Just a reminder that set 2 nominations will now close on 10^th February 2026, positions in set 2 are

 

Substitute Area Representatives

 

Unit / Shift Representative

 

Substitute Unit / Shift Representatives

 

Unit / Shift Safety Representatives

 

Substitute Unit / Shift Safety Representatives

Contact the Branch Secretary for further information on branch.secretary@cwue5.org

Election of:

Parcelforce Worldwide Regional Organiser, Parcelforce Worldwide Substitute Regional Organiser, Parcelforce Worldwide Regional Chair and Parcelforce Worldwide Area Organiser 2026

Further to LTB 05/026 dated 5^thJanuary 2026 at the close of nominations on the 26^th January 2026, the following have been received.

REGIONAL ORGANISERS

 South East Region David BanburyKent Invicta*Elected

Central Region Christopher JohnsonNottingham & District Amal*Elected

Scotland & NI Region John MeehanGlasgow & District Amal*Elected

Northern Region Mark WalshGreater Mersey Amal*Elected

South Central Wales & South West Region Martin BurgessPlymouth & East Cornwall*Elected

SUBSTITUTE REGIONAL ORGANISERS

South East Region Andrew ClarkKent Invicta*Elected

Central Region Peter ConroySouth Midlands Postal*Elected

Scotland & NI Region Mark RichardsScotland No 5*Elected

Northern Region Ian SchofieldNorth Lancs & Cumbria*Elected

South Central Wales & South West Region Gary CooperSouth East No 5*Elected

REGIONAL CHAIRS

South East Region Neville LamkinSouth & East Thames Amal*Elected

Central Region No Nomination Received 

Scotland & NI Region Graeme KiddNorth Lancs & Cumbria*Elected

Northern Region No Nominations Received 

South Central Wales & South West Region No Nominations Received

AREA ORGANISER Stephen GribbenNorthern Ireland WestBALLOT REQUIREDMichael MezzaNorthern Ireland Postal Amal 

The timetable for the ballot will be notified to branches in due course.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Lisa Parrett on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address lparrett@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (P)

LTB 025/26 -PFW-Elections-2026

View Online

Royal Mail Processing Engineering Territorial Representative’s Elections 

• Northern Territory –              (3 Positions)
• Southern Territory –              (3 Positions)

Further to LTB 03/26 dated 5^thJanuary 2026 at the close of nominations the following have been received.

NORTHERN TERRITORY  Andrew CuttenLeeds No 1 AmalBALLOT REQUIREDStephen HaggertySouth Yorkshire & District Amal Mark HobinNorth Lancs & Cumbria Branch Ian McMullonBirmingham & District Amal 

 SOUTHERN  TERRITORY  Peter HoareBristol & District Amal*ElectedJohn HumphriesLondon Postal Engineering Branch*ElectedSteve JonesLondon Postal Engineering Branch*Elected 

A timetable for the ballot will be notified to branches in due course.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Lisa Parrett on telephone number 020 8971 7222 or email address lparrett@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (P)

LTB 024/26 -Royal-Mail-Processing-Engineering-Territorial-Representatives-Elections

View Online

Postal Conference 2026 – Submission of Motions

Please find attached motion forms for Postal Conference 2026.  The purpose of this Letter to Branches is to remind those Branches/Co-ordinating Committees who do not have access to an email facility that they must contact head office direct to request hard copies of the forms to be despatched to them.  They should contact Angela Niven on 020 8971 7237.

We also take this opportunity to attach to this Letter to Branches the Motion Guide for submitting Motions to Postal Conference 2026.

Branches/Co-ordinating Committees are also reminded that the closing date for the submission of motions to Postal Conference is by noon onThursday 19^th March 2026 by email to conferences@cwu.org   No motions will be accepted that go to any other e-mail address as the conference guide to motions refers.

Any queries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Angela Niven at Head Office or on 020 8971 7237.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 022/26

Att: Guide for Motions Postal 2026

Att: Postal Motion Form 2026 ( .doc download)

View Online

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Planner 2026

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this LTB is to provide Branches and in particular our Regional and Divisional Safety forums with an advanced index of external health, safety, and wellbeing campaigns, activities, and conference events outlined for 2026.

Whilst relevant LTBs will be issued during the year by relevant departments within the union covering in more detail particular health, safety, and wellbeing campaigns, and in conjunction with the Central Services Health and Safety Policy Assistant, the publishing of this advanced index was again felt to be beneficial in assisting our Branches and our Regional and Divisional Safety forums in terms of planning any activities and membership engagement in this regard.

Accordingly, please find listed the bulk of health, safety, and wellbeing campaigns and activities for this year. Also attached are some brief background details of each of the listed campaigns, activities and conference events.

Index of Health, Safety and Wellbeing activities/campaigns in 2026:

World Cancer Day – 4^th February

Time to Talk Day – 5^th February

Scottish Hazards Conference – 26^thFebruary

National Self-Harm Awareness Day – 1^st March

Neurodiversity Awareness Week (UK) – 16^th to 22^nd March

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – March

Endometriosis Awareness Month – March

International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) – 28^th April

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month – April

Stress Awareness Month – April

Mental Health Awareness Week – 11^th to 17^th May

Deaf Awareness Week – 4^th to 10^thMay

World Ovarian Cancer Day – 8^thMay

No Falls Week – 18^th to 22^nd May

Dementia Action Week – 18^th to 24 May

Skin Cancer Awareness Month – May 

World Environment Day – 5^th June

NHS National Blood Donation Week – 9^th to 15^th June

Men’s Health Week – 15^th to 21^stJune

National Clean Air Day – 19^th June

Action Mesothelioma Day – 3^rd July

Alcohol Awareness Week – 6^th to 12^th July

Talk To Us Month – July

National Financial Awareness Day – 14^th August

NHSBT National Organ Donation Week – TBC but normally in September

National Hazards Conference – 4^thto 6^th September

World Suicide Prevention Day – 10^th September

Gas Safety Week – 14^th to 20^thSeptember

Pension Awareness Day – 15^thSeptember

National Eye Health Week (UK) – 28^th September to 4^th October

MacMillan Coffee Morning – 26^thSeptember

World Heart Day – 29^th September

Back Care Awareness Week – TBC but normally in October

World Mental Health Day – 10^thOctober

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day – 15^th October(Global Day) & Baby Loss Awareness Week – 9^th to 15^thOctober

International Stuttering Awareness Day – 22^nd October

Menopause Awareness Month – October

Stoptober – October

ADHD Awareness Month – October

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October

National Stress Awareness Day – 4^th November

Talk Money Week – 4^th to 8^thNovember

Road Safety Week – 16^th to 22^ndNovember

National Older Workers Week – 17^thto 21^st November

Movember – November

National Grief Awareness Week – 7^th to 13^th December 

Christmas Jumper Day – 11^thDecember

Whilst the above is not in itself an exhaustive list, it nonetheless highlights the bulk of health, safety, and wellbeing campaigns and activities previously covered and communicated alongside several new additions.

It is also necessary to advise that many of these activities and events are collaborations between different organisations and groups, and are sponsored and promoted by government, local and other government bodies and in some cases international organisations such as the UN. As such, few are supported by a generic website or source of further information. Therefore, where Branches and Regional Safety Forums are seeking additional supporting materials and information on any of the outlined activities and campaigns, can they please contact Louise Pietrzykowska, email: lpietrzykowska@cwu.org.

Finally, and as outlined above, subsequent LTBs covering particular health, safety and wellbeing campaigns and activities in 2026 will be issued in due course. It is hoped this advance index will be of direct use and assistance to Branches and Safety Forums in terms of any pre-planning in this area.

Any other enquiries in relation to the LTB should be addressed to: lpietrzykowska@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 020/26 – Health, Safety and Wellbeing Planner 2026

Wellbeing Planner 2026

View Online

CWU OBITUARY LIST 2026

Branches will know it is normal practice to include in the General Conference Agenda pad a reference to those members who have served the Union in many different capacities who have sadly passed away since the previous conference.   However, Branches should note that the last General Conference took place in 2022.

We are therefore calling on Branches to supply the names of those they believe should be contained in the Obituary List to be included in the General Conference Agenda pad for the 2026 conference.

All names that are to be included must be received no later than Thursday 5th March 2026.   Unfortunately any names received after this date will not be included.

Notification of names should be forwarded by email to Angela Niven at CWU HQ to conferences@cwu.org   Information supplied should include initials, surname and Branch name.

Any queries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Angela Niven on telephone number 020 8971 7237 or email address conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 018/26

View Online

ROYAL MAIL UPDATE 

This LTB provides an overview of the current situation with EP/RMG on the crucial issues of the USO and new entrants’ terms and conditions.  Additionally, this update highlights all other areas under discussion with the company.

USO and New Entrants 

We completely recognise that CWU representatives and members are deeply frustrated over Royal Mail’s continuing quality of service failures and the failure to date of the national parties to reach an agreement on how we implement USO Reform and the equalisation of new entrants’ terms and conditions.

We also share and understand the frustration across the membership that the promised change in the managerial culture has not materialised at any level of the business. 

The above has led to a number of frank exchanges between the national parties with both claiming the other is not honouring our agreements.  The CWU are confident that any examination of the facts will support the arguments the union has put forward and in the coming weeks we will elaborate on why there is no viable future for Royal Mail without a clear vision of growth and the full delivery of the EP/CWU agreement.  In the meantime, it is important that we now set out in a fair and balanced way the current position of the national parties. 

CWU Position 

The CWU is totally committed to introducing USO Reform in every workplace because we recognise the changing dynamics of the market, the commercial realities facing the business and the fact that Royal Mail now operates in a permanently changed world of communications. 

It is also in the interests of our members’ job security that we support the change to service standards that Ofcom has announced. 

However, we remain adamant that given what we have learnt from the pilot sites we cannot and will not agree to the company’s original and preferred model of USO Reform being rolled out nationally. 

In the period leading up to this critical moment the union has been proactive in putting forward a constructive counter proposal to the company which would have seen hundreds of offices deploying USO Reform well before the peak period.  The alternative approach that we proposed would have still provided the company with a significant level of savings but we unashamedly put quality, people and growth first – rather than unachievable levels of savings that bear no resemblance to the reality at local level.

The current status of our counter proposal is that Royal Mail has neither rejected or accepted our alternative approach, although there are some signs that the company may now be willing to reach an agreement on the basis of what we have put forward. 

Whatever happens over the next two or three weeks our clear message to our reps and members is that the CWU position not to agree Royal Mail’s original & preferred model is not going to change – even if the company decides to take executive action. 

We are also insisting that the pilot sites are allowed to immediately move to an alternative approach. 

The CWU’s Postal Executive understands the urgency of the current situation and we are prioritising the need to resolve the current impasse and reach an agreement as quickly as possible – but it must be an agreement that supports our members’ ability to deliver the right change and our strong belief remains this can only be achieved by working together  in line with our agreements and aligning the interests of workers, customers, the company and its stakeholder.

If the company were to take executive action, they will do so knowing upfront that it will not work and we should see this as a deliberate move for them to go back to Ofcom and pursue a further down dialling of the Universal Service. 

This is why it is important that in the absence of an agreement the union must continue to take further steps to widen the political and public debate over the future of Royal Mail, alongside whatever steps are necessary industrially to protect our members and the service. 

The CWU position remains that in tandem with any agreement on USO Reform, the company must demonstrate to the workforce that it is honouring all of its commitments within the EP/CWU agreement, including to equalise new entrants’ terms and conditions through a new career pathway.  This is critical to stabilising the staffing model in every office.

The EP Group/CWU agreement set out a vision of the future that was based on putting employees and customers back at the centre of the business and recognised the future viability of the company is dependent on growing new revenue streams, whilst utilising the advantages of Royal Mail’s unrivalled infrastructure.   

Without progressing the key objectives of that agreement in tandem with USO Reform, the company runs the risk of further decline and being fined out of existence by Ofcom.  For these reasons we continue to urge the company to support the CWU in a joint campaign for fairer regulation that enables Royal Mail to operate on a level playing field with its competitors. 

EP/RMG Position 

For their part in a letter sent to us on the 14^th January 2026, the company has reiterated its clear preference is to reach an agreement on USO Reform – but has told the union that in the absence of sufficient progress in the next few weeks towards an agreed implementation framework, they will need to consider how Royal Mail discharges its statutory and regulatory obligations before the end of the financial year. 

Royal Mail and EP Group are also making it clear to the union that their financial position is deteriorating and that failure to reach an agreement on USO is jeopardising the future of the company, including their commitment to no compulsory redundancies and the affordability of the remaining elements of our three year pay agreement.

In their most recent letter Royal Mail proposed that further discussions take place over the next few weeks and have stated that they want to engage constructively and in good faith, with the objective of reaching an agreement.

Outstanding Section 5 Issues

We cannot lose sight of the overall importance of the EP Group/CWU agreement and how it completely reversed the strategy that was being pursued by the previous Royal Mail regime.  In subsequent communications we will share with branches in a factual way the audit we have undertaken on the agreement that breaks down each commitment that the company made.  This subsequent communication will also lay out the steps we want each branch and our representatives in every workplace to take in supporting the full delivery of this agreement. 

In this regard, we can report that despite the impasse on the crucial issues referenced above, there has been some progress made in continuing discussions linked to the Rebuilding Royal Mail Part 1 & Part 2 agreements.   A short summary of this is set out below:

• Reset of Industrial and Employee Relations – whilst recognising that this has not happened locally, we believe there are a number of joint activities that we can launch in the near future to fulfil this commitment as soon as possible.
• As part of discussions on reducing agency workers, we have identified up to 1000 FTE opportunities in delivery jobs for existing part-timers, alongside joint recognition that reducing agency work can assist in improving overtime rates.
• We are close to an agreement to pilot new incentive schemes.
• To improve sick pay we have jointly identified options which will remove SSP for those areas under 5.5% and we are looking to finalise an agreement on this in the very near future.
• As part of a new way of working we have jointly identified the need for a more supportive approach to my performance.
• Negotiator agreements on attendance and a new Discipline code have been reached and are currently subject to the decisions of the Postal Executive.
• Talks are underway on a new IR framework including a review of the DRP process.
• A new NAP process is being negotiated.
• Conclusion of an agreement and commencement of activity to restore the resourcing mix in Parcelforce.

Engagement with the Government and Ofcom 

It is important to remember that as part of the change in ownership the Government has taken a golden share in Royal Mail for the first time since privatisation. Furthermore, the Government also reached its own agreement with EP Group that provided certain guarantees to the new owner and the UK’s public on how it would run the business going forward.  Crucially this covered the honouring of agreements with the union and a range of financial obligations designed to stabilise the company and ensure EP Group would act as a responsible long-term investor. 

Therefore, we continue to engage with Government and are seeking a three-way meeting between EP Group, CWU and the Secretary of State.  Such a meeting would enable all parties to review progress on our agreements and to ensure that the financial obligations EP Group gave to both the Government and the CWU remain in place.  We are currently awaiting a date for this meeting to be convened. 

We also continue to press the Government to review the overall regulatory environment.  We want to thank our members for their direct engagement with MPs where over 16,000 letters were sent to individual MPs across the UK.  We know this has had a significant impact and we will announce further political events in the near future.

Next Steps

The union’s absolute focus remains on reaching an agreement on USO and new entrants in the next few weeks.  We can advise that a further round of meetings has now been convened for later this week and early next week and a further update will be issued in due course. 

With regard to future communications, as explained in LTB 017/26, the union has made a conscious decision to refocus our communications on our frontline representatives and members in a much broader way than what can be achieved through over reliance of social media platforms and the CWU weekly live show.

Therefore, we have phased the release of this LTB so key representatives receive the information in advance of the general release. 

Finally, in the near future, we will also send out branch and local reps’ briefings which will enable engagement with our members in every workplace on a more regular and informed basis. 

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh                                                                        

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                               

Dave Ward

General Secretary  

Tony Bouch             

Assistant Secretary                                               

Davie Robertson                             

Assistant Secretary                     

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary  

LTB 019/26 – Royal Mail Update

View Online

CWU LIVE WEEKLY SHOW 

The purpose of this LTB is to advise branches, representatives and members that we are pausing the CWU Live weekly show to review the effectiveness and sustainability of this weekly programme as one of our main member engagement activities. 

The reasons for this are set out below:

• Growing concerns that the planning of this show was at times creating a workload where the messages were being driven by the needs of the weekly show – rather than the needs of our Executives, representatives and members.

• We have received and listened to direct feedback from our Executives, branches and representatives, across both constituencies, where concerns have been raised that members getting update information on key issues at exactly the same time as our representatives – can at times undermine their role in being able to engage constructively with members in the workplace.

• As indicated previously, we had already been looking at how we can strengthen direct communications to branches and representatives and it makes sense to pause the Live shows so that we can focus our resources more on our industrial work.

This decision has been taken in consultation with the DGS(P), DGS(T&FS) and our Communications team.  It does not mean that we have ended all CWU Live features for CWU members.  We still believe that on occasions there will be a need for a CWU Live feature but on a less frequent basis and not necessarily in the current format of the weekly show. 

We will keep branches informed of developments and a further report will be issued in due course.  In the meantime, please ensure that the content of this LTB is distributed to all workplaces.

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s department, Dawn Lynch on dlynch@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward                                       

General Secretary             

LTB 017/26 – CWU LIVE WEEKLY SHOW

View Online

CWU NATIONAL WELFARE FUND 2025

Please find below the branch breakdown of CWU National Welfare Fund donations that were made in 2025.BranchReasonAmount   Eastern No.3Domestic£1,000.00Plymouth and East CornwallIllness£1,000.00Lancs and CumbriaDomestic£500.00Southdowns, Weald and RotherBereavement£1,000.00East London PostalBereavement£1,000.00South YorkshireIllness£1,000.00Northern Ireland TelecomsDomestic£1,000.00Eastern No.5Illness£1,000.00Highland AmalIllness£800.00Highland AmalIllness£1,000.00Northern Ireland PostalIllness£1,000.00North West No.1Hardship£1,000.00Highland AmalIllness£1,000.00South Central PostalDomestic£1,000.00North West No.1Illness£1,000.00Newcastle AmalBereavement£1,000.00Eastern No.5Bereavement£1,000.00Eastern No.6Illness£1,000.00Glasgow and District AmalIllness£1,000.00Edinburgh, Dundee and BordersHardship£1,000.00Highland AmalDomestic/Illness£1,000.00Manchester CombinedHardship£1,000.00Northern Ireland PostalHardship£1,000.00Essex and Central CountiesIllness£1,000.00South Midlands PostalBereavement£1,000.00Kent InvictaHardship£1,000.00    TOTAL£25,300.00

Any enquires regarding this LTB should be addressed to the Finance Manager, Nabih Fonkwe on telephone number 020 8971 7389 or email address nfonkwe@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Nabih Fonkwe

Finance Manager

LTB 016/26

View Online