 18 April the Scottish government will no longer advise people without symptoms to test twice weekly.

Physical test sites will begin to close in Scotland at the end of April – although mobile testing units and lab capacity will be retained for longer term testing purposes.

Royal Mail Group have informed CWU/HQ that with no material changes to Covid-19 restrictions arrangements in Scotland from Monday 21 March a communication has been shared via the RMG North SHE Advisors through the RMG North SHE Business Partner which in summary states:

  • The requirement to wear a face mask/covering in Royal Mail Group indoor settings in Scotland will remain mandatory for the time being.
  • PCR tests remain available for those with symptoms.
  • LFD tests are available for those without symptoms who have been a close contact with a positive case and before visiting a vulnerable person.
  • People who test positive are still required to self-isolate. Further guidance is here: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/

Further updates will be circulated in due course.

Any management enquiries should be directed to Dan Clarke Royal Mail Group National Health & Wellbeing Manager.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB131 Coronavirus Update – Planned Easing of Covid-19 Restrictions in Scotland

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NEW DEAL FOR WORKER RALLY – SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2022 – PRIORITY ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL BRANCHES

NEW DEAL FOR WORKER RALLY – SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2022 – PRIORITY ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL BRANCHES

Further to LTB 123/22, the TUC has now confirmed that the New Deal for Workers Rally will be held on Saturday 18th June in London. It is important that all branches save this date and begin mobilisation plans.

This is a key event for the whole of the trade union movement, and we will be working with other unions and community organisations on a tour of the UK, in advance of the national rally, to promote the campaign and to plan for a mass turnout in London.

With almost three months until the rally, it is vital that branches begin preparations to deliver the biggest possible turnout on the day. We encourage all branches to book coaches in advance and where financially possible, consider releasing as many of our local reps as possible to attend, as well as mobilising as many members, family and friends to join us.

In the coming weeks and months, the union will also be building up our engagement directly with our branches, reps and members on the overall objectives of the campaign and how we will collectively move this forward.

Further information will follow in due course.

Any enquiries on the above should be addressed to the General Secretary at jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary 

22LTB130 NEW DEAL FOR WORKER RALLY SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2022 PRIORITY ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL BRANCHES

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CAPITA TVL: PAY 1STJANUARY 2022 – REVISED OFFER

CAPITA TVL: PAY 1STJANUARY 2022 – REVISED OFFER

Further to LTB120/22 dated 15th March.

Branches are advised that following further representations via correspondence we have now received a revised and improved pay offer from Capita.  The new offer has been shared with our senior Reps on the TVL contract for feedback.

As previously indicated, a further report will be provided to the Postal Executive in order to determine next steps.  This will happen on Wednesday.  Thereafter further communications will be undertaken directly with our Capita members.  Effectively we plan to provide details in respect of the revised offer along with the Postal Executive policy once our deliberations are complete.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

22LTB129 Capita TVL Pay – 1st January 2022 – Revised Offer

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CWU Annual Conference 2022 – Telecom and Financial Services Conference Agenda Pad

CWU Annual Conference 2022 – Telecom and Financial Services Conference Agenda Pad

Branches would wish to know that the 2022 Telecom and Financial Services Agenda Pad has now been published on the website and can be accessed using the following link:

Click to access TFS-AGENDA-2022-c.pdf

A Pdf. copy has also been attached.    Hard copies of the agenda are in the process of being printed and will be distributed to branches when completed.

Any enquiries to this Letter to Branches should be addressed to conferences@cwu.org or call 020 8971 7256.

Yours sincerely

A P Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

22LTB128 – CWU Annual Conference 2022 – TFS Agenda Pad

Telecoms and Financial Services Agenda Pad

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TUCAN (Trade Union Clean Air Network) Newsletter, Spring 2022

TUCAN (Trade Union Clean Air Network) Newsletter, Spring 2022:

LTBs No. 035/19 and 436/19 reported on the launch of the Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN), launched as part of the ‘Hazards Campaign’ and linked to the ‘Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA)’, working to generate worker/trade union awareness and for the trade union voice to be prominent in the public debate on the issue of air pollution, waste, the environment and climate change. TUCAN has joined the fight against air pollution and occupational health damage as concerns continue to grow. Much air pollution is caused by industry and work-related activities. Climate change and damage to the environment are direct consequences. There is rightly a public outcry about air pollution as a public health emergency. 36,000 deaths a year are caused by air pollution, according to a government report. Outdoor workers have been ignored for too long as the pollution crisis deepens. Government strategy however has been essentially to ‘kick the can down the road’ by delaying vital measures or passing it over to local authorities to sort out.

‘TUCAN developed a ‘Charter’ providing a set of demands for unions to prioritise in campaigns at local, regional, national and international level. TUCAN also developed – ‘Guidance on Air Pollution for Union Reps’, a pollution checklist for health, safety and environment reps and the ‘TUCAN Charter’ promoting best practice and to raise awareness.

The ‘TUCAN Charter’:

  • Introduce a new Clean Air Act that enshrines the right to breathe clean air.
  • Update Health and Safety Law (such as COSHH).
  • Ensure effective enforcement.
  • Involve the workforce.
  • Protect jobs.
  • Rapidly expand clean and inexpensive public transport systems alongside investment in active transport to increase levels of cycling and walking.

Please find attached a copy of the TUCAN Newsletter, Spring 2022 edition, which covers the following subjects:

  • Transport Sector Workers on the front line
  • Clean Cities Scorecard
  • Toxic Use Reduction Conference
  • Clean Air Campaigns (1. Silvertown Tunnel and 2.Edmonton and other UK Incinerators)
  • Consultations (1. Environment Act Air Quality Standards and 2. ULEZ Expansion)

Further Information

If you would like further information about TUCAN then please contact Janet at Hazards (email: janet@gmhazards.org.uk) or Graham at the Greener Jobs Alliance (email: gjacoms@gmail.com).

Attachment: 

TUCAN Newsletter, Spring 2022

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB126 TUCAN (Trade Union Clean Air Network) Newsletter, Spring 2022

TUCAN-Newsletter-Spring-2022

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Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 37 – March 2022

Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 37 – March 2022:

Introduction

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. See details below.

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 last year and has handed over to Paul Atkin as newsletter editor and Tahir Latif as GJA Secretary. Graham remains a GJA Steering Group member and is now working part time for the Wales TUC having recently written a publication for them ‘Greener workplaces for a just transition – a Wales TUC toolkit for trade unionists’.

See attached copy of the GJA Newsletter No.37 for March 2022

In this Newsletter the GJA editor Paul Atkin writes a piece entitled “The Price of Gas” talking about the violent upward twist in the cost of living from the spikes in oil and gas prices resulting from the recovery from the Covid recession overlaid by the impact of the Ukraine war is leading to other countries in Europe sharply accelerating plans to shift to renewables and – to some extent – nuclear: with Germany now setting 2035 as its target date for 100% fossil free energy generation. Ed Miliband’s 5-point plan for energy security is on similar lines and, given the failure of the current government’s market led approach to make the transition at the speed we need and generate the jobs that it could, this will require a significant increase in state investment and public ownership to make it happen. An issue that we need to address at the September conferences of the TUC and opposition parties. Paul also covers the Nigel Farage announcement that he is to front up a campaign for a referendum against what he calls ‘the ruinous net zero targets’ – arguing ‘if we are not careful, the only zero will be the amount in people’s bank accounts’; somehow not noticing that it is the increase in gas prices from £13.50 per Kilowatt Hour last January to as much as £290 per KWh now that is emptying people’s pockets. As Farage always has serious money behind his projects, be prepared
for an onslaught of misinformation and phoney populism directed at our movement – says Paul Atkin.

Contents GJA Newsletter 36:

1. Editorial – The Price of Gas
2. We need a windfall tax and public ownership
3. Great Homes Upgrade
4. Green Jobs boast falls flat
5. Lessons from GKN
6. Net Zero Schools. Unions tell DFE to go further
7. Putting the worker voice at the heart of recovery programmes
8. For a common program and solidarity for Africa at COP27
9. Sinn Fein on Just transition
10. Taking liberties
11. Union action on toxic air
12. Green bites

Attachment: 

  • GJA-Newsletter-37-March 2022

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB125 Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 37 – March 2022

GJA-Newsletter-37-March-2022

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Mobile Phone Law Change on 25 March – Drivers Can Face Six Penalty Points and a £200 Fixed Penalty Fine

Mobile Phone Law Change on 25 March – Drivers Can Face Six Penalty Points and a £200 Fixed Penalty Fine:

In a move to improve road safety, drivers are being warned that from 25 March 2022, new tougher mobile phone use rules come into force when it comes to using mobile phones and other devices when driving.

In 2020, the Department for Transport reported that 17 people were killed on British roads in crashes involving drivers distracted by mobile phones. A further 114 people were seriously injured and 385 were slightly injured in such collisions.

As a result, the Government is making rules on mobile phones in vehicles clearer, so you can more easily be prosecuted, fined and given penalty points if you break the law. To warn drivers of the new rules, a guide on what drivers need to know to avoid fines and points is set out below.

What is the new law coming into effect on 25 March? 

From 25 March it will be clarified that drivers in the UK will NOT be allowed to handle any mobile device when driving. This also includes being stationary in traffic, such as at traffic lights or motorway queues.

This means you cannot touch the device to check the time or notifications, take photos or videos, scroll through playlists, or access any apps or the internet.

Prior to this law, motorists could be penalised for ‘interactive communication’ using a hand-held device while driving, such as texting or phone calls (other than in an emergency). The law did not specifically cover other usages, although police could still prosecute drivers for dangerous or careless driving.

The new rules make it much easier for police to hand out fixed penalties or to send drivers to court.

What is the penalty?

Unless it is to make an emergency call, anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their drivers’ licence.

Can I be fined for using my phone to pay at a drive-thru or toll road? 

No. Many have mistakenly believed they can be fined when using their phones to pay when at a drive-through restaurant or toll road. However, The Department for Transport has confirmed drivers are exempt from fines in these areas as long as their vehicle is stable.

The Department for Transport confirmed this loophole last year, in their statement: “There will be an exemption to the new law for drivers making a contactless payment using their mobile phone while stationary to ensure the law keeps pace with technology. This exemption will cover, for example, places like a drive-through restaurant or a road toll, and will only apply when payment is being made with a card reader. It will not allow motorists to make general online payments while driving.”

Can I still use a hands-free device or a Sat-Nav?

Drivers are still allowed to use a device if it is ‘hands-free’ when driving. This includes ‘hands-free’ calls and the use of your phone as a sat-nav, as long as it is secured in a holder.

Safe Driving Advice 

The changes to mobile phone driving laws are being introduced to improve safety on UK roads. Drivers must take these rules seriously to help reduce the number of tragic deaths caused by violations.

These adaptations to driving laws are being made in order to keep up-to-date with how technology is used by drivers. The tough penalties are designed to be a strong deterrent to drivers who use their mobile phones behind the wheel.

It is not just mobile devices that drivers should be cautious of. Despite no new rules being enforced on the use of internal infotainment systems, they can be a potential distraction for drivers. Touchscreens have become a common addition to modern vehicles, and the more complex they become, the more distracting they can be. If a driver is found to be not properly in control of their vehicle as a result of using dashboard gadgets or hands-free devices, they can still be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB124 Mobile Phone Law Change on 25 March – Drivers Can Face Six Penalty Points and a £200 Fixed Penalty Fine

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UK COST OF LIVING CRISIS

UK COST OF LIVING CRISIS

The purpose of this LTB is to provide Branches, Reps and members with a detailed analysis of the current cost of living crisis.

The attached document, prepared by our Research Department, is an excellent and comprehensive breakdown on the reality of the situation now facing CWU members and UK society.

It is also important to recognise that whereas some analysts were originally claiming this would have a short term impact, there is now growing evidence, including the additional impact of the war in Ukraine, that this will be a sustained and very damaging crisis.

As the CWU gears up for crucial pay negotiations across the Union, the document will assist our Representatives in putting across factual information to our members.  Given the seriousness of the situation, the union is clear that there can be no excuses from any employer for not giving our members a very significant and well deserved pay rise.

Furthermore, the document also sets the context for the whole of the trade union movement to build support for the New Deal for Workers campaign.  In this regard we can now confirm that there will be a National Rally in June and all unions will be undertaking work to mobilise our members and our communities in support of this campaign.  Further information on this will be issued in due course.

Any enquiries on the above should be addressed to the General Secretary at jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary 

22LTB123 UK COST OF LIVING CRISIS

Cost of living crisis update 15th March 2022

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