BRT&G Agreement – Seasonal Variation 2025 Further Update

Dear Colleagues,

Further to LTB 074/25, issued on 14^thApril, which confirmed that both parties have agreed to suspend Seasonal Variation for 2025 due to the significant unknowns and uncertainties concerning USO Reform activity.

After the LTB was circulated, the Department received numerous enquiries from Branches in terms of when this suspension of Seasonal Variation will be reflected in the PSP system and, therefore, individual members’ annual leave cards. At that time, Royal Mail was unable to confirm the direct timelines as to when PSP will be updated to reflect the agreed suspension of Seasonal Variation, but did confirmed that the PSP system was still reflecting and deducting annual leave based on the original Seasonal Variation design, a 15-week High Season and a 15-week Low Season, as set out in Appendix 1 of the Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth (BRT&G) Agreement. This was communicated to Branches and Representatives in ODM 022/25, issued on 17^th April.

Royal Mail further advised at the time that given the agreement to suspend Seasonal Variation in 2025, ‘all leave in that period would be reverted to Mid-Season/Contracted hours within PSP in the coming weeks once upgrade has occurred.’

Unfortunately, despite continuously raising this matter with Royal Mail during this period, there has been a noticeable delay in finally reverting leave within PSP back to Mid-Season/Contracted hours.

We have now been advised that the wider and final PSP system update, based on the suspension of Seasonal Variation this year, will now take place in November and will remove the impact of Seasonal Variation from all local Delivery units for 2025.

However, in the meantime, Royal Mail have shared via the attached comms, issued today to all Delivery managers, the following manual corrections to individual employee annual leave records in PSP to ensure they are accurate ahead of November, when a final technical solution will be made. This plan will be briefed locally in units outlining the following changes:

HR Services leave balance corrections 

HR Services will run an initial update to correct leave balances for employees whose leave was incorrectly deducted due to the system assuming Low Season. This correction applies to leave taken between May and June.

Updated leave balances will be visible in PSP and the People App from around 11 August.

Impact of the update

As PSP treated employees as being in Low Season instead of Mid Season, the correction will deduct additional time from leave balances. The impact will vary depending on full-time or part-time status and the number of leave days taken.

Ongoing monthly adjustments 

HR Services will repeat the correction process monthly, at the start of each month, to maintain accurate leave balances. Each update will reflect corrections for the previous month.

These monthly updates will be visible in PSP and the People App from around the second week of each calendar month.

September onwards 

From September, the effect will reverse, and employees may see leave time credited back, depending on leave taken.

November onwards 

The manual process will continue until the permanent technical solution is deployed in November, which will fully remove the Seasonal Variation effect from the system.

These changes in PSP will not impact current planned and booked annual leave arrangements for individuals.

This period of ongoing delay has not been a helpful development, but it is now hoped that this further clarification will end any remaining confusion in this regard and confirm the steps to correct leave in the PSP system following the suspension of Seasonal Variation this year.

If any member believes that, as a result of these changes outlined above, there have been errors made with their allocated Annual Leave entitlement and / or the changes create additional problems, the business have confirmed that, in the first instance, line managers should be able to assist, as outlined in the attached Royal Mail Comms. Equally, as confirmed above, these changes in PSP will not impact or alter currently planned and booked annual leave arrangements for members.

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

Yours sincerely,

Tony Bouch

Assistant Secretary

LTB 167/25 – BRTG Agreement – Seasonal Variation 2025 Further Update

Att: Seasonal Variation suspension and leave balance adjustments August 2025 v3 CO

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Latest Data for Raising Concerns Agreement

Attached to this document is the latest data from Royal Mail associated with the Raising Concerns Agreement/process.

Included in this data are the figures up to and including 22^nd of July 2025 and are the:

• Total number of cases raised since the launch last October
• The main reasons for the concern being raised
• The outcomes of the concerns
• The number of appeals
• The results of whether the Business are meeting timescale targets as set out in the agreement.

Clearly in sharing this data with everyone we realise this may generate further questions on how the Agreement/process is being applied and we would welcome feedback in advance of the 12 monthly review in October.

We are also aware of a system issue which needs to be addressed as part of that review including a substantial number of cases which were concluded but were not closed down properly from the system. These figures keep recurring in the monthly statistics and will not drop off until the end of the 12 months.

There are a number of cases which have been entered by individuals but have not had a category recorded yet. Whilst recognising there is room for improvement, we are encouraged by the figures for the targets on timescales. So, up to July the 22^ndthere is a 79% completion rate for cases which are being dealt with informally, with an 84.5% completion rate for cases being dealt with formally.  In terms of the 14-day meeting target 80% of cases being dealt with informally have met this target with 94.5% of cases being dealt with formally meeting this target.

There is still room for improvement as detailed, however we do believe we are now getting a greater level of visibility on how cases are progressing which we have not had in the past.

In relation to correspondence sent in to the Department on this issue we have had a number which have highlighted Management’s misinterpretation of other agreements, for example Trimble, which are being raised by our members through this process. We have brought these to the attention of Royal Mail and they are being dealt with accordingly.

We do need to advise Branches of a change of wording in the investigation section of the formal stage bullet point 7.

The current wording is:

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.

Which we have changed to this wording:

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 an 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.

The reason for this change was because the individual responding to the concern only received an outcome letter, whereas in future they will receive a full rationale for the decision reached. This was especially important should cases move to discipline.

This anomaly was brought to our attention from a Branch and we are grateful to them for pointing this out to us in order for us to rectify.

In conclusion we believe the process is generally working well.  We have recognised areas for improvement as we move towards the first 12 monthly review and as such, we would welcome feedback from Branches.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Bobby Weatherall Acting Assistant Secretary email hmaughan@cwu.org or lpietrzykowska@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Bobby Weatherall
Acting Assistant Secretary

LTB 166/25 -Latest Data for Raising Concerns Agreement

Att: Raising Concerns_CWU_23072025 (download)

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Women in the CWU

The purpose of this LTB is to advise branches that we have added an online “Women in the CWU” course to the programme to be delivered over 2 days.

This course is designed to:

• Help women become more active in the CWU
• Develop a better understanding of what unions are and how they work
• Provide an opportunity to build effective support and networks for woman activists
• Develop new ideas for how women can work at the heart of the CWU

RELEASE

This course does not attract paid release from the employers that we work with.

Applications should be made via the Portal by the cut off dates shown below.DateCourseCut off27^th& 28^thOctoberWomen in the CWU15/09/25

Any enquiries on this LTB should be directed to courseadmin@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 164/25 – Women in the CWU

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First Mile Integration – Phase 2 

Branches will recall in LTB 076/25 it was agreed for the Transfer of POL Collection work from Parcelforce to Royal Mail in identified locations where this was possible. This activity was part of the concept of utilising the synergies between Royal Mail and Parcelforce in relation to collection activity.

As part of the ongoing activity on First Mile Integration (FMI) and supported by dedicated collection planning support, RM Plant catchment areas have successfully migrated over to the full collection of all available PFW items from POL. Alongside this activity PFW have also been going through technology changes required to place them onto the RM Platform, known as Project Daisy, this is due to go live on 11^thAugust nationally, this means PFW systems will shut down and they will move onto the RM Platform, due to this change PFW would no longer be able to access their system in relation to ad hoc collections and therefore, RM would need to take on these collections.

From 11^th August Royal Mail will commence PFW ad hoc collections this has been built into the Royal Mail Parcel Collect system so it is fully integrated between RM/PFW. Traffic volumes are expected to be low (4.6k per day nationally) and they should be consolidated with PFW POL traffic on the appropriate PFW York Container from the Delivery Offices and Collection Hubs.

In deliveries this means the same process for RM collect will apply and COMs will review all planned Parcel Collects for their offices in the morning at the start of shift via the Redlands Dashboard and follow the agreed process. Due to the size, weight and dimensions of some Parcel Collect we have secured the ability to utilise tailored options which can include alternative delivery vehicles, DPR, afternoon collection routes and PFW as a last resort. Where further support is required, the COM is to escalate to the relevant CCOM at the earliest opportunity.

We have secured with Parcelforce commitments that all workloads will be balanced to ensure that the time saved by removing collections is fully utilised with delivery traffic. The expectation is that the traffic will migrate from External resource and PFW have agreed that all headcount reduction will come from External resource.

In addition, the full impact across the Delivery & Collection around reviewing the volumes and additional resource needed, along with ensuring that all training and safety related matters have been deployed correctly will be monitored through the Collections Joint Working Group in Royal Mail.

Attached to this LTB for your information are the agreed words covering this activity, along with a copy of the WTLL and FAQ’s. These will be used to ensure that the criteria is fully understood and deployed consistently, ensuring that connectivity and quality of service is maintained.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: jrodrigues@cwu.org or Tony Bouch Assistant Secretary, email: Pharacz@cwu.org quoting reference LTB 163/25.

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

Tony Bouch

Assistant Secretary

LTB 163/25 – Final Mile Integration – Phase 2

Att: Transfer of Ad hoc Collection Work from Parcel Force to Royal Mail – National Deployment

Att: WTLL

Att: What If Guide (download)

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Workplace Adjustments and Health Passport Poster Campaign

Further to LTB 352 titled Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Agreement – Workplace Adjustments and Health Passport issued on the 6^thNovember 2024, there were numerous enquiries from branches to advise us of the lack of knowledge or understanding of the Passport Guide by members and local managers.

Royal Mail confirmed the New Workplace Adjustments Process was shared with all managers in their weekly communications link dated the 18th November 2024, designed as a means of communicating agreed procedures at pace.

The Department subsequently issued a Passport Guide Process which enabled members to walk through the steps required to complete the procedure whereafter the manager is duty bound to follow up the application with an interview to seek a mutually agreeable solution.

The Department subsequently agreed to issue an updated Workplace Adjustment Fact Sheet and further suggested the construction of a Poster for display in all workplaces designed to signpost members and managers towards the agreed procedures as a means of highlighting the benefits and help navigate the process.

This poster has since been produced by Royal Mail and is attached for onward share by all Branches.  This will also be displayed across the business alongside a live link for the e-learning as a means of raising awareness and promote the understanding of Workplace Adjustments Process.

The poster is designed to direct and encourage open conversations, support inclusivity, and ensure members are aware of the adjustments available to them. Alongside the poster rollout, Royal Mail will also be sharing a follow-up communication via Signpost to highlight the tools and resources available to support both colleagues and managers. This will include:

• A reminder of the Workplace Adjustments process
• Links to useful guides and tools (inc. the Workplace Adjustments Poster)
• Our new Workplace Adjustments eLearning product for managers

The Department are keen to point out the introduction of the Workplace Adjustment and Health Passport was a CWU initiative that offers support and inclusivity for members who are impacted by the Equality Act 2010 as well as being an important extension of rights to all members who may well be carers or non-disabled members, highlighting a disability, a neuro-diverse condition or any members caring responsibilities.

The Department now wish to draw the attention of all Branches of the production of the attached Poster that includes the CWU logo that displays the benefits to all CWU members across Royal Mail in creating an inclusive environment and support the Workplace Adjustment approach.

Please bring this LTB to the attention of our representatives and members, and any queries relating to this agreement should be forwarded to the PTCS Department , email address hmaughan@cwu.org

Bobby Weatherall

Acting Assistant Secretary

LTB 161/25 – Workplace Adjustments and Health Passport Poster

Att: Workplace Adjustments Factsheet PDF

Att: Poster

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Election of:

• Royal Mail Divisional Representative (Substitute) – Midland

Further to LTB 152/25 regarding Divisional Representative vacancies, and Steve Blowers appointment as Divisional Representative for the Midland Division, nominations are now invited from Branches within the Midland Division for the above position.

These positions are being elected on an interim basis ahead of the full divisional nominations due to be advertised early in 2026 and successful candidates will take up office at the conclusion of the election period.

Nomination forms are attached to this LTB and completed forms must be signed by the Branch Secretary and Branch Chair or accredited deputies and the nominee.

The signed nomination form should be returned by email to elections@cwu.orgto be received by 22^nd August 2025 (14.00)

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 0208 971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

25LTB160 – Election of Midland Sub Div Rep

Guidelines 2025

Div Rep Sub Midland – Nomination Form

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The Royal Mail Group pay ballot opens on 6th August. Here is how you can vote 🗳️

NEC DECISION TO TRANSFER ROYAL MAIL ENGINGEERING & RMPFSL MEMBERS CURRENTLY IN T&FS BRANCHES TO POSTAL BRANCHES

Branches will be aware via LTB 037/25 dated 19^th February that for historical reasons there are c.725 Royal Mail Postal & Technical Services (PTS) members aligned to T&FS Branches rather than Postal Branches.

Earlier this year, the NEC made the decision to transfer the PTS members into Postal Branches and a HQ Working Group was established, led by Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary, with the support of Andy Mercer, President, on behalf of the T&FS Executive, Alan Tate and Rob Wotherspoon, Postal Executive members.

The Working Group, which was supported by the SDGS and Membership Departments, was tasked with establishing exactly which T&FS Branches had Postal members and to identify the best fit in terms of a transfer to the most logical Postal Branch based on a number of factors.  This work has now been completed, with input from the PTS Field Officials, and we are ready to action the transfers from 1^st August 2025.

A meeting was held earlier today with the Branch Secretaries of the Postal Branches who will be receiving PTS members to explain that we anticipate a seamless transition and that there will be no impact upon IR or H&S structures, with the transfer being simply a union organisational matter.  A letter is being sent to the receiving Branches confirming the details.

Additionally, a letter is being sent to all affected T&FS Branch Secretaries along with the details of the transferring members.  Also, a home mailing is being sent directly to the PTS members who are transferring Branches to inform them of the reasons for the NEC decision and to let them know their new Postal Branch and the contact details for the Branch Secretary.

If there are any queries in relation to this activity, please email Andy Furey – afurey@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Karen Rose                    

Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)                                                  

Martin Walsh      

Deputy General Secretary (P)

LTB 158/25

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

Further to LTB 121/25 dated 23^rdJune.

Firstly, we wish to advise Branches that the extended Pilot across the South East, South Central and Northern Ireland ROD areas has been operating for over a month now, with no reported problems or indeed any For-Cause tests. In fact, since the original Pilot commenced in Wales on 13^th January, there have been just two tests, both of which were in Anglia, and they were both negative.

We have now agreed with Royal Mail that a formal joint review of the Pilot from across the six ROD areas will take place week commencing 15^thSeptember. This timescale will allow for an informed discussion and accordingly the Pilot will remain in place until we agree next steps with Royal Mail. We will continue to monitor the progress of the Pilot and further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey                    

Assistant Secretary                                

Davie Robertson             

Assistant Secretary                               

Tony Bouch

Assistant Secretary                                   

LTB 157/25 – Drugs and Alcohol – For-Cause Testing Pilot

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Post Office: Further Franchising Partners Announced for 18 Crowns

Further to LTBs 105/25, 107/25 and 147/25.

Post Office has today announced franchise partners for a further 18 Crown Offices (the list is attached to this LTB).  As well as previously announced partners, the new list includes Rymans and WH Smith (some WHS stores are now trading under the name TG Jones).

Online meetings were held by management with the members in the 18 Crowns earlier today, and our Territorial Representatives were involved in order to provide support where necessary.  There are no exact closure / transfer dates as yet, although all indications are that these will take place around mid-late October into November this year, bearing in mind there is a 90-day consultation period.

Branches are reminded that LTB 147/25 outlines the enhancements to the financial terms for Crown members for those not wanting to TUPE that we have secured via negotiations.  If members have any questions regarding either the terms of the financial settlement, TUPE or bumping, they should contact their Territorial Rep in the first instance.

Members who decline to TUPE and opt to take an enhanced severance package (which thus far is the vast majority) will be required to take legal advice in connection with their Settlement Agreement and Post Office will contribute £500 plus VAT towards that advice.

It should be noted that there are 14 remaining Crowns where Post Office has yet to announce the franchise partners.  We would anticipate that the members in these Crowns will be updated by Post Office during August.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely, 

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 155/25 – Post Office Further Franchising Partners Announced for 18 Crowns

Attachment to LTB 155/25

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