Workers Memorial Day 2021 – 28 April 2021

What is IWMD?

Every year on April 28th, all around the world the trade union movement unites to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD21). As in past years, since its inception, the CWU once again gives its full support to WMD.

We remember those who have lost their lives at work, or from work-related injury and diseases. We renew our efforts to organise collectively to prevent more deaths, injuries and disease as a result of work. We organise in their memory.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government. In January 2010 the then UK Labour Government’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper announced that following a public consultation exercise which attracted a large number of responses, the overwhelming majority of which were strongly supportive of the proposal that the UK will officially recognise Workers Memorial Day, and that recognition will take formal effect on 28 April 2010, the international day of action for safety and health at work.

The WMD theme for 2021: “Health and Safety Is A Fundamental Workers’ Right”

Each year, the International Trades Union Congress decides on a theme for Workers’ Memorial Day:

This year, the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic has exposed an occupational health crisis in many workplaces around the world where workers are denied basic health and safety protections. We in the CWU have continued to prioritise the health and safety of our members and the vital importance of safety reps and safety committees including ‘Covid-Safe’ policies and practices during this last, challenging pandemic.

Many workers in many countries however don’t have the protection the need and deserve and many are wrongly victimisation for raising health and safety concerns The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reports that across the world, every day, people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases – more than 2.8 million deaths per year. Additionally, there are some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries each year.

The ILO aims to create worldwide awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries and diseases and to place the health and safety of all workers on the international agenda to stimulate and support practical action at all levels.

The pandemic demonstrates why health and safety must be a right for everyone who works. Illness anywhere threatens illness everywhere. Unions secured agreement at the International Labour Conference in 2019 that occupational health and safety should be recognised as an International Labour Organisation (ILO) fundamental right at work – the decent, universally accepted and binding rights protecting all workers, everywhere. The ILO Centenary Declaration accepts “safe and healthy working conditions are fundamental to decent work”.

On Tuesday 28th April, the trade union movement marks International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD20). This year, the number of people who have died in work will be far higher because of Coronavirus. Unions will be marking a minute’s silence at 11am on Tuesday 28^thApril to remember every worker who has died from the disease.

On 28 April 2021, unions can send a message that health and safety protection at work must be recognised as a right for all. Whether it is Covid or occupational cancers, or workplace injuries and industrial diseases, every worker should have a right to a voice and a right to protection. No-one should have to die to make a living.

How can people take part?

Workers’ Memorial Day 2021 public events for April 28th won’t be possible because of measures to contain Coronavirus/Covid-19. But marking International Workers Memorial Day has never been more important for workers lives and health and those of our families and communities. The TUC has suggested a range of ways to mark this year’s Workers Memorial Day. To spread awareness for #IWMD the TUC have produced a range of graphics for you to use and distribute. This campaign pack includes a selection of images to use on social media, and posters for you to print at home or print professionally. Details of actions and resources for the day can be found on the TUC’s dedicated website page. Follow this link for more details and resources: https://www.tuc.org.uk/international-workers-memorial-day-iwmd

Workers’ Memorial Day Posters

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has arranged for posters to be printed to publicise the day.  These will be distributed to branches and will be arriving by post in the next few days. A pdf downloadable version is attached to this LTB.

REMEMBER THE DEAD AND FIGHT FOR THE LIVING

The TUC, CWU and other affiliated Trade Unions will fight to maintain the memory of every workers’ life lost. We all fight for the justice of our colleagues, friends, and families. And we continue to fight for a future where no worker must risk their health or their life when going about their job.

Any enquiries relating to this LTB should be directed to Dave Joyce (djoyce@cwu.org).

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

21LTB112 Workers Memorial Day 2021 – 28 April 2021

Workers Memorial Day 2021

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Delivery of Material for May 6^th 2021 Elections – National Agreement

Branches will recall that LTB 166/19 detailed the arrangements for the delivery of Election Material and the increase to the Unit Payments in that regard. Also included in the letter from the Royal Mail National Delivery Director was a commitment to further review the payments going forward.

Branches will obviously be only too aware of the magnitude of events over the two years since that agreement was made. We have of course seen an unprecedented pandemic that has resulted in the way we all work and live being very much turned on its head. Whilst in recent weeks we have seen some letter volume return, overall there has been an advanced reduction in letter traffic and a seismic increase in parcels which has had the effect of changing the dynamic of the content of daily workloads, along with the current Covid operational arrangements in place, rendering it almost unrecognisable from those which were in place just two short years ago.

Additionally, we are now at the beginning of a period of significant change in Delivery Offices, whereupon all units will be undergoing revision activity leading to a reduction in the working week by October this year. Taking forward the significant commitments within the Pathway to Change Agreement and the discussions relating to this, have contributed in a major way to the ability to conduct a review of Election Material Payments being undertaken, notwithstanding the question of whether now is actually the correct time to do so in view of those aspects as outlined above.

That position will of course be kept under review going forward, upon the very much hoped for road to recovery from the pandemic and in the longer term, once the effect of the impact on the operation also begins to settle.

We have discussed with Royal Mail the major Election events due to take place on May 6th and attach for Branches the appropriate information.  The details of such are contained within the letter from Royal Mail. In addition, we also attach the National Agreement on the Delivery of Election Material for your continued information.

The below elections are taking place as follows:

• Scottish Parliament (Electing 129 MSPs (73 Constituents and 56 Regional Representatives)
• Welsh Assembly (Electing 60 MSs (40 Constituents and 20 Regional Representatives)
• London Assembly (Electing 25 AMs (14 Constituents and 11 Regional Representatives)
• London Mayor
• Regional Mayors (12 in total) Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, Bristol, Liverpool, Salford, Cambridge and Peterborough, West of England, West Yorkshire, Doncaster and North Tyneside
• Local Elections (154 in total including 119 postponed from 2020)
• Police and Crime Commissioners (41 Police Authorities in England and Wales)

To assist Branches with any questions on what ‘does and does not’ attract payment, the department have summarised the following:

• All Poll Cards attract the Unit Payments
• D2D items do not attract the payments
• Postal Ballot Packs do not attract the payments
• Candidate literature both addressed and unaddressed, which is identified accordingly will attract the payments – Candidate mail is expected in Scotland and Wales only
• Materials attracting unit payments and posted in traffic streams such as Retail/ DSA/wholesale should be delivered in line with normal delivery product specification standards, although where this is not possible due to local circumstances, sensible conversations should take place between the individual and their manager (with CWU Local Rep if required) to agree alternative solutions inclusive of other means of delivery or carrying over to the next day etc.
• Claiming of pressure overtime is not permitted for delivery of Election Material. This does not detract from claiming of overtime for normal excess mails on delivery

Hopefully the confirmation of these arrangements will be timely for the commencement of despatching arrangements for the materials linked to the forthcoming elections.

Any enquiries should be addressed to the Outdoor Department reference number 535.09, email address –sfishwick@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch
CWU Assistant Secretary

LTB 111-21 Election material 18.03.21

Delivery of Election Material National Agreement

Letter to Mark Baulch 17_03_21

LTB 666.19 – Delivery of Election Material – National Agreement and Revised Unit Payment

Embedded document for LTB 666-19

Joint Statement Parcelforce Worldwide and the Communication Workers Union:

Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Guidelines for the Deployment of Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) in PFW

Branches and representatives will be aware that Section 2.3 of the Pathway to Change Agreement committed both parties to integrated discussions on the change agenda for Parcelforce and the enablers for the deployment of the Shorter Working Week.

For Depot Grades the Joint Statement: Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Change Agenda for the Technology Roadmap and Indoor and Admin Revision Activity in Depots and the Deployment of the SWW has been communicated via LTB 109/21. 

The activity for PFW detailed in the aforementioned LTB, details the Technology Roadmap that is being utilised in relation to C&D elements, which includes Planning Values (PV) and Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB). In addition, reference is also made to an agreed Joint Statement on Guidelines for the Deployment of Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA). The Postal Executive has endorsed the Joint Statement and a copy of the document is attached for your information. 

Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) technology is built on the same platform as PDA Outdoor Actuals, which is utilised in the RM Letters function. This technology provides geospatial information to enable a visual debrief to take place once a route has been completed. Parcelforce believe that the introduction of the technology will allow the business to use the data produced to significantly improve the quality of route structures, by identifying anomalies which address recognition and sequencing.

For the department, the priority in relation to what is largely tried and tested technology is to ensure that the de-brief process remains supportive and that the significant safeguards contained in current Parcelforce technology agreements are retained in full.

To this end the following safeguards have been secured:

 The activity will require no direct input from the driver, but will improve the quality of information available for de-brief activity. 

 De- brief activity will remain Peer to Peer. 

 Individual PRA data will remain confidential and will not be shared beyond the de-briefer, the Driver and the line management team. 

 Individual PRA Data will not be published or displayed anywhere outside the console. 

 The deployment of this new technology upgrade will be in line with the established principles defined in the 2011 “The Use of Intermec CN3 Scanners” agreement including: 

•  The right to privacy in the workplace.
•  No use of the data for individual performance management.
•  No use of the data for conduct code procedures.

 PRA will not be used automatically to update Planning Values (PVs). 

PRA will be deployed at all Depots in conjunction with the commencement of pilot activity in relation to the other elements of the Technology Roadmap (LTB 109/21 refers).

The deployment of PRA will continue to be monitored at National level by the ‘Table of Success’ Joint Working Group. A formal review will be provided to the National negotiators of this agreement within three months of initial roll out detailing any improvement recommendations.

Joint launch activity took place on 17 March 2021 for the sites involved in the pilot activity and it will also be the department’s intention to arrange a virtual Parcelforce Representative’s Briefing to enable discussion and full understanding of the commitments in the Joint Statement. Arrangements will be communicated as soon as they are finalised.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 054.06

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

21LTB110

Attachment 1 – JS on Guidelines on the deployment of PRA 17.03.21

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Joint Statement – Parcelforce Worldwide and the Communication Workers Union:

Pathway to Change Agreement – Agreed National Change Agenda for the Technology Roadmap and Indoor and Admin Revision Activity in Depots and the Deployment of the SWW

Branches and representatives will be aware that Section 2.3 of the Pathway to Change Agreement contained a clear commitment by Royal Mail Group to the Parcelforce Worldwide brand and operational structure, while recognising the significant commercial and economic challenges the business faces. Parcelforce and the CWU therefore committed to progress integrated discussions building on the outstanding commitments in the 2018 Guiding Principles agreement and the change agenda and productivity improvements developed during the National talks leading to the Pathway to Change agreement.

The department has therefore been engaged in intense discussions with the business to ensure that these commitments can be delivered, in line with the timescales in the P2C agreement.

Discussions have now concluded with a Joint Statement being agreed and endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy of which is attached.

In summary the Joint Statement details the activity specific to our members based in the Depot operation, which includes the deployment of the technology flightpath in PFW and the completion of revision activity in the Depot Indoor and Admin/Customer Experience functions.

The attached Joint Statement defining the Technology Roadmap and Indoor revision activity confirms the delivery of the 2nd hour of the SWW for all Depot employees in line with the timeline for the full deployment of the Technology Roadmap currently targeted for Monday, 31st May 2021.

The Technology Roadmap now consists of three elements

•  Planning Values (PV’s) 
•  Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA) 
•  Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB) 

Planning Values

Colleagues will recall that the 2018 Guiding Principles agreement included a review of all Planning Values. The work on the Outdoor (C&D) values was completed in 2019 but was not deployed as we entered dispute with the company. The revised values are based on IE measurement but now include bespoke rather than average walking time.

Work has also continued on the under the roof (UTR) values to ensure that all work performed by C&D drivers prior to departure is accounted for and has appropriate time assigned to it. In line with the deployment plan the revised Planning Values will be deployed across the Depot network on a phased basis. This excludes 7.5t Bulk routes at this time as work continues on PV’s for this activity.

On deployment road speeds which had been increased during lockdown will also revert to the standard allowance.

Parcelforce Route Analytics (PRA)

PRA technology is built on the same platform as PDA Outdoor Actuals (OA) which is in use in the RM Letters function. This technology provides geospatial information, to enable a visual debrief to take place once the route is complete. This PRA technology will be deployed across the Depot network supported by agreed guidelines on the use of the data, which will be communicated via LTB 110/21). PRA will be enabled on Monday, 22nd March 2021.

Parcelforce Route Balancer (PRB)

PRB is a solution to objectively assess workload on each PFW route before departure. It uses the REX system (inc. updated PVs) to calculate total workload demand versus available hours and allows the route to be topped-up/stripped-back as necessary.

It is hoped that PRB will remove the current frustration associated with legacy BSI “targets” and stop C&D drivers being scheduled beyond normal duty times. It will provide a standard non-optional National process for workload management, which is jointly owned by local CWU Representatives and PFW Managers.

As noted above, in addition to the current standard 15 minutes Under the Roof (UTR) time, an allowance has been developed for each depot based on the level of loading activity performed by drivers. This time allowance will be allocated in PRB.

Deployment Plan

While the department believes that there are some clear benefits both recognise that the Technology Roadmap constitutes a significant change to current arrangements and will require a phased and measured approach to deployment, to ensure that any technical issues can be identified and addressed and drivers can be fully supported throughout the process.

We have therefore agreed a phased approach with pilot activity at the front end to ensure that the introduction is technically sound and that routing anomalies can be addressed systematically to reduce any adverse aspects. To support this approach, guidelines for the change will be developed through the pilot activity.

The detail of the Pilot activity at 5 depots in Phase 1 and the subsequent roll out across four additional phases is laid out in the Joint Statement and displayed in the Annexe to the Joint Statement.

In effect in each phase PV’s will be enabled and PRB run in the background and jointly monitored for a period prior to full deployment. Following deployment of PRB any increase in workload will be managed through a 5-week flightpath, i.e. if a route had an increase of 10 stops the workload would be increased by 2 stops per week over a flightpath.

Both parties recognise that post departure ad-hoc collections are not currently being performed, however through the joint analysis conducted in preparation for the introduction of the Technology Roadmap it has been identified that a significant number of items are currently not captured by the REX auto manifest. While joint activity will focus on ensuring that all items are brought in scope, for the purposes of the pilot activity an ad-hoc time allowance will be applied to all routes. This time allowance will be based on the current average of out of scope items at each depot.

Revision Activity – Depot Indoor Warehousing, Admin and Customer Experience

The Joint Statement details the agreed change agenda and revision activity for the other Depot functions. In all cases assuming that the scoping work has been completed and a commitment given to an agreed outcome in each depot, the 2nd hour reduction in the SWW will be deployed for all Depot employees simultaneously. This may be in advance of the deployment of the Indoor change.

Deployment of the Shorter Working Week

It has been agreed that the deployment of the plan will deliver the SWW for all Depot employees. The business had indicated that they wished to deploy an equivalent benefit however the department has been successful in pressing for the reduction in time. Detailed guidelines will be produced to ensure that local Managers and Representatives are given clear guidance on options to remove the time, which ensures that the benefit is received in full while avoiding the conversion of standard time to overtime or Scheduled Attendance.

Remaining Functions – Hubs/Processing Centres

Further National discussions are at an advanced stage to define the change agenda for the Coventry National and International Hubs and Processing Centres to enable the SWW reduction in line with the timelines defined in the Pathway to Change Agreement. Further updates will be provided, when those discussions have been concluded.

Joint launch activity took place on 17 March 2021 for the sites involved in the pilot activity and it will also be the department’s intention to arrange a virtual Parcelforce Representative’s Briefing to enable discussion and full understanding of the commitments in the Joint Statement. Once arrangements have been finalised they will be communicated.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 054.06.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

21LTB109

Attachment 1 – Joint Statement – Parcelforce – Depot Change Agenda and SWW 17.03.21

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Election of: Parcelforce Worldwide Area Health & Safety Representative/Substitute Area Health & Safety Representatives 2021

Further to LTB 048/21 dated 9^th February 2021, please find detailed below the results of the ballots.

AREA HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVESNorth/Scotland & Northern IrelandPaul Devlin254*ElectedMalcolm Woods173Spoilt Ballot Papers0Total Ballot Papers Received427Total Ballot Papers Dispatched1565

SUBSTITUTE AREA HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVESSouth West RegionGeoff Baggott111*ElectedDarryl Morrell30Barry Parker64Spoilt Ballot Papers3Total Ballot Papers Received208Total Ballot Papers Dispatched861

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 108/21

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Election of: Parcelforce Worldwide Regional Organiser/ Parcelforce Worldwide Regional Organiser Substitute – 2021

Further to LTB 047/21 dated 9^th February 2021, please find detailed below the results of the ballots.

REGIONAL ORGANISERScotland/Northern Ireland/North East  RegionEamonn Cooke66John Meehan221*ElectedSpoilt Ballot Papers2Total Ballot Papers Received289Total Ballot Papers Dispatched822

REGIONAL ORGANISER SUBSTITUTESouth Central Wales & West RegionMartin Burgess139*ElectedBarry Parker58Spoilt Ballot Papers3Total Ballot Papers Received200Total Ballot Papers Dispatched824

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department, telephone number 020 8971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 107/21

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CAPITA TVL: MEMBERS ENDORSE 2020 PAY AGREEMENT

Further to LTB 060/21 dated 18th February 2021. I am pleased to advise Branches that our TVL members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the 2020 pay agreement covering Bristol, Darwen and the Field. The ballot result is as follows:YES VOTES28096%NO VOTES134%TURNOUT*45%

*Spoilt ballot papers – 2

Matthew Vallance, Managing Director, Customer Management Division, has been notified of the ballot result and we expect confirmation that arrears of pay backdated to 1st January 2020 and the pay increase will be made with March salaries. I have also written directly to our TVL members, informing them of the result.

    2020 PAY AGREEMENT – KEY FEATURES

• 2% Pay Increase: A 12 month pensionable pay increase of a minimum of 2% from 1st January 2020 for all members including special dispensation for four London based Enquiry Officers who earn over £28k inclusive of London Weighting

• Annual Leave: 1 extra day’s annual leave from 1st January 2021 (taking total leave to 28 days) for all members with over 5 years’ service meaning 536 people will immediately receive an extra day’s leave this year. This aspect of the agreement will benefit everyone in time

• Next pay review date – 1st January 2021.

My thanks go to members and Reps for their patience & support whilst the negotiations have taken place to reach the agreement on Pay 2020. We plan to submit our 2021 pay claim once we have seen the Capita Annual Report & Accounts which we are expecting to be published this month.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 106/21 – Capita TVL – Members Endorse 2020 Pay Agreement

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Royal Mail Group – New Integrated Audits – Audit Team Consultation With CWU Area Health & Safety Representatives (ASRs):

Following the imminent Royal Mail Group re-organisation, with effect from the 29^th March 2021 the:

• Safety Health and Environment Management System (SHEMS) Audit,
• Operational Assurance visits and
• Security and Compliance Assurance Audits

will be combined into a single ‘Compliance and Sustainability Integrated Audit’.

These audits will be delivered by the new ‘Integrated Audit Team’ and all units will be audited once a year.

These new audits will assess the level of compliance with key policies and legal/regulatory requirements as detailed within the SHEMS (Safety, Health, Environment Management System), Security, Compliance and Ethics policies.

The Integrated Audit will be conducted on site and compliance will be assessed through a combination of:

• data analysis and validation;
• document review; and
• discussion and observation.

A full list of evidence requirements will be available on the SHE Management System. NB: An auditor will review electronic records (where available) from various systems, there will be no need to print out paper hard copies.

All units will receive an audit notification e-mail at least 5 working days prior to the audit taking place. The average audit should require 1 day on site. The relevant Trade Union Area Safety Representative (ASR) will be copied into the e-mail circulation. The auditor will then contact the unit manager to agree the exact date and time of the visit. The ASR can then contact either the unit manager or the auditor to confirm the arrangements in order to be consulted and give input.

Initial onsite feedback will be given to the unit managers and then an Action Plan will be issued via e-mail to the unit within five working days. Unit managers will be required to monitor and close out actions. Actions must be completed by the required date as set out in the Action Plan. Update reports on the audit actions will be given to the joint health and safety committee relevant to the Unit.

The audit will be transparent with an overall percentage score given for each audit. Audit results will be shared with ASRs by e-mail. Any issues and Audit Action Plan progress can be discussed at joint health and safety committee meetings at a Unit or Regional level basis.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 105/21 – Royal Mail Group – New Integrated Audits – Audit Team Consultation With CWU Area Health & Safety Representatives (ASRs)

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Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic – PPE and Face Masks – Presentation By Dave Joyce National Health, Safety & Environment Officer on 4 March 2021 at the CWU ‘Reasonable Adjustments & PPE/Pandemic Webinar’ Organised by the CWU Equality, Education & Development Department

At the request of a number of participants in the recent CWU ‘Reasonable Adjustments & PPE/Pandemic Webinar’ organised by the CWU Equality, Education & Development Department, please find attached a copy of the PowerPoint presentation slides which covered:

• The pandemic timeline
• PPE shortages, costs and spend
• CWU strategy for tackling Covid-19 in the workplace
• Workforce testing and vaccination priority for CWU members
• Methods of virus spread – aerosols, droplets & contact
• Masks – they are effective and they work
• Masks reduce and work as a control for airborne transmission
• BMJ Report by Nicholas R Jones & others – indoor risks, space, number of people, ventilation, time exposed

Attachment: PowerPoint Slide Presentation by Dave Joyce

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 104/21 – PPE and Face Masks – Presentation By Dave Joyce at the CWU Reasonable Adjustments & PPE Pandemic Webinar

Att: Coronavirus-Covid-19 Pandemic PPE Face Masks Presentation Dave Joyce 0…

Att: Doc1

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