RECRUITMENT OF RETIRED MEMBERS AND RETIRED MEMBERS SECTIONS
Recruitment
For some time now the Retired Members Committee (RMC) has been considering the issue of recruitment to retired membership within the union. The concern of the RMC as well as the Retired Regional Leads (RRL) is that the size of this group of members continues to decline and that there is a need to address this point.
The RMC and the RRL have held joint meetings to discuss this matter on a number of occasions. Branches will recall that we sought views as to what worked and what didn’t when it came to recruitment in this area.
Following feedback and further discussion the Research Department at CWU HQ produced a document that sets out the issues around recruitment of retired members within the CWU.
The RMC and the RRL met again just before the end of 2022 and agreed that in order to try and boost recruitment of retired members into the CWU the Research Department report should be reproduced in full to all Branches (Appendix A).
The RMC acknowledges the current difficulties Branches are facing as a result of previous and ongoing industrial action. They have however requested that all Branches consider the report which is attached to this LTB and discuss with their Branch Committees and retired members on how best to mount a recruitment campaign in order that more members who are leaving employment retain CWU membership as retired members.
The RMC would also appreciate Branches responding to this LTB by letting them know what actions are being or will be taken in this matter in order that they can monitor membership numbers against actions being taken. That way we can begin to build up a picture of what brings results and begin to develop a model of recruitment that is successful across the whole of the union.
RMC and RRL are happy to assist Branches on this issue and contact details can be found at Appendix B to this LTB.
Retired Members Sections
In addition to recruitment of members the RMC and RRL believe that one of the issues that may be a barrier to recruitment of members in this area is the lack of a retired members section in a number of branches.
The RMC members and the RRL have experience of setting up such sections and those branches currently without a retired members section are asked to contact either a member of the RMC or the RRL for your Region with a view to constituting, as set out in then CWU Rule book, a retired members section within your branch.
The RMC and RRL have asked that we seek the assistance of the Regional Secretary’s on this issue and a copy of this LTB will be forwarded to them asking if they can contact those Branches without a retired members section to see what assistance is needed to set one up.
Conclusion
As stated above the RMC/RRL are acutely aware of the pressures all branches are under at this moment in time. Retired members constitute a sizeable proportion of CWU total membership, 6.5%, growing this cohort of membership is as important to the union overall as it is to the benefit of those individuals who join. The RMC/RRL are determined to do all they can to grow membership in this area and look to Branches to do all they can to assist them in this task.
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
APPENDIX A – Retired Members Recruitment Committee Consultation Summary 2022
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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