Launch of the mandatory electronic version of the Member Application Pack 

The purpose of this LTB is to advise Branches and Branch Legal and Medical Secretaries of the availability of the electronic version of the Employment Cases Member Consultation Pack (attached below) as discussed at the quarterly Branch liaison meetings between Branches and the Legal Services Department.

Delegates to this year’s annual conference may recall that a printed version of the pack was made available at the CWU Annual Conference for feedback and was also shared and discussed at the recent training sessions for Legal and Medical Secretaries. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

The consultation pack was developed by the Legal Services Department with the aim of improving the consultation experience for both members and Branch Legal and Medical Secretaries.

Also attached is a PDF version providing Branches with the option to make hardcopies if needed. Following receipt of this email, Branches are expected to use this for any membership consultation where support with any potential Employment Tribunal claim is being sought.

Any enquiries in relation to this email should be sent to swillis@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Ian Taylor

Head of Legal Services

LTB 241/26 – LAUNCH OF THE MANDATORY ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE MEMBER APPLICATION PACK

08654 – Employment Cases Members pack digital – v6 (003)

08654 – Employment Cases Members pack – v6 Final

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Capita TVL: 97% Yes Vote in Consultative Ballot to Reject the Pay Offer

Further to LTB 207/26 dated 24^th July.  Branches are advised that the Postal Executive recently endorsed a consultative ballot of our Capita TVL members with the aim of achieving a Yes vote in favour of rejecting the current (inadequate) pay offer.

I can now report that our TVL members have voted overwhelmingly in support of rejecting the offer.  The results are as follows:Yes29897%No103%Turnout30869%   

 The Rejected Pay Offer is:

• Our lowest paid members on the TVL Contract – those in Bristol and Darwen, who were on just £12.66 per hour with the previous pay agreement (increased to the legal minimum of £12.71 from 1^st April) – have been offered a meagre 50p per hour pay increase taking them to just £13.16 per hour (this is just 44p when you take into account the increase to the legal minimum). Crucially, £13.16 (the rejected offer) is significantly less than the Real Living Wage (RLW) hourly pay rate of £13.45.

• For our Field members, the highest paid TVL employees, the rejected pay offer is 3.5%. With fuel prices high once again, and having risen earlier this year, our Visiting Officers and Field workers are struggling with the additional costs of travelling, which is necessary due to the nature of the job. Also, 3.5% doesn’t recognise the difficult job members do which includes regularly facing abuse and potentially physical harm.  Capita is taking the Field members for granted just because they are on better pay than those members working in Darwen and Bristol.

Next Steps

I have today written to Capita Senior Management, to inform them of the ballot result and to invite them to enter into urgent negotiations with the aim of reaching an Agreement that recognises the real worth of our members’ contributions.  We have also advised Acas of the ballot result, as Capita had previously contacted them when the negotiations first broke down.

We have also arranged a meeting with our Senior TVL Reps to discuss next steps.  This is planned for Thursday 10^thSeptember to allow Capita the opportunity to respond to the invitation referred to above.

If Capita doesn’t listen to the strong voice of our members and improve the pay offer, we will need to prepare for the possibility of holding a further ballot, this time for Industrial Action.  Strike action would obviously be a last resort and would only be called if Capita continues to refuse to move from the current position.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 242/26 – Capita TVL 97% Yes Vote in Consultative Ballot to Reject the Pay Offer

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FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TOM GAFFNEY

I am writing to advise on the funeral arrangements for Tom Gaffney, former UCW Executive Council Member and Chair.

The service will be at 11am on Wednesday 9^th September at:

West Road Crematorium

West Road,
Fenham,
Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE5 2JL

Our thoughts and condolences continue to be with Tom’s wife Sheridan and his family.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

GENERAL SECRETARY

LTB 240/26 – FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TOM GAFFNEY

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