USO Ofcom Update

Please see attached a letter sent by Natalie Black – the Group Director of Ofcom.

This letter, which is published on Ofcom’s website, is a direct response to a communication Royal Mail sent to all businesses and organisations who hold an account with them.

The CWU raised this with Royal Mail and Ofcom as it indicated that Royal Mail were simply going to impose USO reform.  We have had assurances from Royal Mail that there will be no further deployment of the USO outside of the pilot units without a full national agreement with the CWU and without the agreement of Ofcom.

We also met with Ofcom this week and they reconfirmed that they intend to make their decision on USO in the summer.

Royal Mail and the CWU have agreed that each unit should continue to ensure that all necessary data validation and planning is undertaken in line with the joint statements issued within LTB 102/25 and in advance of any decision by Ofcom.  This includes where frames need to be moved.

It is important to re-emphasise that the CWU’s support for USO reform is conditional on securing a pay agreement and a resolution to section 5.

In addition, the pilots will need to be working and meet the agreed four overarching objectives for the Optimised Delivery Model, which are:

1. Must achieve all of Ofcom’s quality of service targets, alongside all commercial targets.
2. Must deliver fair, manageable and achievable workload and introduce a reduction in fatigue.
3. Must introduce improved attendance patterns with fewer Saturdays.
4. Must improve morale and confidence within the workplace.

Any enquiries in regards to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Dept hford@cwu.org .

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 109.25. USO Ofcom Update

LTB 109.25 Att 1

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Royal Mail Group Negotiations – Update for CWU Members  

It is encouraging that we can inform members that the negotiations with Royal Mail Group continue to progress with the support of EP Group representatives.

We understand members will be frustrated by the fact no full agreement has yet been reached and deadlines have been shifted for this on multiple occasions.

The truth is these are an extremely complex set of negotiations where we are attempting to shift the whole ethos of the company, end workplace chaos, deliver a good settlement on pay, start to undo the damage done by the company during the 2022 dispute and agree a fresh USO that the company actually abides by on a day to day basis in every workplace. All of this is set against the background of a challenging financial reality for Royal Mail.

The first Board meeting of the EP Group ownership era is on Monday 9th June. All parties have agreed to work over this weekend so progress can be presented to this meeting. From there we would want to sign off a full agreement that can be put to the CWU Postal Executive and then voted on by our members.

Today we wanted to give you a fuller update on negotiations. We have to be clear that we are working on the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. This is why we have not and cannot put individual elements of the negotiations (such as pay) out to members.

PAY

We have rejected multiple pay offers from the employer. The latest being around 4% from April this year. We believe we can achieve more than this. These negotiations continue.

We are also in negotiations over an incentive scheme that could deliver real and tangible financial benefits for members.

NEW ENTRANTS’ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In line with our agreement with EP Group we have words drafted which would create a pathway to equalising new entrants’ terms and conditions with our legacy members. These are extremely complex and challenging talks and remain an outstanding issue. We will end two-tier working and reverse the damage done by the previous Board and management team.

VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCY TERMS

In line with our agreement with EP Group we have been discussing an enhancement to the current VR terms which were unilaterally imposed by Royal Mail during the last

dispute. We are confident we can improve these – whilst balancing this against the claim we are making on pay and other benefits.

USO NEGOTIATIONS

As part of our agreement with EP Group we are committed to reaching a settlement on USO reform as part of an overall national agreement. Just this week, OFCOM have publicly rebuked Royal Mail for publishing start dates for USO change on their website. OFCOM are making it clear that any decision on the USO will be made in the Summer of 2025 and Royal Mail have no remit to move ahead of this. Equally, we have made it clear that the current USO pilots must be completed, assessed and any fixes put in place before we reach a wider agreement.

We have words on the USO drafted and will be engaging the employer and EP Group on this over the weekend.

A COMPLETE RE-SET

Our agreement with EP Group commits to rebuilding Royal Mail. The only way this can happen is through re-setting relations in every workplace in the UK. Everything we have seen – daily breaches of the USO, the continued prioritisation of parcels and the general chaos culture must end.

This is a major first test of EP Group and the way they want to run Royal Mail.

IMPROVING SICK PAY / REDUCING AGENCY WORKERS / IMPROVING SA AND OVERTIME RATES

Our agreement with EP Group gave clear timelines on the above issues and we are putting in place processes to ensure these are abided by and that fresh settlements are delivered in all these areas.

WHO WOULD BE COVERED BY THE AGREEMENT IF AND WHEN REACHED?

All Royal Mail Group grades.

SUMMARY

The weekend and early part of next week is crucial. We will do everything possible to reach a full national agreement that can be voted on by the membership.

We hope the detail contained within this update gives you a greater understanding of the situation and the moment we have more news we will share it with you.

There is an urgent need to deliver an agreement. There is an even more urgent need to deliver the right agreement.

Martin Walsh 
Deputy General Secretary Postal

Dave Ward 
General Secretary

Pay, Section 5 Update

Please find attached an update on the negotiations concerning pay, section 5 and the USO.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGSP Department.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)       

LTB 108.25 Pay Section 5 Update

LTB 108.25 Att 1

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Men’s Health Week (9th-16th June 2025) is an annual awareness week designed to give men access to the information and services they need to live healthier, longer, and more fulfilling lives. It serves as a vital national initiative to raise awareness of the physical and mental health issues disproportionately affecting men. This year’s campaign is run by the Men’s Health Forum charity, who are calling for the development of a comprehensive Men’s Health Strategy, which is seen as an essential step in tackling preventable ill-health and premature mortality among men.

We need a Men’s Health Strategy | Men’s Health Forum

Men are still dying needlessly young.

• One man in five dies before the age of 65 
• 40% of men die before the age of 75

Some key facts

Over three-quarters of premature deaths from heart disease are male. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most diagnosed type of heart disease. CHD is responsible for around 66,000 deaths in the UK each year, an average of 180 people each day, or one death around every eight minutes. A British Heart Foundation (BHF) fact sheet for Men & Women can be downloaded via this link BHF UK CVD Factsheet.  More information about when and how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is available via this 15-minute mobile training link, all you need to practice is a cushion. This training can save lives.

Learn CPR in 15 minutes for free | RevivR – BHF

Men are 43% more likely to die from cancer, and overall, the number of men getting cancer is rising. Some cancers only affect men, some trans women, and non-binary people who were born male can also get these cancers. There is support & information available via Cancer Research UK.

Cancer mortality by age | Cancer Research UK

Three-quarters of suicides are male and while women are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression than men, societal expectations mean men are less likely to share how they are feeling according to Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA England). Therefore, it’s hard to tell if the figures are a true representation. Encouragingly, The Workplace Health Report 2024 identified an increase in the number of men seeking help for their mental health. Nevertheless, there is still work that needs to be done to ensure seeking help isn’t seen as a sign of weakness, but one of strength and courage.

Men’s mental health – Mental Health UK

Leading the way

Men’s Health Week is now celebrated in many European countries and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of men prioritising both their physical and mental wellbeing, dismantling stereotypes, and seeking help.  We know there is still a long way to go in encouraging help-seeking behaviours, but workplaces are a logical place to start.

The CWU are fully committed to the Men’s Health Week priorities for 2025 to:

• Heighten awareness of preventable health problems for males of ALL ages.
• Support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices.
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

Currently an All-Party Group is reviewing the case for a men’s health strategy, while the Women and Equalities Committee of MPs in the last parliament recommended that government give ‘serious consideration’ to one. The Government wants both members of the public and healthcare experts to have their say on ways to tackle the biggest health problems facing men.  This call for evidence is part of the Government’s plan for changing and improving health care for everyone.

The 12-week call for evidence runs from 24th April to 17th July 2025.

Men’s Health Strategy – Department of Health and Social Care

This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 17 July 2025

For those using British Sign language the call for evidence will remain open until 11:59pm on 15 August 2025.

Men’s Health Strategy for England: call for evidence in British Sign Language – GOV.UK

The CWU supports the Beyond Silence campaign and promotes and celebrates Deaf Awareness across the UK and in workplaces. “Beyond Silence”

This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact –

Jamie McGovern, FRSPH MIIAI at jmcgovern@cwu.org.

LTB – Mens health week week 2025 – Final

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Post Office: Future of the Crown Office Network – Franchising Update

Further to LTB 105/25 dated 27^th May.  As Branches are aware, on 8^th April Post Office announced the franchising of the remaining 108 Crown Offices, meaning the loss of over 1,000 jobs.

Post Office confirmed franchise partners for 56 Crowns on 27^th May, and earlier this week confirmed a further 19 Crowns for franchising to three partners – First Class Retail, RF Retail and South Coast Retail (list attached).  We continue to expect further announcements in terms of franchise partners for the remaining 33 Crowns in the coming weeks and our Territorial Reps will be advised of the details at the earliest opportunity.

In accordance with the Joint Statement contained within LTB 105, we are expecting to enter into a series of serious negotiating meetings imminently with the aim from our perspective of agreeing:

• The “measures” associated with potential TUPE
• An improved compensation package via a Settlement Agreement
• Genuine opportunities for redeployment via bumping for members wishing to retain PO employment.

As we prepare for these talks, PO management yesterday agreed to pause 121 consultation meetings, and they have accepted there is no need at this stage to return preference forms.  The communication from PO published this morning contains the following paragraph:

“While we are in TUPE consultation meetings with both CWU & Unite, we have made the decision to hold off with starting consultation meetings, until we have further TUPE discussions and information, that we can share with DMB colleagues.”

As per the above, we encourage all members to hold fire on returning preference forms until further notice to allow the negotiations to take place.

Regular meetings are taking place with our Territorial Reps who have been instructed to liaise with Regional Secretaries, Branch Secretaries and Political Officers to keep them fully updated on any developments on Crowns in their areas.

Further developments will be reported as negotiations progress.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB107-25 – PO – Future of the Crown Office Network Franchising Update

List of Crowns Franchising Announcement 3rd June

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