Royal Mail Group Re-Organisation and Job Cuts – Safety, Health and Environment Team New Structure From 1 April 2021:

Branches will recall that at the end of June 2020, the Royal Mail interim Chairman Keith Williams and interim CEO Stuart Simpson announced a cost-cutting plan involving cutting 2,000 management jobs by March 2021, making savings of £130 million. The company’s front line postal workers would not be affected by the cuts.

The sweeping changes in effect resulted in a 50% cut in senior directors and high level managers with a 25% cut in lower managerial grades. The Health, Safety & Environment Department wrote to the interim CEO expressing concerns regarding the impact on health and safety management in Royal Mail Group as successive re-organisations and management downsizing exercises had seen the RMG Safety, Health and Environment Team shrink from circa 150 in 2012 to 75 by 2020 (see copy of letter attached). Nevertheless, the SHE team has taken a further hit with regard to job cuts and after a significant wait, we have now received details of the new SHE Team Structure with its reduced resources (see attached).

The obvious and significant changes are that the dedicated Parcelforce and Logistics/ Distribution Heads of Safety and their teams are removed. The number of SHE Advisors are reduced and the size of their constituency areas (geography) are significantly increased plus each SHE Advisor will cover all units, from all parts of the organisation that fall within their patch e.g., Royal Mail, Parcelforce, RMSS, Logistics/Distribution RDCs, VOCs, International etc.

A SHE Business Partner in the South will also cover National Level Logistics/Distribution and International. A SHE Business Partner in the North will cover RDCs and Parcelforce.

A number of the existing RMG SHE Team will either be leaving the business or changing their job roles towards the end of this month.

Details of the new SHE Team Structure are attached. This covers all the health and safety contacts within the RMG Compliance and Sustainability Team with the exception of the RMG Security Team which also falls under Shaun Davis RMG Global Director Compliance and Sustainability.

Attachments:

• RMG SHE Team Structure 2021
• Letter to interim RMG CEO dated 04.08.2020

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 089/21 – Royal Mail Group Re-Organisation and Job Cuts – Safety, Health and Environment Team New Structure From 1 April 2021

Letter to RM Temp CEO Stuart Simpson 04.08.2020

RMG Compliance and Sustainability SHE Team 2021

Royal Mail Group – Latest Updated Coronavirus/Covid-19 – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Guidance Document (Version 84)

I attach for your information Version 84 of the Royal Mail Group, Managers’ Coronavirus/Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Guidance document, issued by the business on 1 March 2021.

At the commencement of the Coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak, Royal Mail Group established a ‘Business Pandemic Team’ which includes all national heads of department and this team meets regularly to review the situation across Royal Mail Group and to issue update Questions and Answers information communications to all managers, which is cascaded throughout the business.

The Coronavirus Guidance, version 84 Q&A document has been shared with the Union’s Health, Safety & Environment Department and is hereby circulated for information and reference purposes for CWU Regions, Health and Safety Reps, Branch Reps and Divisional IR Reps.

The Q&A documents are circulated to all RMG managers and are also available to access through a link on the Royal Mail Group ‘Intranet’, in the ‘Managers Update Messages’ section.

Please note that when update changes and additions are made from the previous versions, they are normally highlighted in ‘Yellow’.

Some recent important additional Questions and Answers of interest are:-

PAGE 9

Q: What advice is available for first aider’s who may need to respond to a patient with/without coronavirus symptoms? 

As advice may change based on increasing experience in the care of patients, First Aiders should consult the advice of St John Ambulance, Public Health England and the Resuscitation Council for advice on how to administer treatment. lf maintaining 2m distancing is not possible and/or First Aiders want to wear a mask, these should be requested through their line manager. Managers should ensure that all First Aiders have been informed and, where required, given access to the resources above.

PAGE 9

Q: Is there any specific guidance for pregnant women?

The general guidance for pregnant women is the same as everyone else e.g. regular hand washing, use of face coverings and social distancing however all pregnant women should have a New and Expectant Mothers Risk Assessment completed which will need to be regularly reviewed and if there are any changes in risk then the controls should be updated accordingly.

Pregnant women have been included in the list of people at moderate risk (clinically vulnerable) as a precaution because they can sometimes be more at risk from viruses like flu – It’s not clear if this happens with coronavirus but because it’s a new virus, it’s safer to include pregnant women in the moderate-risk group. According to the NHS there is no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get seriously ill from coronavirus. Any concerns should be reported to a midwife or maternity team immediately – full NHS guidance is available here.

PAGE 10

Q: The Local Area Health and Safety Representative has requested to visit my office to complete an inspection, can I allow them to visit?

Yes, the CWU and Unite officers have a legal right to visit any premises where their members are working. CWU and Unite/CMA Area Health and Safety Reps have a statutory entitlement to carry out Health and safety inspections and investigations and it is a legal requirement that the company facilitates such visits to Units. These visits can and will continue during Covid-19 T4/T5 Lockdown with ‘Covid-Secure’ protocols and standards (Hands-Face-Space) followed at all times. Units may also receive unannounced visits from HSE and Local Authority EHO.  The SHE team have developed a joint inspection form with the union that reps will follow when on site to help ensure we are maintaining the same standards across our estate.

PAGES 3/4/5

Q: Will Royal Mail be providing face masks? 

It has been mandatory for all colleagues to wear a face covering in all Royal Mail Group indoor workplaces from Monday, 9th November 2020. We also support and actively encourage the use of face coverings in all outdoor settings to keep our colleagues and customers safe. Face coverings do not replace other preventative measures, i.e. increased hand hygiene, social distancing, increased cleaning, etc, which must remain in place.

A move to mandatory face coverings in all indoor workplaces strengthens the existing preventative measures already in place to protect you and others from coronavirus and supports our risk management strategy which we are responsible for under health and safety legislation. This is a view shared by regulatory bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive and many local authorities. We have already seen some excellent examples where indoor workplaces are wearing face coverings and uptake has been good.

Royal Mail is providing branded reusable face coverings for operational colleagues to reduce the impact on the environment and for colleague comfort. These are being delivered direct to operational units. Line managers should distribute them to each individual employee. Disposable masks will still be available for those who prefer to wear them and for our casual employees.

Full face mask and face covering guidance is available via the Royal Mail Portal on the page.

Posters to display this requirement are available on the SHE Coronavirus Document Library –Posters.

While working outside of RMG premises in indoor places where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet e.g. public buildings, business receptions, blocks of flats it is recommended that face coverings are worn.

The law provides discretion to people who have a health condition, a disability and other groups. These will not always be visible, so staff should continue to serve all who enter CSPs, including those not wearing face coverings.

Q: There is someone in my office who cannot wear a face covering for medical or other reasons what should they do? 

We recognise that some employees are unable to wear face coverings for medical or other reasons, and that they are not practical to wear for some activities in certain job roles, e.g. in a call centre where full social distancing measures are in place.

Managers should request evidence of an exemption and can keep records that employees have met the criteria for the exemption but should not record the specific reason as this is not necessary, even if the employee shares this with the manager. Ideally a letter from the GP confirming the employee has a valid exemption reason is sufficient. Employees with an exemption certificate which can be printed off from various online sites or employees wearing a sunflower lanyard still need to present evidence for managers to review.

Speak to your line manager if you have questions or concerns.

Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard discreetly indicates to people around you including staff, colleagues and health professionals that you may need additional support, help or a little more time. Not all disabilities are visible – some are hidden and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with a hidden disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges you face.

The sunflower lanyard is only intended for people with a hidden disability or an underpinning health condition. It is not for just general use if you cannot wear a face covering. 

For those people with a hidden disability or underpinning health condition wearing the Sunflower is entirely a choice. 

The Sunflower lanyard can be requested via line managers who can order via the an excel form here and then e-mailing it to uniform@royalmail.com. Requests will be collated daily and despatched via our network. Please note there is a seven working day lead time, therefore lanyards will be available from w/c 30 November. These lanyards will include an auto release safety clip, employees wearing their own versions will need to ensure they meet the same standard.

Employees may wear similar identification to make it clear they are subject to medical or other exemption to wearing a face covering. The web page gives further detail on this. https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/, other options are available.

Q: Can I wear a visor instead of a face covering? 

Existing PHE guidance has been updated with additional guidance on use of face visors, which advises that a face visor or shield may be worn in addition to a face covering but not instead of one. This is because face visors or shields do not adequately cover the nose and mouth.

For those with an exemption to wearing a face covering and who can/are currently wearing a face visor or shield, you should continue to wear the face visor as this offers more protection than wearing nothing.

Q: What are the washing requirements for the reusable face coverings issued? 

Face coverings can be hand washed or washed in a washing machine at 60 degrees (not 30 degrees as per packaging) for up to 30 washes. Do not dry clean the face coverings or use fabric conditioner as these can leave residues on the materials which should not be breathed in. It is important to wear a clean face covering each day and to change it during the day if it becomes wet.

Q: Where can I order extra Royal Mail reusable face coverings?

Units can order extra face coverings from the web site: https://store.paragon-cc.co.uk/rm-stationery. There is a limited supply of additional face coverings available and they will be prioritised to operational units. Any non-operational employees can request a face covering via the above link (subject to availability) or at the unit they are attending if they are unable to work from home.

Q: How has Royal Mail selected the branded reusable face covering? 

Face coverings alone will not protect people from contracting the virus. They can help to reduce the risk of infection and are an additional tool that will help to control the spread of it. The face coverings provided by the business are sufficient to help reduce the spread of the virus within the workplace but they must not lead to a relaxed attitude to hand washing and social distancing. The government guidance has been clear throughout the pandemic that PPE should be reserved for medical use and for work tasks where protection from dust, chemicals and other contaminants is necessary. Face coverings, whilst not expected to meet PPE standards, play a valuable role in reducing transmission of coronavirus in the community.

The face coverings comply with UK’s General Products Safety Regulations 2005 and they have certification for suitability of the fabric for wearing over the nose and mouth. As they have not been supplied as medical grade the manufacturer has used their standard non-medical description on some of the documentation. They have three layers of fabric. Two layers are tightly knitted cotton and a further layer contains SilvaDur antimicrobial treatment. Two or three layers of tightly woven fabric have been shown in studies to be highly effective at filtering out the virus, equivalent to surgical mask standards. When wearing the face coverings it is easy to feel the resistance to air flow through them when compared to many other face coverings.

Q: What examples of evidence will employees have as proof of exemption for not wearing a mask? 

In considering the approach for exemptions. In many cases, employees with an existing health condition will have appropriate medical correspondence, such as hospital letters, consultant letters, NHS letters or appointment cards, OH reports, documented conversations with managers about their condition, e.g. welcome back meetings, rehabilitation plans, attendance reviews, which can be provided as evidence, with the specific condition hidden/redacted (e.g. by an appropriately placed post-it note or using a marker-pen) if the employee chooses. Given the many examples of evidence an employee will likely have, we do not foresee that many employees will be unable to share evidence. In many cases the manager will already be aware of an employee’s condition.

Q: Will Royal Mail be paying employees for proof of their exemption for wearing a mask and any time off incurred to attend doctor’s appointments? 

If employees do not have any current or existing evidence (see above examples) of their exemption and an employee advises that a GP fee is going to be involved, then the manager should contact Advice & Support on 0345 6043657. Our aim is to avoid any incurred charges for employees and identify other options. GPs are conducting consultations via phone or web-based option, letters are routinely emailed to patients or are posted if an employee does not have an email address. We do not foresee an employee being offered a face to face appointment and requiring time off and, more importantly, as stated we are looking to identify options of evidence that do not involve the GP or any charges.

Q: Will Royal Mail be offering an Occupational Health referral for anyone who is exempt from wearing a face covering? 

Employees can discuss any concerns with their line manager. Managers should contact Advice & Support for advice. If Advice & Support believe that an OH referral is appropriate, they will advise the manager.

PAGE 20

Q: Will time off be granted to attend for vaccine appointments? 

Where possible, colleagues should try to arrange appointments to receive the vaccine outside of working hours; though we do understand this may not be possible. Due to the exceptional circumstances of this pandemic and the importance to both our colleagues and Royal Mail in them receiving the vaccine, managers should support employees to attend their vaccination appointment. This may mean providing time off for colleagues to attend appointments during working hours.

NOTE: Please also note that these Q & A documents are ‘Royal Mail Group’ advice documents and not all of the contents are agreed with the CWU.

Contents List:

1. HEALTH

1. Prevention
2. Self-isolation, testing and reporting
3. Cleaning and consumables
4. Travel
5. Support and advice
6. POLICY 

1. General guidance
2. Travel/and annual holiday
3. Caring for dependants
4. Sick pay
5. Attendance process
6. Vulnerable employees
7. OPERATIONAL

1. General Ops advice
2. NHS testing kits
3. Operational processes and reporting changes
4. Delivering and collecting from customers
5. Fleet and vehicles
6. ADVICE FOR CUSTOMERS 

Any enquiries to this LTB or feedback on the RMG Q&A document should be directed to Dave Joyce CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer. Issues received in connection with the attached which are appropriate to other CWU/HQ Departments will be passed on the appropriate National Officer.

Attachment:

• Coronavirus Guidance Questions and Answers V84

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 088/21 – Royal Mail Group – Latest Updated Coronavirus Covid-19 – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Guidance Document (Version 84)

Coronavirus Guidance Questions and Answers v84

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 003) – Tops 2000 (T2K) Large Flats Sorting Machines – Safe Removal of Jammed Trays From Stopped Machine: (Serious ‘Near-Miss’ & Machine Damage Incident Occurrence When Machine Operator Attempted To Remove A Jammed Tray From a Moving Machine)

Introduction and Background:

An urgent ‘Safety Flash’, number FY21 003, has been issued by the Royal Mail Group Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Team (copy attached), following a recent accident ‘near-miss’ incident in a Mail Centre when a tray jam was dealt with incorrectly and dangerously, risking injury to the operator and other staff, plus causing actual extensive damage to the machine.

Description of the Incident and Key Issues:

A tray jam occurred on a Tops 2000 (T2K) Flats Sorting Machine which the machine operator attempted to remove/reset without stopping the machine carousel as is required in the Safe Working Instruction. This resulted in an accident ‘near-miss’ and the letter trays becoming dislodged with significant damage caused to the machine – risking injuring other members of the workforce.

The Issue, Impact and Effect:

Occasionally the Tops 2000 machine will report a full tray output jam from the sorter carousel (full tray not ejected & orange light comes on). The carousel will continue to operate normally although the full trays will not be ejected from the machine.

Attempting to remove and reset the jammed tray without stopping the machine, as happened in this case, risks serious personal injury to the operator and others and can cause significant damage to the machine, as occurred on this occasion.

The operator failed to follow the correct safe system of work procedure which is to stop the carousel and remove/reset the jammed tray using the ‘helping hand’ ‘grabber tool’ only once the machine has come to a full stop.

Key Management Activities and Learning Points:

• Brief staff that an incorrect and unsafe jam removal took place, reminding all machine operators on importance of stopping the machine carousel before clearing jams to avoid future accidents and failings.
• Print and brief machine operators on the Safety Flash – undertake SMAT sampling.
• Ensue that the November 2019 WTLL article ‘Removing Jammed Trays in Sorter Carousel on T2K’ has been briefed to all relevant machine operators.
• Display the Safety Flash on the office SHE Notice board.

Attachment:

• Copy of RMG SHE Safety Flash FY21 003 – T2K Operator Tray Removal

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 087 -Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 003) – Tops 2000 (T2K) Large Flats Sorting Machines

SHE Flash FY21 003 T2K Operator Tray Removal

View Online

Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021– Registration

LTB 084/21 set out that Branches are entitled to have three delegates at the Virtual Special Rules Conference.

CWU Headquarters will be dealing with the registration for the conference and to enable us to do this we will require the following information for each of the named delegates:

• Full Name
• Full Branch Name
• Position Held
• Email Address

For this conference branches will not be able to rotate their delegation as per usual but are encouraged to promote a diverse delegation on the day.

All Regional Secretaries and Business Based Field Officials can also attend in an ex-officio capacity and they will be registered by CWU HQ using the information we have on file.

Please provide the above information by emailing to eventsregistration@cwu.org before Thursday 1^st April 2021.

Observers will be able to watch the conference live on the day and further details of this will be published at a future date.

Any enquiries on this LTB should be directed to Angela Niven on 020 8971 7256 or email eventsregistration@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 086/21 – Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021- Registration

View Online

Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021–Submission of Rule Amendments to Rule 8.1.3

Further to LTB 084/21 and following the decisions taken by the NEC to hold a Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference in relation to Rule 8.1.3 the General Standing Orders Committee have started work on the business of holding the virtual conference.

Branches should note that the Motion Guide and Rule Proposal form for submitting rule amendments to rule 8.1.3 at the Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021 has been attached.  Please note that only proposals to amend or delete Rule 8.1.3 will be accepted.

Entitlements

In relation to the Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021 all Branches and Regional Committees are entitled to submit one proposal to the Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021 in relation to rule 8.1.3.

Branches and Regional Committees are advised that the closing date for submissions of Rules Amendments to the Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021 is Noon Monday 22nd March 2021.

During this unprecedented time all proposals to amend rule 8.1.3 must be emailed to conferences@cwu.org and must arrive by Noon 22^nd March 2021.

Branches, Regions, and the NEC are reminded that the Standing Orders Committee will not alter or amend any of the Rule Amendments submitted therefore it is important that Rule Amendments are checked before they are submitted.

This Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference has been called by the NEC under arrangements drawn up due to the suspension of Rule 10, Rule 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3. Appeals based on these Rules should be referred to the President. Appeals based on the Standing Orders should be referred to the SOC

Please note that all correspondence must be sent by e-mail to conferences@cwu.org and no other personal e-mail address.

Any queries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Angela Niven on 0208 971 7256 or by e-mail to conferences@cwu.org

Further details of the Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference will follow.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 085/21 – Virtual Special Rules Revision Conference 2021–Submission of Rule Amendments to Rule 8.1.3

SRR Rule 8.1.3 Guidance notes

SRR-Proposal-Form-21

View Online

TAKING PROPORTIONALITY FORWARD – GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE CWU VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Branches will be aware that LTB 034/21 dated 1^st February 2021 contained information in relation to the deferment of the NEC elections scheduled for April 2021 to allow for a Special Virtual Rules Revision Conference to take place to debate and vote on proposed changes to the structure and composition of the NEC as part of the CWU “Taking Proportionality Forward” agenda.

The Special Virtual Conference is being convened to deal with rule amendments to CWU rule 8.1.3 and the NEC has now agreed the arrangements for the Special Conference which are contained below.

Further discussions are currently taking place with the Standing Orders Committee following which a further LTB will be published containing the relevant dates and arrangements for the submission of rule amendments.

The information published below is being provided to branches to set out the decisions taken by the NEC on the guiding principles that will govern the organising and administration of the Special Conference and the rationale for making these.

NEC Decision/Authority in these Matters

Prior to the NEC taking the decision to convene the Special Conference the CWU sought the views of our legal representatives on this issue and they have advised that rule 15.4.2 provides the NEC with the necessary authority/power to interpret the rules of the union and decide upon any issues in respect of which the rules are silent which of course they are in regards to the organising of a CWU decision making Conference during a pandemic.

Rules Governing CWU Conferences

Against the background of the ongoing pandemic the NEC have agreed that all relevant CWU rules that would normally govern the organising and specific arrangements for a Conference are suspended with immediate effect.  For ease of reference these are CWU national rule 10, 15.1,15.2 and 15.3.

Date of Conference/Timeline

The Virtual/Online Special Rules Conference on NEC Proportionality will be held on Saturday 24^th April 2021.  Further discussions are due to be held with the SOC on the agenda and timeline for the Conference i.e. dates for submission and publication of rule amendments, etc. which once finalised will be published to branches.

Virtual Conference Arrangements

The Special Rules conference will be a decision making conference convened to debate rule amendments submitted by the NEC, Regions and Branches and these will be limited to CWU rule 8.1.3 only.

Special Rules Conference Delegation

3 delegates per branch will be entitled to attend the Virtual Special Rules Conference.

All Regional Secretaries and Business based Field Officials can also attend in an ex-officio capacity. They may participate in discussion at the specific request of their respective parent Committee or of a branch within that committee but shall not vote.

Voting

All rule amendments submitted will be decided upon by the taking of an electronic card vote.

When a card vote is taken it will be based on the Branch Membership count excluding retired members.

A proposition shall be treated as carried if it receives an overall majority and a majority in each of the Postal and TFS Constituencies.

Branches will only be able to vote once on amendments. The specific details on how the voting system will operate will be sent to Branches in advance of the conference.

Entitlement to Submit Amendments 

Branches and Regional Committees shall be entitled to submit up 1 amendment.

The NEC shall also be entitled to submit amendments as appropriate.

The Involvement and Role of the Standing Orders Committee

As with all CWU conferences the SOC will need to be fully involved in the organising and logistics of the virtual conference and further discussions are currently taking place with the principle officers of the SOC to agree how this will operate in practice.

Finally, we will shortly be publishing to Branches a document that sets out the changes the NEC will be proposing and a narrative around why the NEC has made the decisions it has.

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 084/21

Gateway’ Development, Bexhill-on Sea – CWU Low Level Letter Box Campaign Victory For Postal Worker Members:

This is an update for postal branches further to LTBs 582/16, 82/18, 55/19, 98/19 and 142/19.

As Branches will know, the ‘Low Level Letter Box Campaign’ was re-launched in 2018 and also branches will be aware that alongside our ‘Bite-Back’ Dangerous Dogs Campaign, we continue campaigning on these two other big issues for postal worker members.

CWU Conference in 2018 carried two motions, one in General Conference and one in Postal Conference to re-launch the Low Level Letterbox Campaign and this, the Health, Safety & Environment Department has been doing both nationally and locally, working with a number of ASRs around the country in particular to deal with many local issues with regard to a number of big housing developments and housing estate refurbishments in which the Union has had a number of notable successes in getting house builders to cease fitting low level letter boxes and replace front doors with mid-level or waist-height letter boxes. The Union has won the support of a number of local authorities, councillors and MPs.

The most recent of these was the huge, 250 home ‘Gateway’ Development in Bexhill-On-Sea where campaigning and pressurising the Builders ‘Bovis Homes’ with the support of the branch, local authority, councillors, MPs and media won the day.  Not only did the fitting of low level letter boxes stop at ’Gateway’ Bexhill-On-Sea, the developer, Bovis Homes, one of the UK’s largest house builders has agreed to cease fitting low level letter box front doors across all its developments, nation-wide in the UK. We are delighted with this and are now moving on to use that example with all other major developers and UK house builders as the country continues along the path of the biggest ever national house building programme the UK has ever seen with 2,500,000 homes built in the last decade.

The key objective is to get the law changed in order to outlaw low level letter boxes and achieve Building Regulations which require the fitting of mid-height letter boxes to all new homes and refurbishments.

In 2019 our campaign across the House of Commons built up a great momentum, with support being received and communicated from all political parties. A ‘Private Member’s Ten Minute Rule Bill’ was heard in a packed House of Commons on 16 January 2019 in front of 600 MPs just after midday following Prime Minister’s Question Time and before the major ‘BREXIT’ debate.  The Bill received unanimous support and was subsequently withdrawn after the Government gave an undertaking to accept the intention of the Bill and to incorporate a change in the Government’s Building Regulations review. Further meetings took place with politicians in the House of Commons and Housing Minister of the day Kit Malthouse gave a positive indication of support for our campaign. However, despite a number of assurances and positive responses to enquiries, the change has not yet taken place – so our campaign continues within the Houses of Parliament to take the campaign forward where in 2019 a huge level of correspondence and welcomed support from MPs was received.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 083/21 – Gateway Development, Bexhill-on Sea – CWU Low Level Letter Box Campaign Victory For Postal Worker Members

Royal Mail Group Workforce – NHS Test & Trace App Compliance

A significant number of reports have been received from ASRs over recent months regarding management ‘manipulation’ and malpractice in respect of NHS ‘Test and Trace’ notifications to employees advising them to self-isolate. The reports from various parts of the country involve managers telling staff to either ignore the NHS Test and Trace self-isolation messages, switch off their mobile phones when NHS Test and Trace messages are received, put their mobile phones in their lockers whilst at work, re-set the App when a Test and Trace message arrives, cancel the notification etc., and so on.

After repeatedly taking these matters up with Royal Mail Group HQ and the Royal Mail Group Head of Occupational Health, the following communication was issued on 2 February and the topic has also been covered on RMTV. In short, Royal Mail and Parcelforce strongly support The NHS Test and Trace App.

Royal Mail Group Communication:

NHS Test and Trace App

Royal Mail is supporting the use of the NHS Covid-19 App. We want to encourage everyone to download the NHS Covid-19 app on their phone.Guidance on how you can do this is available through the link: https://covid19.nhs.uk/  There is no requirement for QR codes to be displayed in workplaces which means we do not need to display QR codes in our units, offices or canteens. Please remove these if they are in place. 

If you are in contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus, the app will be able to alert you and provide instructions on what to do if applicable. You must read the alert very carefully and follow the advice. Some of the guidance you will receive is optional, some of it is mandatory.

If you develop symptoms and test positive, the app can be used to alert others you might have been in contact with and potentially share advice with them. Similar apps are live in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Government guidance is that once you have downloaded the app, it should be left on as much as possible. However, there are some specific scenarios when you should pause the contact tracing feature. These include:

• When you are working behind a Perspex (or equivalent) screen (for example, in a Customer Service Point).
• If you are putting your phone in storage, such as in a work locker, and it will not be on your person.

Contact tracing can be paused within the app by moving the contact tracing toggle on the home screen. It’s important you turn the contact tracing toggle back on as soon as you are not in one of the above scenarios so that if you are in contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus, the app will be able to alert you and provide instructions on what to do if applicable.

Anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus should self-isolate and request a test immediately. You can access up-to-date guidance on what steps to take whilst self-isolating on the NS website at this link:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/

Employees should fully comply with instructions provided by the NHS and keep their line manager informed.

End.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 082/21 – Royal Mail Group Workforce – NHS Test & Trace App Compliance

Royal Mail Group Offices – Staying Covid-19 Secure & Safe – RMG/CWU/Unite Agreed ‘Resetting Covid-19/Coronavirus Control Standards Poster’:

Throughout the Covid-19/Coronavirus pandemic, the Health, Safety & Environment Department has continually had to raise issues of poor compliance with the ‘Covid Secure’ safety standards (“Hands-Face-Space-Cleaning”) escalated to us by ASRs. Additionally, the enforcing authorities, HSE and Local Authority EHOs have carried out proactive ‘spot-check’ inspections from which they have identified poor ‘Covid Secure’ safety compliance, issuing subsequent warning letters and fee for intervention notices on Royal Mail and Parcelforce.

The ‘Resetting The Covid-19 Safety Compliance Standards Poster’ and initiative is aimed at avoiding community transmission of Covid-19 spreading into Royal Mail and Parcelforce Workplaces. As agreed with Royal Mail and Parcelforce – the role of CWU ASRs and WSRs is a crucial part of this initiative and drive.

Following discussions with Royal Mail and the Royal Mail Group SHE Team, the attached poster was constructed for issue to all offices and units across Royal Mail and Parcelforce in order to reset and reinforce Covid-19/Coronavirus safety control standards by communicating the message and standards in a concise, visual way, supported by an agreed programme of joint ‘Covid-Safety’ health and safety inspections involving ASRs, Operational Managers and SHE Advisors, plus managers have been instructed that they MUST carry out ‘mandatory’ weekly Covid safety SMAT checks.

In line with the recent joint Royal Mail Group/CWU communication issued on 26 January 2021 and Joint Statement issued on 9 November 2020 (See LTBs 029/21 and 544/20) regarding the agreed ‘Mandatory’ wearing of face masks and coverings, Royal Mail Group, the CWU and Unite/CMA want to take the opportunity to reset the vitally important safety standards and to increase the level of personal responsibility by all in the workforce to get involved in making their contribution to assist in preventing the spread of the Covid-19/Coronavirus into Royal Mail and Parcelforce workplaces.

The Government/HSE’s own ‘Staying COVID-19 Secure’ poster (see attached) was designed and is required to be displayed in all workplaces in order that employers can, in conjunction with Trade Union Health and Safety Reps, confirm they have complied with the Government’s guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19 through 5 steps to safer working and for the employer to confirm they have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the workforce and the Safety Reps, and to confirm that they have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with guidance, plus that they have taken all reasonable steps to help people work safely from a COVID-19 Secure workplace, and that they have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace or at least a 1m plus distance with all the mitigating actions possible to manage transmission risk.

The new joint RMG/CWU/Unite Poster (see attached) was developed with the co-operation and involvement of the Royal Mail Group Safety, Health & Environment Team, Royal Mail, Parcelforce and the CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Department and Unite/CMA.

The Poster covers:

• NHS Test & Trace Self-Isolation Notification
• Hand Washing and Sanitising
• Cleaning the Work Station and Touch Points
• Management ‘Mandatory’ Covid SMATs
• Joint Safety Rep/Management Covid Safety Inspections
• Monitoring the Cleaning of Touchpoints; IPS/Prep Frames, Work Equipment – Desks, Phones, Keyboards and Scanning Equipment etc., Machines and vehicles.

ASR Actions

ASRs are asked to proactively get involved in these inspections and in promoting the messages of compliance in the agreed poster, closely monitoring compliance issues covered in the poster and recording and completing Safety Inspection Reports. Also, please identify the worst offices and flag these up to the Regional Heads of SHE – Emma Tranter (North) and Jayne Callaghan-Jarvis (South).

Attachments:

• RMG/CWU/Unite ‘Resetting Covid-19/Coronavirus Control Standards’ Poster
• Government – ‘Staying Covid-19 Secure’ Poster

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 081/21 – RMG Offices – Staying Covid-19 Secure & Safe – RMG CWU Unite Agreed ‘Resetting Covid-19 Coronavirus Control Standards Poster’

Resetting Standards Poster

staying-covid-19-secure-government-poster