Recruiting CWU Members – Motion 15

Branches will be aware that in November 2021 at the virtual conference Composite Motion 15, set out below was submitted by South Central Postal and the Eastern Regional Committee and endorsed by conference delegates.

Motion 15

“This conference recognises that workplace recruitment of new members to the union is key to ensuring the success of the CWU as an independent trade union. Giving our representatives the correct tools for the job is vital in making sure they can carry out this duty effectively.

This conference instructs the NEC to work in conjunction with the Equality, Education & Development Department to create a simple and effective and up to date training package that can be accessed by all CWU representatives. This package should include guidance on recruitment skills, resources available and any agreement with the employer that confirms available release time for CWU recruitment as a minimum. This training package should be made available to both individual representatives as well as giving branches the facility to organise it on a wider scale if they wish.      

The NEC is instructed accordingly.” 

Following consultation with the movers of the motion and various departments in headquarters, I am now pleased to launch a new style modular resource – Recruiting CWU Members that will assist individual representatives and branches in recruiting new members into the CWU.

The Recruiting CWU Members resource is modular based consisting of nine individual sections that can be used to increase the skills, knowledge and confidence of any representative when it comes to recruiting new members into the CWU.

The modules can be delivered in any order and in any combination, you can run a single session within an existing representatives meeting, design a full day combining three or four sessions to create your own workshop or plan to do a series of half day workshops throughout the year completing two or three sessions each time.

You as a branch decide which modules you think your representatives need, you do not need to deliver all nine.

Each section has individual recommended timings of 30 to 45 minutes for a whole group or 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes for smaller groups or pairs which can feedback into a whole group discussion.

The session can be run by whomever the branch feels is the best person suited to the role and every module contains a single activity workbook for representatives to take notes in, all the resources needed to facilitate the session and support notes which are designed to help the facilitator to stimulate discussion. Included are also links to some useful clips that can be used when recruiting CWU members.

As added support we have also held an overview session with the Regional ULR Leads on how the resources can be used so they are able to assist branches if needed.

The above resources are now available to access through the education website utilising the following link https://education.cwu.org/recruiting-cwu-members/

Any enquiries with regards to this LTB should be sent to equality&education@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 381/22 – Recruiting CWU Members – Motion 15

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Post Office: Non-Participation Encouraged for 2022 Engagement Survey

Branches are advised Post Office has just launched its Engagement Survey, the first one for a couple of years due to the pandemic.

These employee surveys are run unilaterally by Post Office and as such are un-agreed with the Union, we have though in the past encouraged members to participate to have their say in what is important to them by letting Post Office know where they believe improvements can be made.  Past experiences have though shown that whilst pay, terms and conditions rate very highly in terms of importance to members Post Office chooses to ignore the relevant results.

Unsurprisingly Post Office has on this occasion deliberately removed the entire subject of Pay & Reward in totality from this year’s Engagement Survey.  The only conclusion drawn from this blatant censorship is that Nick Read CEO is in denial and doesn’t want to hear directly that our members are incensed by the pay freeze imposed for 2021/22 along with the inadequate offer currently on the table for 2022/23.  The removal of the pertinent question from the last survey which was “I am paid fairly for the contributions I make to Post Office” speaks for itself. 

Therefore, following consultation with our Reps, we are encouraging members to refrain from participating in this year’s survey and to make it clear to their managers the reason for doing so is Post Office simply isn’t interested in hearing that our members want to be paid a fair and reasonable salary for their hard work and endeavours as Key Workers.

Branches and Reps are urged to bring this LTB to the attention of our members and to widely publicise the omission of Pay & Reward questions in the Engagement Survey in every Post Office workplace including all Crown Offices, Supply Chain and Admin Units.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

22LTB378 Post Office – Non-Participation Encouraged for 2022 Engagement Survey

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 018 – Parcel Sorting Machines (PSMs) – Unauthorised Access To Engineering Restricted Machinery Areas – Interfering With and Disabling Processing Safety Controls – Risk of Serious Injury From Powered Conveyors:

Background and Description 

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued RMG SHE Safety Flash FY22 018 following a series incidents in different Mail Centres with PSM machines where, despite ‘mandatory’ safety rules regarding secured, restricted, high risk, engineering machinery/powered conveyor areas, for authorised personnel only, managers, operational staff and contractors have accessed restricted areas by entering without permission, climbing over locked safety gates designed to prevent such access and cutting off padlocks and chains to gain access or retrieve parcels or trays from moving machines or chutes – thereby dangerously breaching and bypassing ‘mandatory’ safety rules, safety controls, safe systems of work and safe working methods etc., designed to keep the workforce safe from serious harm.

Powered conveyors can cause serious injury – RMG has safety controls in place that restrict access to high-risk conveyor areas, (e.g., areas behind locked and sign-posted gates for trained, equipped and authorised engineering staff access only) plus procedures and systems are in place which isolate and lock off the PSM machines to prevent them restarting whilst being worked on. These are essential measures to be in place before safe access can be made.

Impact/Injury

Accessing a running machine risks entanglement with the moving machine parts and serious injury or death. These reckless, unsafe acts risk serious injury and recent incidents in two Mail Centres are under investigation due to the seriousness of what occurred.

Key Messages and Learning Points 

• Managers, staff and contractors must never access a restricted (Authorised Personnel Only) area unless they’re an approved, trained, qualified and authorised person.
• Machines must be correctly stopped (and isolated) to prevent them restarting. Otherwise accessing and reaching into a moving machine is extremely dangerous and can cause injury or death.
• Without proper isolation, the machine can re-start without warning.
• Always follow the Machine Safe System of Work/Safe Working Instructions.
• Never take short cuts and stick to the rules at all times.

PiC/MCMs/Engineering Managers Actions:

• Issue the attached ‘Safety Flash’ to all staff who work with powered conveyors, ensuring the message is briefed to all staff and that it is clearly understood.
• Ensure all employees know that they must follow the SSOWs at all times.
• Review to ensure that keys (or codes) to access such areas are securely held – otherwise change them!
• Ensure that causes of jams are reviewed to continuously reduce avoidable machine stops.
• MC Managers to incorporate the above learning points in their ‘First Class Safety Conversations.’

CWU ASR/WSR Action:

Please ensure that this Safety Flash and PSM SSoW/SWI are communicated to all members and managers.

Attachments: 

• Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 018 – Parcel Sorting Machines (PSMs) – Unauthorised Access To Engineering Restricted Machinery Areas – Interfering With and Disabling Processing Safety Controls – Risk of Serious Injury From Powered Conveyors.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB377 Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY22 018 – Parcel Sorting Machines (PSMs)

SHE Flash FY22 018 – Interfering With Processing Safety Controls

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Capita TVL: Pay Agreement – 1st January 2022 – 31^st March 2023

Further to LTB 357/22 dated 7th September.

I am pleased to report at the conclusion of the Acas Mediation yesterday, a negotiators’ agreement was reached between CWU and Capita.  This pay agreement has been considered by the Postal Executive earlier today and was unanimously endorsed.  Attached is a Joint Statement detailing the pay agreement being published today.

The pay agreement, which is relatively straightforward, is applicable for 15 months from 1st January 2022 to 31st March 2023.  The details are as follows:

• 6% Consolidated Pay Increase across the board covering all pay rates for all CWU Represented grades
• £900 lump sum (pro-rata for part-timers) payable in two instalments:
  • £400 following membership endorsement of the pay agreement to be paid to members in post on the October pay date
  • £500 paid with January 2023 salaries for those in post
• Two New Pensionable Allowances from 1st July for Field Visiting Officers in London & South East
  • London VOs £3400 per annum
  • South East VOs £1700 per annum 
• New annual Pay Review date 1st April 2023

The Postal Executive will be recommending support for the agreement and arrangements will be made for a consultative ballot of members to ratify the pay agreement.  Further details in this regard will be provided in due course.

Our Capita Reps have been briefed on the pay agreement and are broadly satisfied with the outcome which has obviously taken a while to achieve.  I also wish to thank our members and Reps for being patient and supportive of the process.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

22LTB376 Capita TVL – Pay Agreement – 1st January 2022 – 31st March 2023

Attachment 1 to LTB276

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CWU AFFILIATION GENERAL CONFERENCE MOTION 13 – National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV)

At this year’s CWU General Conference delegates endorsed Motion 13 in the name of the Eastern Regional Committee regarding affiliation to the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV). For ease of reference the motion reads as follows:

The CWU applauds the inspiring and lifesaving work of the National Centre for Domestic Violence.

Their mission is to help people identify the early signs of domestic abuse, make decisions for a better life and to make domestic abuse socially unacceptable.

Before the Centre was operational, the Police and victims faced two problems when using local firms of solicitors to obtain non-molestation orders. Generally, solicitors were only willing to accept clients that were either eligible for public funding or clients who could afford to pay privately, thus leaving all those people ‘not eligible’ with no access to funds, unprotected.

The other main issue was that solicitors were taking between two days and two weeks to get the client into court and obtain the order.

The NCDV were convinced that victims of domestic violence and abuse could be daunted by the vast amount of various legal agencies offering to assist. They saw the need for a one-stop-shop where the concerns of those in an abusive situation could be addressed in their language and on their terms. Furthermore this streamlined service, could and should be free and accessible to everybody.

 The National Centre for Domestic Violence is targeted at the rapid relief of domestic violence and abuse. The majority of cases referred to the NCDV will result in a speedy action to the civil courts. They also provide services providing alternative refuge accommodation, and legal protection for children caught up in abusive or failing relationships. 

The NVCDV is completely self-funding and the solicitors provide pro-bono case work for those suffering from domestic violence and abuse.

 The NEC is instructed to:

 To nationally affiliate to the National Centre for Domestic Violence in order to recognise and support the important work they do to support victim of domestic violence and abuse.

• To encourage all Regions and Branches of the CWU to affiliate to the National Centre for Domestic Violence in order to recognise and support the important work they do to help victims of domestic violence and abuse.
• To highlight with CWU Regions, Branches and our membership the important work the National Centre for Domestic Violence provides to assist victims of domestic violence and abuse signposting victims to the services that NCDV provide via there online website, the information and help they provide regarding domestic violence and abuse for both male and female victims
• The national affiliation and working to full Regional and Branch affiliation is to be completed by the end of 2022.

 The above list is not exhaustive, conference agrees that the work carried by the NCDV has a significant impact on the lives of those in an abusive relationship whether mentally or physically. The problem of domestic violence is personal and largely invisible the NCDV provides a free and fast service to those suffering from domestic violence and abuse regardless of their financial status, race, gender or sexual orientation.

We can confirm that in line with CWU National Rule 6.4.6 branches are now permitted to affiliate to this organisation and an affiliation form is attached for your use/information.

Regional Secretaries will be tasked to roll out the affiliation of branches in their respective Regions for NCDV sign up.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Office on djeffery@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary 

22LTB375 – CWU AFFILIATION GENERAL CONFERENCE MOTION 13 – NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

CWU EASTERN REGION – NCDV Affiliation Form

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NHSBT National Organ Donation Week – 26th September – 2nd October 2022:

Once again this year the CWU will be supporting the NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant) National Organ Donation Week.

The aim of the week is to ensure that the overwhelming public support for organ donation continues to grow and the NHS has more organs made available for transplants, so saving more lives.

NHS Blood and Transplant supports any initiative which leads to more organ donors and more lives being saved.

The NHSBT National Organ Donation Week – 26th September – 2^nd Octoberprovides an excellent opportunity to support the campaign to continue to build the national conversation, awareness and support for organ donation, helping to make it a normal and expected part of end of life care.

Every day the nation needs donors to help those in desperate need of a transplant. As of the end of March 2022, there were 6,269 patients waiting for a transplant, and last year, 429 patients died while on the transplant list. 

Please help trigger conversations about organ donation, whether that’s by talking to others about donation, sharing content on social media or including information on organ donation in your branches, workplaces, communities and amongst families, friends and colleagues.

NHSBT see the CWU as a valued partner and they need our ongoing support to help us promote the positive nature of organ donation and to reiterate the message that we support organ donation and want more people to act today by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register and telling their family they want to donate. NHSBT know from those that have supported organ donation that these conversations make it easier for grieving families at a difficult time.

Further information is available at the following NHSBT Website link:https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/organ-donation-campaigns/

The Organ Donation Law Across The UK and Crown Dependencies: 

In recent years the CWU through is strongly positive Conference Policy has supported changes to organ donation law across the UK and crown dependencies, in fact in all locations where CWU members work. Although the law on organ donation has changed significantly over the last seven years with England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey changing the law to an ‘opt-out’ system and Northern Ireland, Guernsey and the Isle of Mann due to move to ‘opt-out, in 2023, individuals registering their wishes to be an organ donor makes it easier for grieving families at a difficult time.

Here’s an update on the organ donor laws across the UK and crown dependencies:

England

On 20 May 2020, the law around organ donation in England was changed to allow more people’s lives to be saved. The law introduced a system commonly called ‘opt-out’ or ‘deemed consent’. All adults over 18 in England are now considered to have agreed to be an organ and tissue donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate and they have ‘opted out’ or are in one of the excluded groups.

Wales

Wales led the way and on 1 December 2015 the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act 2013 came into full effect, making Wales the first country in the UK to introduce ‘opt-out’ or ‘deemed consent’ legislation, meaning that if you haven’t registered an organ and tissue donation decision, people will be considered to have no objection to becoming an organ and tissue donor after death.

Scotland

The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act 2019 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in July 2019. The legislation provides for a ‘deemed authorisation’ or an ‘opt out’ system of organs and tissue donation for transplantation. The system came into effect on 26 March 2021.

Northern Ireland 

On 30 March 2022 the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 received royal assent. Therefore, from spring 2023, the law around organ and tissue donation in Northern Ireland will move to an ‘opt-out’ system from the current ‘opt-in’. This will mean that in the event that organ donation is a possibility after you die, it will be considered that individuals agree to being an organ donor unless you choose to opt-out or are in an excluded group. The new law will be known as ‘Dáithí’s Law’ in recognition of five-year-old Dáithí MacGabhann who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018.

Jersey

In April 2018 the Jersey States Assembly passed legislation that saw the island move towards a deemed consent, ‘opt out’ system as in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The new legislation took effect on 1st July 2019.

Guernsey

Guernsey’s Human Tissue and Transplantation (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Legislation was enacted in May 2020, which will introduce a ‘deemed consent’ or ‘opt-out’ system with the new law set to come into force on 1 January 2023, which will mean that if you haven’t recorded a decision about organ donation and you are not in an excluded group, you will be presumed to be in favour of organ and tissue donation.

Isle of Man

In October 2020, Members of the House of Keys unanimously backed the second reading of the Human Tissue and Organ Donation Bill 2020. On 20 July 2021, the Bill received Royal Assent to become an Act, moving the island one step closer to an ‘opt-out’ led approach to organ donation consent. Planning is underway to implement the new law, which will not come into force until a commencement date has been set. The Isle of Man will continue to operate an ‘opt-in’ consent system until such time and the date for the new law to come into force has been set but is expected to be in 2023.

NHSBT Organ Donation Week Key Focus and Campaign Guide:

For Organ Donation Week the NHSBT have said their ‘Leave Them Certain‘ campaign will be the main focus of the week. This campaign aims to encourage people to talk to their loved ones about organ donation through highlighting that families are always involved before organ donation goes ahead – encouraging families to have the conversation and leave their loved ones certain about their organ donation wishes after death.

Further information can be found in the NHSBT Organ Donation Campaign Guide.  The guide includes:

• The recording of the NHSBT campaign briefing session
• Top tips on engaging with schools, including links to the resources and letter template
• How to get involved in the Heart Walk
• A guide for lighting up pink
• Key messages
• Resources – including how to create a QR code to measure your activity

The campaign guide is available at the following NHSBT Website link: – https://sway.office.com/e9lnib4bbFV5Cjbk?ref=Link

Other NHSBT resources are also available at this Webpage link: –https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/download-digital-materials/

NHSBT Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Strategy (‘Organ Donation and Transplantation 2030: Meeting the Need’)

Recently published by NHSBT is the new ten‑year vision strategy for organ donation and transplantation in the United Kingdom. The Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation strategy combines the focus of previous strategies and sets out a ten-year vision for deceased and living donation and transplantation in the UK. It outlines the key areas that need to be addressed as the UK continues to save and improve more lives through organ donation and transplantation after 2020. It also sets out the actions to support and maximise the potential for living donation, as well as focusing on areas for research and innovation.

The strategy reports that the last decade has seen significant progress in organ donation and transplantation in the UK, during which deceased organ donation rates have increased by 56%. Through the selflessness of organ donors and their families, combined with the generosity of living donors 56,000 patients are currently alive with a functioning transplant. These incredible achievements were made possible through the NHS and a commitment to deliver improvements.

There are still thousands on the transplant waiting list, and lives are lost every day, due to a lack of available organs. Organ Donation and Transplantation: Meeting the Need sets out the strategy for the next 10 years, to build on the successes of the past and deliver further improvements. The strategy will only be a success if it supports and benefits everyone in need of a transplant.

Whilst progress has been made, an unacceptably large number of people from a Black, Asian, Mixed Race and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background still spend far too long on the transplant waiting list because of a lack of suitable organs. The strategy aims to do more to engage with the diverse populations across the UK, empowering them to lead the promotion of living and deceased organ donation.

One of the key foundations for Meeting the Need is the strength of the public support for organ donation. To reflect this support, four of the Governments in the UK and Crown dependencies have already changed the law on consent or authorisation for deceased donation to one of ‘opt out’, rather than ‘opt in’ with the other three due to follow in 2023. The anticipation is that these law changes could lead to hundreds of additional lives saved or improved every year, through increasing the number of organs available for transplantation.

The challenge for the coming years is to make sure that the transplant service can keep pace with this increase. This strategy therefore sets out the aims to ensure that every organ that can be safely transplanted is used to save or improve someone’s life. It also sets out the actions to support and maximise the potential for living donation, which is vital for ensuring that as many people as possible receive the transplant they need.

Research and innovation are vital components of this strategy. The UK is a pioneer in developing and adopting new techniques and technology in donation and transplantation and will continue to look to the future and lead the way, so that the benefits of this strategy will be felt well beyond the next decade. The improvements of the last ten years have taken commitment, passion and hard work to deliver. There is no sign of this dedication to delivering improvements wavering. The actions set out in this strategy are ambitious, but through continuing to work together, even more lives will be saved every year through the gift of organ donation.

A copy of the Strategy Report (‘Organ Donation and Transplantation 2030: Meeting the Need’) is attached.

NHSBT Organ Donation and Transplantation Strategy Webinar Recordings

Following the publication of the ‘NHSBT Organ Donation and Transplantation Strategy’, a series of webinars were organised in July to explain the strategy. The webinars also covered the Transplant Activity Report (TAR) and its headline figures.

The three webinars covered three areas and were:

• New NHSBT Strategy Webinar – This webinar focused on the transplantation aspects of the 2030 strategy covering the vision for: living and deceased donor transplantation, organ utilisation, recipient outcomes and research and innovation.
• Deceased Donation Webinar – This webinar covered the current situation of deceased donation, the hopes for the next 10 years, and maximising donation potential.
• Stakeholders and Partners Webinar – This webinar is an introduction to the new 2030 strategy for all of the NHSBT’s charity sector and organisational partners. It gave an overview of current UK donation and transplantation trends and focus on NHSBT’s priorities for the coming 10 years.

The Webinar recordings can be accessed and watched at the following link: https://sway.office.com/89ZSxxVy1r5DDGBb?ref=email

Black, Asian, Mixed Race and Minority Ethnic Transplant Activity Report

On the 19th of August, a new report was published by NHS Blood and Transplant that showed the impact of Covid-19 on organ donation and transplantation amongst Black, Asian and Mixed Race and Minority Ethnic patients, and in particular the effects of a reduction in living donation.

NHSBT have published this supplementary report on the Organ Donation Website alongside the Transplant Activity Report, published earlier this year. The report outlines how the pandemic has had a significant impact on the numbers of living donor kidney transplants that could be performed, and as a result, the number of life-changing transplants, able to take place.

While 444 patients were able to receive a transplant from a living donor over the year – an extraordinary achievement in the midst of a pandemic – this was still a drop of 58% compared to the previous year.

NHSBT ran a webinar that covered:

• An overview of the key stats from the report, a reflection of the activity delivered over the last year to engage diverse audiences.
• NHSBT approach for the year ahead.
• An overview of NHSBT community investment scheme for living donation.

The Webinar recordings can be accessed at the following link: – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m7zHFO0utGbU1LV1UCayN15wDtZYdQKm/view

A copy of the NHSBT Organ and Transplantation data for Black, Asian, Mixed Race and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities Report for 2020/21 is attached.

Becoming a Living Organ Donor

• Donating a kidney

Across the UK, more than 1,000 people each year donate a kidney or part of their liver while they are still alive to a relative, friend or someone they do not know.  The most commonly donated organ by a living person is a kidney. A healthy person can lead a normal life with only one functioning kidney and therefore they are able to donate the other to help someone in need of a kidney transplant. Kidneys are the most commonly donated organs by living people, and about a third of all kidney transplants carried out in the UK are from living donors.  In the UK living kidney transplants have been performed since 1960 and currently around 1,100 such operations are performed each year, with a very high success rate. A kidney transplant can transform the life of someone with kidney disease.

• Donating part of your liver

Part of a liver can also be transplanted from a living donor to help someone in need. Living donor liver transplantation has been successfully performed in the UK since 1995. A liver transplant operation is life-saving surgery for patients with end stage liver disease. It is also performed for some patients with primary liver cancer and children with metabolic diseases (affecting the chemical processes within the body).

• Bone and amniotic membrane donation

Unlike other organ and tissue donations, you can donate bone and part of your placenta as a living tissue donor. NHSBT work with specific hospitals to give people the opportunity to donate bone and amniotic membrane (part of the placenta) when having planned hip surgery or giving birth by elective caesarean section.

For more information on becoming a living kidney donor:

1. Watch the Transplant TV film at this link: https://transplant.tv/patients/#/living-kidney-donation
2. Browse the NHSBT information on the NHSBT Living Donation Webpages: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/become-a-living-donor/

Progress and Post-Covid Recovery in Organ Donation 

The Royal College of Pathologists recently reported that over the last decade in the UK, there has been a significant increase in organ donation, with the number of donors increasing by 56%. The introduction of ‘opt-out’ legislation is expected to increase this figure further. Overcoming the various logistical, legal and cultural barriers has made the organ donation community even more determined that the new laws should be fully enacted and an individual’s decision to be a donor should be fulfilled. The UK Government was quoted in Parliament that they expect 700 more transplants per year to take place under the new ‘opt-out’ laws.

Organ donation and transplantation across the world was significantly affected by Covid-19 with organ donation and transplantation services temporarily halted. Living donation transplants were also halted. These were testing times but led by the NHSBT drawing all involved together, the shared purpose of the donation and transplantation teams, the retrieval teams, transplant centres and donor hospitals worked together in a way that was never seen before with record numbers of families consenting to organ donation, brought to the forefront of our minds by unfortunate circumstances. These efforts meant that transplantation rates soon recovered, all transplant centres were able to reopen, and deceased donor transplant rates soon recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels. Living donor transplantation also recovered and the UK living kidney sharing scheme has resumed, with matching runs being equivalent to pre-pandemic activity in terms of numbers of donors, recipients included and transplants identified.

As well as scientific progress during the pandemic, cultural advancements have also been made and many communities from different backgrounds have been brought together. NHSBT has developed the Community Investment Scheme, which provides funding for trusted organisations to help drive awareness within communities, working with faith leaders and communities to build trust, raise awareness and discuss the barriers to organ and/or tissue donation and how organ donation can proceed in line with faith or beliefs. As a result, as part of joining the organ donation register, a statement is now included which can be ticked regarding whether NHS staff should speak to family members about how organ donation can go ahead in line with an individual’s faith or beliefs.

There is still a long road ahead in the future. Thousands of patients await life-saving and life-improving transplants, and much work is yet to be done to help reduce this number. The UK drives innovation in transplantation and is a world leader in many aspects of the field.

To sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk
or call 0300 123 23 23

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB373 NHSBT National Organ Donation Week – 26th September – 2nd October 2022

NHSBT-Strategy-organ-donation-transplantation-meeting-the-need-2030

Organ-Donation-BAME-transplant-activity-report-2020-2021

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Back Care Awareness Week – 3 – 7 October 2022

Back pain is one of the biggest causes of work absences, accounting for more than 12 million days lost every year.

‘Backcare’ is a charity established nearly 50 years ago by a group of people who wanted to help back pain suffers. The Charity publicises and promotes the latest advice and research, from a broad range of health professionals into the causes, management and prevention of back pain. The Charity has extensive links with the NHS, Government Departments, industry and other voluntary organisations. ‘Backcare’ recognises there is not one single solution to back pain. They aim to give a balanced viewpoint on the different information, advice and therapies available. As a Charity they say that they can give unbiased advice.

• The Organisation’s flagship ‘Back Pain Awareness Week’ helps people understand the real problems of back pain sufferers. Through their media campaign via press and radio, millions of people have been reached and the organisation listens to members and invites collaboration into research, into the causes, management and prevention of back pain. The Charity’s board of trustees is made up of leading healthcare professionals

The aim of the week-long event, which is organised by ‘Backcare’, the charity for healthier backs, is to raise awareness of the problems back pain can cause, as well as prevention and treatments.

Back pain is ‘more debilitating than any other condition’, recent studies have found and the condition may now be the leading cause of disability worldwide. One study looked at how much disability is caused by lower back pain globally. It found that lower back pain caused more disability than any other condition, affecting nearly 1 in 10 people and becoming more common with increasing age.

The condition was most common in Western Europe, followed by North Africa and the Middle East, and was lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The EU Agency for Safety & Health reports that about 44 million workers in the EU have musculoskeletal disorders caused by their workplace.

In the UK almost 31 million days of work were lost last year due to back, neck and muscle problems, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS’s Labour Force Survey, which polls hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, found that musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, which include a large range of bone and joint complaints, accounted for more prolonged absences than any other ailment.

One of the messages of ‘Backcare Week’ is to point out that the posture of many workers when sitting at a desk is really quite shocking – and that taking breaks, standing and stretching are beneficial rather than sitting for long periods with bad posture.

Whatever you do it is very important to make sure that your work station area is set up correctly for you and simple changes can make such a big difference. Some workers can be seen with their computer keyboard too far away from them, so their arms are really outstretched, or the keyboard has been balanced precariously on a pile of documents or an uneven surface whilst the worker is attempting to type!

The Charity’s ‘Backcare Shop’ has information packs available, based on back problems found at home, at work and at play. They also have a great selection of back friendly bags to help ensure that you reduce the chance of any potential back problems.

While workers might all know the best way to pick up items, boxes, parcels and equipment safely, they tend not to think about the effect everyday tasks have on our backs; like picking up shopping or children’s toys, things around the home, garden, garage etc.

It’s thought that 4 out of every 5 adults will experience back pain at some point in their life, so the campaign week invites you to get an information pack or obtain a selection of Information Sheets available (listed below) and find out what Branches and Reps can do to run local awareness campaigns to help members prevent it. It should be stressed that local information and awareness raising campaigns on back care can be organised locally by Branches, Safety Reps and Safety Committees at any time, not just during the campaign week, as the problem and information is relevant all year round.

‘Backcare’s’ Top 10 Tips For A Healthy Back:

1. Exercise your back regularly – walking, swimming (especially back stroke) and using exercise bikes are all excellent to strengthen your back muscles but anything that you enjoy and helps you keep active will be beneficial.
2. Keep active and moving even when you have pain. Gentle walking and stretching will prevent stiffness. Also try to avoid long periods of bed rest as this is counterproductive.
3. Always lift and carry objects close to your body, bend your knees and your hips not your back and never twist and bend at the same time.
4. Try to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle as this will help prevent back pain. Quit smoking as it increases your chances of developing back pain.
5. Use painkillers when pain occurs to allow you to carry on being active. If pain is persistent see your GP as they may be able to prescribe stronger painkillers or investigate further.
6. Consider your work environment. If you work in an office look at your workspace and ways to adapt it to help you manage your back pain. If your work is more manual in nature try to be aware of and work according to health and safety procedures such as manual handling or loading procedures.
7. Try to carry loads in a rucksack or a trolley and avoid carrying single sling bags.
8. Always try to maintain good posture. Avoid slumping in your chair, hunching over your desk and walking around with your shoulders hunched up.
9. Always use a chair with a back rest and sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a foot rest. Don’t forget to change your sitting position every few minutes.
10. If you do suffer from back pain caused or made worse by being at work, talk to your employer or HR department. They may be able to help you come up with adaptations to your work environment, patterns and activities in order to help you better manage your back pain. Information sheets made available by ‘Backcare’ are provided for information only and should not be considered as medical recommendations or advice.

‘Backcare’ Information Sheets: 

The Charity has a huge library of various information sheets which can be accessed here: https://Backcare.org.uk/i-have-back-or-neck-pain/library/

Become a ‘Backcare’ Member: 

You can Join ‘Backcare’ and receive the Charity’s free monthly e-newsletter and other information and updates. Go to: https://Backcare.org.uk/get-involved/

TalkBack Magazine

TalkBack is the quarterly magazine of ‘Backcare’, the UK’s national back pain charity – featuring news, views and leading edge commentary for all involved with and affected by back pain. Editions are available to download from the ‘Backcare’ Website (address below).

More Information – ‘Backcare’ Website:

For more information, visit the ‘Backcare’ website for information on how best to deal with aches and pains before they turn into something more serious. Website: http://www.Backcare.org.uk/

Contact Details:
Backcare
29 Bridge Street
Hitchin
SG5 2DF
Tel: 0208 977 5474
Email: info@Backcare.org.uk
Website: http://www.Backcare.org.uk/

Attachments: 

• HSE Employers Guide – Back Pain
• HSE Manual Handling A Brief Guide INDG143

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB374 Back Care Awareness Week – 3 – 7 October 2022

HSE Employers Guidance – Back Pain

HSE Manual Handling at Work A Brief Guide INDG143

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CWU Retired Members Conference 2022 – Online Registration

Further to LTB 343/22 Branches would wish to know that the online registration is open to register their delegates and observers to the Retired Members Conference taking place at CWU Headquarters, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RX on Tuesday 15^th November 2022.

The link to access the webpage is as follows or this can be copied into the search browser:

https://conference.cwu.org

Registration for the conference will close on Tuesday 1^st November 2022.

Branches only with Retired members sections are entitled to send delegates to this conference.

The entitlement for each Branch is attached for your information.   Branches need to have a delegate at the conference to be able to move a motion.

Please note that once a delegate has been registered using the online registration an agenda, when prepared, will be sent via the branch office to the individual(s).  The agenda will also be published on the website nearer the date.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

22LTB372 – CWU Retired Members Conference 2022 – Online Registration

Retired Count and Section Nov 2022

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Post Office Ltd – 2022 Free Flu Vaccination Voucher Scheme Offer and On-Site Clinics:

Post Office Ltd have confirmed in discussions with the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department that as part of POL’s ongoing health promotion and employee support programme, POL will again, in 2022 be offering a ‘free flu voucher’ vaccination scheme for the workforce. This is the fifth year POL have offered a ‘free flu jab’ voucher scheme to CWU member grades. The POL flu voucher scheme offer to staff is now open.

The 2022 POL Flu Voucher Scheme Summary 

• Digital flu vaccination vouchers made available for all employees not eligible for a free voucher through the NHS, redeemable in over 4,000 outlets which is over double the amount available two years ago and will include pharmacies, supermarkets etc.
• On-site flu jab clinics are to be provided at 5 of Post Office Limited’s largest sites – see details below.

Digital Vouchers 

All eligible POL employees wishing to take up the flu jab scheme offer will be given a link to access a digital voucher online which is redeemable at over 4,000 locations, e.g., pharmacies and supermarkets.

DMB and Supply Chain employees wishing to opt into the scheme have been advised by their line managers how to obtain their vouchers. Field and admin teams have been advised via the flu article on the POL hub.

Free NHS Vaccination

The flu jab will continue to be available free of charge from the NHS for; people over 50, those at risk of severe illness from catching flu, those with certain defined conditions and a range of children’s age groups. For further information individuals should contact their GP surgery.

On-Site Flu Clinics in Post Office Ltd 

On-site flu clinics will be available in 5 sites where a nurse will be available to administer flu jabs. Dates have already been confirmed with the sites and supporting materials supplied.

1. Glasgow CC & CViT
2. Birmingham CC & CViT
3. London CC & CViT
4. Swindon Stores
5. Future Walk

Communications 

Communications will be aligned to the Government Flu Jab Scheme for this year as summarised above.

Considering the risk of flu and Covid-19 co-circulating this winter, we are encouraging members to have the flu jab to reduce their risk of getting flu, becoming unwell and passing it on to family, friends and work colleagues.

Having the flu vaccine is the best defence against the virus and increases people’s chance of having better health outcomes. It is advised to have the jab as early as possible before the flu virus becomes widespread in the autumn and winter months across the UK.

Influenza 

Influenza (flu) is one of the most significant causes of illness during the winter months. Flu is a respiratory illness caused by a virus, which is highly contagious and can lead to severe ill-health. Those unfortunate enough to catch flu can suffer debilitating pain, nausea, high fever, headache and muscle aches, cough, sore throat, tiredness and discomfort plus time away from work and if many are off work the service to customers is affected.

Considering the risk of flu this winter, Post Office Ltd and the CWU are jointly encouraging all members to take up the opportunity to have the flu jab and in doing so reduce their risk of getting flu, becoming unwell and passing it on to family, friends and work colleagues.

REMINDER

Those members intending to utilise the POL ‘free flu jab’ scheme and redeem their voucher have until the 31 March 2023.  Would all CWU Reps please remind all members to seriously consider taking up the ‘free flu jab’ offer before the closing date.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB371 Post Office Ltd – 2022 Free Flu Vaccination Voucher Scheme Offer and On-Site Clinics

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