ROYAL MAIL: RAISING CONCERNS AGREEMENT – CASE STATISTICS

ROYAL MAIL: RAISING CONCERNS AGREEMENT – CASE STATISTICS

Branches will recall that LTB 166/2025 issued on 8^th August 2025 contained the statistics in relation to the six-month review period for Raising Concerns. At that time, the PTCS Department asked for feedback on the application of the Raising Concerns Agreement, and in particular examples of where the process wasn’t being adhered to by managers. This information was required to assist us with further discussions moving forward into the 12-month review of the Agreement.  The PTCS Department received a number of enquiries along with some cases that Branches and Representatives wished for us to review and consequently we undertook this activity and provided feedback where appropriate.

Bobby Weatherall, Acting Assistant Secretary, Alan Tate, PE Member, and Peter Donaghy, Policy Advisor, met with Royal Mail on 19^th November 2025 to discuss the latest statistics (attached). Following this meeting, we shared this information with the Postal Executive and subsequently presented to the Senior Field Officials (SFO) at their meeting in Cardiff on 4^thDecember 2025.

For ease of reference and for the benefit of Branches and members, below is a summarised overview and analysis of the attached statistics:

• 4,866 cases (as at 7^th October 2025) raised since the launch of Raising Concerns
• Cases raised under the previous procedures 23/24 = 2,681. The cases raised under the new procedure for 24/25 = 4,275, which is an increase of 59%
• 67% of the outcomes are informally resolved, upheld or partially upheld
• 578 concerns have been resolved informally, including through mediation
• 1,293 concerns have been taken through the formal process of which 52% have been upheld or partially upheld
• 505 appeals raised since launch. Out of 403 concluded, 28% of appeals are either upheld or partially upheld
• Informal cases – 88% have met the 14-day meeting status. 86.9% completed
• Formal cases – 95.2% have met the 14-day meeting status. 86.9% completed.

All the above statistics apply to UK operations.  There are also statistics for Parcelforce, National Distribution, Fleet Maintenance, PFSL, and Central Functions.

Further to the above, and following feedback from the field, we have made a couple of improvements to the Raising Concerns Agreement and these can be seen in the attached presentation on pages 7, 8 and 9.  These are as follows:

• Firstly, ‘Where a case is raised against a CWU Representative, the case manager must record this in a drop-down box and ticking ‘Yes’ before they can move forward. They must also inform the Divisional Representative of a case involving a CWU Representative’. 
• Secondly, the previous wording in the agreement was, ‘Following the formal investigation, the investigating manager will communicate the outcome to the employee raising the concern and to the employee responding to the concern giving their rationale for the decision. This will be set out clearly in a decision report which includes reference to how the evidence they gathered throughout the investigation supports their decision.’ 

The new wording in the agreement is, ‘Following the formal investigation the investigating manager will communicate the outcome to both the employee who raised the concern and the employee responding to the concern, providing the rationale for the decision. The employee who raised the concern will receive an outcome letter and a decision report outlining the rationale for the outcome. The employee responding to the concern will receive and outcome letter that includes the rationale relevant to their involvement. In both cases, the rationale should reference how the evidence gathered during the investigation supports the decision’.

We are naturally aware and recognise there are frustrations coming from some of our Reps and members whereby they are unhappy with the outcomes of their Raising Concerns case, or the way the manager has dealt with the case. However, these concerns do not indicate there are any underlying problems with the Raising Concerns Agreement itself, and the feedback into the Department is that the process is generally fit for purpose and is in the main working for our members, particularly in comparison to the former arrangements. Crucially, the stats demonstrate that cases are being heard and dealt with in significant numbers and a high number of these cases are completed within the 14-day period. Bobby Weatherall, Postal Executive member, will continue to monitor and review the cases coming into the Department and respond on my behalf.

Lastly, Branches are reminded of the following clause within the Agreement – “Any concerns regarding the interpretation or application of these principles should be referred to the signatories for resolution”. 

 Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be sent to snicholas@cwu.orgor hmaughan@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 041/26 – RM Raising Concerns Agreenment – Case Statistics

Att: Appendix to LTB 041 Raising Concerns

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