Robin 

Branches will be aware that in recent months the business has begun to migrate their own communication platforms away from Workplace and the People App to a new platform called Robin.

The union understand the concerns widely reported by our members on social media concerning the switch to the Robin platform and therefore met the business with a view to provide our members with further guidance on how to navigate this new platform. As a result of these meetings the business has now shared with the CWU the attached documents:

• Introduction to Robin (Annex 1)
• One page employee guide on how to login to Robin (Annex 2)
• Robin 4 step guide (Annex 3)
• FAQ document for Robin (Annex 4)
• Step-by-step video instructions – https://vimeo.com/1133765620/3e0d1c3094?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

I trust this information will be prove useful to our members.

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

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal) 

LTB 279.25 Robin

LTB 279.25 Annex 1

lLTB 279.25 Annex 2

LTB 279.25 Annex 3

LTB 279.25 Annex 4

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NATIONAL ONLINE BRIEFING – CWU LEGAL SERVICES/UNIONLINE – MONDAY 2^ND FEBRUARY 11AM – 1PM

The purpose of this LTB is to advise branches that we will be holding an online National Briefing on Monday 2^nd February at 11am to update you on all the issues associated with our Legal Services and Unionline, including how this will move forward under CWU restructuring plans.

We can also advise that under our restructuring plans, Ian Taylor has been appointed to head up our legal services work as part of our new Central Services team.  Ian comes to his new role with wider experience as an appointed lay member for the Employment Tribunal Services in the North West of England and we are confident that his expertise in this area will benefit our branches and members going forward.

As part of our update on Unionline, we have also made arrangements for Matt Cordall (Unionline senior manager) to join us for a session during the briefing and this will give our branches an opportunity to ask Matt questions about the services Unionline provides.

We would ask branches to make this briefing a priority engagement for the New Year and a further LTB with the full agenda will be issued in January 2026, including the appropriate Zoom link.

Finally, we would like to place on record our thanks to Ray Ellis who has been covering this role on an interim basis.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary

25LTB278 NATIONAL ONLINE BRIEFING CWU LEGAL SERVICESUNIONLINE MONDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 11AM 1PM (003)

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ROYAL MAIL: DRUGS & ALCOHOL – FOR-CAUSE TESTING PILOT EXTENSION

Further to the previous LTBs on this subject matter. The Postal Executive has endorsed an extension to the Pilot for Drugs & Alcohol For-Cause testing to include the North East and Scotland ROD areas from week commencing 19^th January until the end of March.  The previously agreed ToR (attached) continues to apply.  Crucially, there will be no discipline arising from positive tests during the extended Pilot, provided members in these circumstances agree to participate in the Support and Rehabilitation programme.

This means that any member who fails a drugs or alcohol test during the Pilot and who takes up the offer of the Support and Rehabilitation service will not be taken down the Conduct route.  There are two caveats to this – a positive drug/alcohol test on the roadside following an accident/incident where the police are involved, or an individual being found in the possession of illegal drugs in the workplace.

Representative Briefings for North East and Scotland

We will be holding two briefings for our Divisional Reps, Branch Secretaries, Area Reps and Area Safety Reps as follows:

North East (Postcodes – DH, DL, NE, SR, TS)

Tuesday 13th January, 11.30am – 2.30pm

Customer Experience Contact Centre

2 Admiral Way,

Doxford International Business Park,

Sunderland,

SR3 3XW

Scotland: Wednesday 14th January, 12 noon – 2.30pm

CWU Branch Office

22 Geissler Drive,

Leith, Edinburgh,

EH6 6AP

We will be presenting the full details of the ToR for the extended Pilot and the protections and safeguards we have secured for our members in both the ToR and the Colleague Framework document.  There will be an opportunity for a Q&A session at the Briefings.

Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary, continues to lead on this matter, supported by Rob Wotherspoon, Postal Executive member.

The Postal Executive will be closely monitoring the extended Pilot and all Branches will be kept informed of any key developments as the extended Pilot progresses.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey                                                            Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary                                           Assistant Secretary

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

Attachment 1: 25LTB277 RM – Drugs & Alcohol – For-Cause Testing Pilot Extension

Attachment 2: Attachment to 25LTB277 – Terms of Reference

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EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL PASSES THROUGH PARLIAMENT

As branches may be aware, the Employment Rights Bill passed through the House of Lords yesterday, meaning it has now passed all of the necessary votes to become law. The Bill will receive Royal Assent shortly and after a standard waiting period of a few months, the Employment Rights Act will then become law in 2026.

Following this, there will be a staggered implementation of different aspects of the Bill but we expect most provisions to be in place in early 2027. Almost all of the new trade union rights will be introduced in Spring 2026.

This Bill is a genuine improvement to millions of working people’s lives that has been fought for by unions after nearly a decade of campaigning. The CWU can be proud of launching the New Deal for Workers campaign in 2016 and the pivotal role we have played in securing these important rights. Unelected Lords and business interests have tried to stop this Bill from going through but I am pleased to say they have not succeeded.

However, the work does not stop here. The CWU, alongside other unions, will continue to campaign for the swift and effective implementation of the policies in the legislation. Many regulations and practical elements of the policies will be decided in secondary legislation and we will continue to lobby the government to ensure that they are implemented in the strongest way possible.

There are also other parts of the New Deal for Workers that are not contained within the Bill itself but the government will be reviewing as part of the Make Work Pay manifesto commitments. This includes taking further action on the gig economy, introducing further sectoral collective bargaining measures and creating a single status of worker. The CWU will be campaigning strongly for these policies and we will keep branches updated with the progress of these other initiatives as developments occur.

I want to thank every branch, representative and member who has supported our campaign over the last nine years. This is a historic moment that we can all be proud of and an important step in restoring power to workers across all sectors of our economy.

If you have any questions, please contact the General Secretary’s department at dlynch@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely                            

Dave Ward                                                   

General Secretary                                     

LTB 276/25 – EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL PASSES THROUGH PARLIAMENT

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LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE 2025: CWU DELEGATION REPORT 

The 2025 Labour Party Conference was held in Liverpool from Sunday 28th to Wednesday 1st October 2025.

For your information, the below attachments are reports on the decisions taken by the CWU delegation at their meetings.

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

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary 

LTB 275/25 – LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE 2025 

Attachment: LP Sat 27th Sept 2025 Delegation Meeting Minutes

Attachment: LP Sunday 28 Sept 2025 Delegation Meeting Minutes

Attachment: LP Monday 29 Sept 2025 Delegation Meeting Minutes

Attachment: LP Tuesday 30th Sept 2025 Delegation Meeting Minutes

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H3N2 “super flu” infection risk

Dear Colleagues,

The UK is currently facing an unprecedented flu season that is putting immense pressure on hospitals, schools and workplaces.

Health authorities have cautioned that a ‘drifted’ flu variant, designated as H3N2 – (or subclade K) has quickly emerged as the dominant influenza strain right across the UK. The H3N2 subtype represents one of three primary viruses responsible for seasonal flu.

Symptoms include high-temperatures, coughing, loss of appetite, feeling tired and weak, muscle aches and joint pains. In more severe cases the virus can cause pneumonia and can be fatal to individuals with compromised immune systems.

We are therefore encouraging CWU health and safety reps to engage with employers to protect members by aiming to prevent transmission in workplaces by drawing on principles learned from Covid-19 risk assessments and established public health guidance on respiratory infection control.  Some suggested actions may include some or all of the following:

• Reviewing ventilation in shared spaces.
• Promoting better fresh air circulation wherever possible (dilution ventilation).
• Reviewing hand-washing facilities and hand sanitiser supply.
• Allowing colleagues to wear face masks in close or crowded indoor settings if they choose.
• Reviewing and updating local risk assessments to include flu.
• Identifying any high-risk workplace areas.
• Discussing and agreeing mitigation measures and review their effectiveness weekly.
• Requesting information regarding sickness absence and emerging risk areas.
• Ensuring there is clear communication to workers about symptoms and reporting.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging all eligible people to ensure they are vaccinated in the lead up to Christmas as rates of flu continue to rise week-on-week.

Last chance to get vaccinated before Christmas as flu cases rise – GOV.UK

Self-protection routines and good practice learned during the Covid 19 outbreak can equally be applied during this unprecedented flu season such as:

• Washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cough into your bent elbow or use a tissue and dispose of it safely.
• Ensuring shared surfaces are clean and wiped down regularly.
• Adopt safe distancing whenever practicable.

How to avoid catching flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses this winter – UK Health Security Agency

People who are at higher risk from respiratory infections such as Flu include:

• Older people.
• Those who are pregnant.
• Those who are unvaccinated.
• People of any age whose immune systems mean they are at higher risk of serious illness, or those with known about health vulnerability.

Further regular updates on public information advice and infection rates can be accessed via the website links shown below.

NHS England » NHS facing ‘worst case scenario’ December amid ‘super flu’ surge

Flu activity continues to increase in Scotland – News – Public Health Scotland

Flu | nidirect  Flu vaccine | nidirect

Weekly Influenza and Acute Respiratory Infection Report – Public Health Wales

CWU engagement via local workplace health and safety committees is encouraged wherever possible, with primary focus on risk assessments and local risk control for workplaces and vulnerable colleagues as necessary.

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 

CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant at jmcgovern@cwu.org.

LTB 274/25 – HN32 Super flu risk guidance

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NATIONAL POSTAL WORKERS DAY – MONDAY 15^TH DECEMBER

National Postal Workers Day is a time to celebrate the hard work all our postal members do throughout the year, but also to ask Royal Mail to keep their word when it comes to showing postal workers the respect we deserve.

The Union will be engaging MPs, the wider union movement and the public to ask for everyone to thank their posties, and to show their gratitude by standing with us as we face a very challenging situation with Royal Mail. We have secured significant media coverage for it as well.

We also need you to back this important day.

Therefore, we are asking all branches to do the following:

• Print the attached posters and take photos of your members on site holding them on Monday.  Please print in size A3 in colour.
• Send your photos to Rory McCourt, our new Digital Communications Co-ordinator, on WhatsApp at 07711 940 520. Photos should be sent in by midday Monday 15^thDecember.
• Post your group photos to your social media channels (Facebook, X, LinkedIn) using the hashtag #PostalWorkersDay.

We will need every single CWU official, rep and postal branch to help to get #PostalWorkersDay trending on the day. Thank you for your ongoing support.  If you have any questions, please contact the GS Department at dlynch@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward
General Secretary

LTB 273/25 – NATIONAL POSTAL WORKERS DAY – MONDAY 15TH DECEMBER

Attachment: NPWD Posters

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Royal Mail Group Delivery/Collection Torches And Provision of Personal Attack Alarms

The purpose of this LTB is to advise and remind Branches, Representatives and members alike of the availability of outdoor torches and the provision of personal attack alarms to all members who work on Deliveries and Collections.

The issuing of torches for members, which can be attached to the uniform, has been in place for several years, and a few years back, Royal Mail added the option of a headtorch to the range. The availability of a personal attack alarm was established back in 2021, following representation by the then CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department, following concerns regarding the possible risk of physical and verbal threats towards members when out on Delivery and Collection.

These items of equipment are available to any individual who would like to request one and can be ordered via the RMG Uniform Portal as part of the personal uniform allocation.

Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: lpietrzykowska@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 271/25 – Delivery Collection Torches And Provision of Personal Attack Alarms

Attachment: Royal Mail Torches and Alarms

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TUC BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE VISITORS – 24^TH – 26^TH APRIL 2026

The TUC Black Workers Conference 2026 is being held from Friday 24th – Sunday 26^th April 2026 at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), Bournemouth.  The Conference sessions will be as follows:

• Friday 24^th April                  14.00 – 17.30
• Saturday 25^th April             09.30 – 17.30
• Sunday 26^th April               09.30 – 15.00 with the possibility of finishing early

The CWU are allowed a limited number of visitors to attend the above Conference and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  Due to the need for extra security at all TUC Conferences, names and addresses of those wanting visitor tickets must be supplied and tickets are not transferable.

Anyone interested in attending will need to contact their Branch initially for funding, to include a £15 visitor ticket fee. The easiest way to pay the £15 fee will be for us to transfer it directly from your Branch’s account through the rebate system, therefore please contact Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org with details of which Branch the individual belongs to on application.    This needs to be done by no later than midday on Monday 12^th January 2026.

Branches will be required to arrange accommodation for the visitors they wish to send along with travel expenses and subsistence.

Any further enquiries with regards this please contact conferences@cwu.org or Angela Niven on 020 8971 7237.

Kate Hudson

Head of Equality, Education and Development

LTB 270/25

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Royal Mail Fleet Maintenance – Territorial Reps Elections (South West / South Wales)

Further to LTB 224/25 dated 11^thNovember, Branches are advised that the ballot for the Fleet Territorial Rep in South West / South Wales closed today, and the result is as follows:Name               BranchNo. of VotesMalcolm David CrowtherSouth East Wales Amal41*ElectedIan GrayBournemouth & Dorset Amal18

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Samantha Nicholas snicholas@cwu.org or Heidi Maughan – hmaughan@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB268-25 RM Fleet Maintenance – Territorial Reps Elections (South West South Wales)

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