BIG NEWS FOR ROYAL MAIL GROUP MEMBERS

Pension Bill receives Royal Assent 11th February 2021

The Communications Workers Union and Royal Mail Group are delighted that the pensions bill which will enable the introduction of our new ‘first of its kind Wage in Retirement pension scheme’ for all Royal Mail employees, received Royal Assent today. Royal assent means that the Queen has formally approved an act of legislature which will introduce the regulations which will now permit a CDC type scheme to be introduced. We have been pressing for this historical moment since 2018, and this is a massive step in enabling the introduction of our new scheme under UK law.

Terry Pullinger, Deputy General Secretary Postal of the CWU said “We are keen to launch Royal Mail’s Collective Pension Plan in the second half of the next financial year and the next steps towards that are working with Government on the passage of the necessary secondary legislation and securing authorisation from The Pensions Regulator on our new scheme. The CWU would like to thank our members and everyone else who have supported, believed and helped us reach this historical point. In excess of 140,000 people will go immediately into this new scheme and will enjoy dignity and security in retirement as a consequence, and we hope others will follow because current provision of working people outside of a Defined Benefit schemes is either inadequate or non-existent”.

POST OFFICE: CUSTOMER HARASSMENT

I wish to inform Branches there has been an unfortunate increase in customer harassment incidents towards our Crown Office members since the beginning of the pandemic in March. There has however been concern around under-reporting due to issues with the reporting process.

Consequently this LTB is specifically designed to encourage all members to report any threats or abuse received from aggressive customers. When an incident occurs, the normal process is the manager completes the electronic report on Dymensions, the Post Office intranet. This however has proved problematic particularly when a manager is absent from the workplace.

We must ensure all incidents are captured; therefore a new reporting process is being launched today. Following a customer harassment incident, members will now be able to record it by completing a customer harassment form. This will ensure an accurate, detailed and timely record of any unacceptable behaviour from customers.

The following Joint Statement has been published today explaining the reasons for this new approach and the process:

JOINT STATEMENT POST OFFICE, CWU AND UNITE
Customer Harassment

In a joint statement issued in January 2021 we highlighted the importance of reporting any form of harassment you or your colleagues may receive from customers.

It has come to our attention that it is not always possible to report incidents through Dymensions. Therefore we are launching a customer harassment form to compliment the usual process which can be completed by anyone in branch at the time of the incident. This will ensure that the important details are captured whilst they are still fresh in the mind.

Once the form is completed this should be stored in a secure folder and stored in the safe overnight.

The Branch Manager will then be able to follow the normal process, using these details and ensure that the incident is reported via Dymensions as soon as possible. If the Branch Manager is unavailable, the person in charge must email it to the Area Manager and the Union H&S Reps within 24 hours.
Area Managers working in conjunction with our Union H&S Representatives will be continuing to monitor any trends in the area and work with your local security manager as required.

Your safety is paramount therefore we are working together with the security team and grapevine on an app-based solution which will make reporting incidents easier and quicker. We will share more information with you as and when we can.

This process is to be reviewed in six weeks to check how this process is working. Thank you for your continued support and contribution in these exceptionally challenging times.

Steve Blampied                                   Phil Savage                                               Andy Furey     
Head of DMB Network                     Unite the Union                                       Post Office Limited
                                                                                                                                   CWU Assistant Secretary

Branches will note that the process described in the JS above includes the full involvement of our Reps who have responsibility for health and safety matters.
Branches are urged to bring this communication to the attention of our Post Office members. 

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

21LTB049 – Post Office – Customer Harassment

Covid-19/Coronavirus Test Kits – Reinforcing Safe Collections – New Safety Leaflet and Poster:

This LTB is being issued further to LTBs 469/20, 379/20 and 193/20.

To reinforce the correct safe working methods for collecting Covid-19/Coronavirus testing kits, a new joint CWU/RM/PFWW Poster and Leaflet have been jointly produced.  These have been sent out to all managers this week, commencing Monday 8^thFebruary with a request to display the poster where appropriate and give a copy of the one-page leaflet/guidance document to collections employees who complete this task.

The issue of ‘non-compliant’ test kit collections from designated post boxes has come to light in several locations across the UK and the Health, Safety and Environment Department has been raising concerns in relation to the problem, especially in view of the rapidly increasing numbers of kits being collected now that Royal Mail has the sole Government contract as Government steps up it national testing programme.

This issue has been subject to ongoing debate on the RM/CWU National Joint Covid-19 Test Kits Weekly Strategic Involvement Skype meetings where the problem has been raised several times.

The Royal Mail Test Kits Project Team nationally are as concerned about compliance as are CWU/HQ.

As a result, a joint review took place which concluded a revised Safe System of Work (SSoW) and joint communications package including a joint leaflet and joint poster. These have been designed to deal with the increasing volumes within the new contract.  The materials have been dispatched to all offices, supporting previous communications and an earlier campaign in 2020.

The second issue regarding the size of the bags making ‘overbagging’ tight and awkward has been raised with Royal Mail also and noted – so future orders will involve a slightly bigger bag being procured and supplied to Collections staff.

In the meantime, we must continue to drive home the importance of compliance to our members and to the collections managers whose job it is to monitor the safe collections.

There is sufficient flexibility in the revised SSoW with three options to clear designated boxes and that should be sufficient to complete the task safely if applied correctly.

To meet the demand for Coronavirus infection testing this winter the Government has asked Royal Mail Group to prepare for the expected significant increase in the number of test kits returned via Priority Post Boxes. Subsequently test kit requests and returns have significantly increased and Royal Mail is currently collecting circa 150,000 test kits a day. The amended collection and segregation SSoW process has been designed to deal with clearing large quantities of test kits from ‘Designated Post Boxes’ in a simplified, safer way.

Collecting Coronavirus COVID-19 Sample Test Kits from a Post Box – Revised Process

• Collection staff will open the post box as per normal process and scan the barcode.
• Firstly, they’ll look to identify any COVID-19 sample kits in the box from either the purple address label or purple Covid 19 test kit label and the UN3373 mark on the back.
• When emptying post boxes they’ll visually check for any leaking packages and ifany are found they’ll follow the specific instructions in the SSoW.
• Each test kit is to be bagged in a secondary polythene bag to minimise any risk of contamination. This is done by turning the polythene bag inside out and pulling it over the test kit without contacting it with the hands. The SSoW has illustrations on this.  If staff find it easier they can wear gloves for this, but they are not essentialor required.
• The test kits are then placed in a T24 tray or in a mail bag and labelled ‘kits’. The tray/bag is then placed in the van so that they can be segregated and bagged easily when they reach the collection hub or mail centre/plant.
• If the post box is in a busy area for pedestrians or traffic or poorly lit and it would be safer etc., the collection staff, wearing gloves, can separate the test kits into a T24 tray, then take the tray to the van and over-bag them at the van.
• In cases where the post box is filled with significant volumes of test kits and where it’s not safe or practical, the collections staff can empty the post box into a separate mail bag as per a normal collection from a post box, label and isolate the bag and the test kits can then be segregated, re-bagged and labelled upon return to the collection hub or mail centre/plant, ready for the dedicated, onward despatch to the destination lab.
• The kits must be over-bagged before handing over to the next part of the pipeline and under no circumstances should a kit travel un-bagged to the tracked work area in a mail centre.
• All kits should be bagged at the earliest opportunity.
• Gloves should be disposed of in the rubbish bag and hands washed or cleaned with sanitising gel or disinfectant wipes.

Collecting COVID-19 Sample Kits from Home Collections 

• The customer will have taken their swab sample and assembled the packaging and wiped the outside of the outer packaging ready for collection.
• The collections staff member will knock on the door and move back at least 2 metres.
• Ask the customer to place the parcel outside the door, check with them that they have cleaned the outer packaging.
• When the door has closed collect the parcel.
• If the outer packaging is not correctly sealed or is damaged the sample should not be collected and the customer/owner advised to order a new test kit.
• The test kit will be over-bagged as described for pillar box collections.
• The item is scanned and placed in a tray or bag.
• Hand over the COVID-19 sample kits separately on arrival at the mail centre.
• If at any stage the collections members feel threatened or unsafe or in danger, they can walk away from the doorstep, leaving the test kit parcel. The Police (if required) can then be informed and the Security Helpdesk notified via the manager.

Attachments:

• New Covid-19/Coronavirus Test Kits – Reinforcing Safe Collections – Safety Leaflet and Poster:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 050/21 – Covid-19 Coronavirus Test Kits – Reinforcing Safe Collections – New Safety Leaflet and Poster

Test Kit bags one pager

Test Kit bags poster

HEART UNIONS WEEK – CWU MUGS – ALL PROFITS TO GMB STRIKE FUND

We have linked up with Pellacraft to produce three difference mug designs. Two replicate popular CWU tweets and one has a simple solidarity (or solidary-tea) message to the British Gas workers who are currently embroiled in a major dispute over the practise of fire and rehire.

Individual mugs can be purchased via this link https://www.cwu-shop.org/Solidaritea

Bulk orders can be made by contacting Pellacraft directly at sam@pellacraft.com

All profits from the sale of the mugs go directly to the GMB British Gas members strike fund.

We urge all branches to support this initiative and a group of workers who are standing up for themselves against an exploitative employer.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward
General Secretary

LTB 052 – HEART UNIONS WEEK – CWU MUGS – ALL PROFITS TO GMB STRIKE FUND

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

Further to LTB 011/2021 dated 8^th January 2021 at the close of nominations on the 9^th February 2021 the following were received:

AREA HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVESNorth/Scotland & Northern IrelandBallot RequiredPaul DevlinGlasgow & District Amal BranchMalcolm WoodsGreater Mersey & S W Lancs AmalCentral RegionMatthew BurchnallDoncaster & District Amal*ELECTEDSouth West RegionSimon WareingBristol & District Amal Branch*ELECTEDSouth East RegionNicola WilmerKent Invicta Branch*ELECTED

SUBSTITUTE AREA HEALTH & SAFETY REPRESENTATIVESNorth/Scotland & Northern IrelandBallot RequiredDavid AgnewNorthern Ireland Combined BranchPaul DevlinGlasgow & District Amal BranchCentral RegionNimisha VekariaSouth Midlands Postal Branch*ELECTEDSouth West RegionBallot RequiredGeoff BaggottPlymouth & East Cornwall BranchDarryl MorrellBournemouth & Dorset Amal BranchBarry ParkerSouth East No 5 BranchSouth East RegionAaron GreenRomford Amal Branch*ELECTED

The timetable for the ballots for the Area Health & Safety Representative in the North/Scotland and Northern Ireland Region and South West Region is as follows:

Ballot Papers Despatched:          16 February 2021

Ballot Close:                                     16 March 2021

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

21LTB048

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TUC DISABLED WORKERS CONFERENCE 2021 – REGISTRATION

This year the TUC Disabled Workers Conference will be held as a virtual conference.   The conference is scheduled to run from Wednesday 10^th March until Thursday 11^th March and registration to attend is open to all.   The timetable for the conference is as follows:

Wednesday 10^th March:

The unequal impact of Covid-19 on disabled workers 

Session         Conference debate

Time             14:00 to 16:10

Title              Organising against the unequal impact of covid-19 on disabled workers

Speakers       Frances O’Grady, General Secretary TUC

Dave Alan, Co-Chair of the TUC Disabled Workers Committee

Thursday 11 March: 

The role of trade unions in securing and enforcing Reasonable Adjustments 

Session         Panel Discussion

Time             12:00 to 13:30

Title              The role of visibility in tackling disability discrimination

Speakers       TBC

Session         Conference debate

Time             14:00 to 16:10

Title              The role of trade unions in securing and enforcing Reasonable Adjustments

Speakers       TBC

The CWU do have an involvement at the conference.  Those interested in attending the Disabled Workers Conference will need to pre-register.  Once registered, attendees will be sent regular updates containing conference documents and links to sign up for the individual sessions that will be running along with panel debates and fringe events.

Registration will be open until the day prior to the Conference, but attendees are encouraged to register before 25^th February 2021 to ensure that they receive all communications and have enough time to secure their place at any breakout sessions.

To obtain as high attendance as possible we encourage you to circulate this information to your members.   The link to register is as follows:

www.tuc.org.uk/TUCconferences

Any further enquiries with regards this please contact conferences@cwu.org or Angela Niven on 020 8971 7256.

Dave Ward
General Secretary

21LTB45 – TUC Disabled Workers Conference – Registration

NATIONAL PENSIONERS CONVENTION – LGBT WORKING GROUP

We have been approached by the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) to nominate a Retired Member to sit on their LGBT Working Group.

Accordingly, this LTB is to ask Branches that if they believe any of their LGBT Retired Members would like to sit on this working group that they please forward name, membership number and contact details to sdgs@cwu.org by Friday 19^th February.

The NPC LGBT Working Group is a new working party, set up after the 2019 Biennially Delegate Conference, to represent the interests of retired LGBT people both within the NPC and in wider society.  There are many challenges, much ignorance and outright prejudice – including issues with housing, isolation, loneliness, lack of understanding and respect for lifestyle choices that older LGBT people face.

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

21LTB044

Dear Colleagues,

KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK – THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT (PAY ARRANGEMENTS)

Further to LTB 38/21 which confirmed the ballot result and endorsement of the above agreement, following dialogue with the business, details of the implementation of the two pay awards are reproduced below.2020 – 2.7% Pay Award 

2.7% uplift of weekly paid employees to commence from 22^nd February 2021 and in February salaries for monthly paid employees. The uplift and arrears will be received at the same time by both weekly and monthly paid employees on pay date Friday 26^th February 2021. 

Colleagues will appreciate that the payroll team experience a very heavy workload at the start of April, including work related to the tax year end. In addition to this the 1% pay uplift coinciding with the Easter holidays has made it difficult to implement the weekly pay uplift from the start of April. The arrangements for this element of the pay award are detailed below.2021 – 1.0% Pay Award

The 1% uplift will be implemented from week commencing 26^th April 2021 for weekly paid employees. The revised pay rates and arrears will be in both monthly and weekly-paid employee’s pay packets on 30^th April 2021 (backdated to the start of April).

The pay review and arrears will not apply to any former employee who left employment prior to the date of communication of the negotiators’ agreement on 18^th December 2020.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 43/21 – KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT (PAY ARRANGEMENTS)

LTB 042 – TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12th February

No. 042/21

4 February 2021

TO: ALL BRANCHES

Dear Colleagues,

TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12^th February

The Annual TUC Heart Unions week will be held this year from 8-12^th February.

As part of this week of activity, each union has been asked to hold an online event. We have chosen to host National Follow the Union Day on Friday 12^th February.

This day will be used to highlight the details of the national unions social media channels and ask as many members as possibly to like and follow our accounts. In the coming days we will produce materials which will aid branches in promoting the event. We would also encourage branches to advertise and promote your own social media channels as part of this event.

Whilst, on the face of it, this event may not seem one of our more significant moments, it is absolutely critical that as we face serious issues with our employers and we seek to grow our influence in the wider movement, we have the greatest natural reach possible.

National Follow the Union Day will be backed by a number of high-profile figures across our movement who will share messages of support throughout the day.

We would also ask branches to use the day to promote the best of our union. With this in mind our hashtag for next Friday will be #CWUandProud – so we want videos, messages and graphics letting the whole movement know why you are so proud to be CWU.

Please support this event, grow our channels and play in key role in getting our messages out to members.

Kind regards

Dave Ward                    Chris Webb

General Secretary      Head of Communications                                          

LTB 042-21 – TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12th February

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INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOT – OPENREACH Ltd. REPAYMENT PROJECT ENGINEERS (RPE)

The industrial action ballot involving our Repayment Project Engineer members closed today.  I am delighted to publish the result in line with the required legislation.

• (a) number of ballot papers sent out – 170

• (b) votes cast in the ballot – 160

• (c) individuals answering “Yes” to the question, or as the case may be, to each question – 138

• (d) individuals answering “No” to the question, or, as the case may be, to each question – 22

• (e) spoiled voting papers – 0

• (f) Percentage of number of votes cast in line with the number of individuals entitled to vote in the ballot – 94%

This is an absolutely fantastic outcome and clearly shows the strength of feeling among the members impacted by the imposed changes.  Our RPE members have driven this campaign from the beginning until today in order to ensure that the RPE role remains as a team member grade.  This will undoubtedly continue and by acting as a collective we will deliver the outcome they set out to achieve.

The support given by reps, Branches, Regional Co-ordinators, the National Team and Executive has been invaluable and is appreciated by the members who have made their voice heard with this result.  This is not a CWU driven issue or campaign as has been suggested by the company.

The company must now reflect on this outcome and return to the negotiating table with a genuine desire to resolve this dispute by reaching an agreement that ensures the RPE role remains a team member grade.  The CWU is willing to meet the company as soon as possible in order to progress the discussions.  In the absence of a commitment to move forward on that basis then the appropriate notice and strike action will take place.

Branches will be kept up to date with progress and are asked to ensure they continue to support their members in the days and weeks ahead.

Any enquiries from Branches regarding this LTB should be referred to my office in the first instance.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Bowman

Assistant Secretary

039.2021