Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 27 July-August 2020
The Greener Jobs Alliance was launched to promote skills training and job creation to meet the needs of Britain’s rapidly growing low carbon sectors and to green the whole economy. The transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy can drive sustainable economic recovery and job creation in every part of the country as well as making existing jobs more secure. But this requires a more strategic national and local approach to deliver the workforce skills needed and to stimulate demand for clean energy and energy efficiency services.
The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises at a national and local level to build the broadest possible support for the policies, investment, partnerships and commitments needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.
The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises with training bodies, colleges, universities, employers, local and national government, trade unions, housing associations, campaign and community groups – to build the policies, investment and partnerships needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.
The GJA runs a number of ‘free’ courses on the environment for Trade Union Reps in different parts of the UK which have been attended by a number of CWU Reps.
The GJA came into existence as a result of funding from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC.
The GJA Newsletter editor is Graham Petersen, also the GJA Secretary. Graham is well known to the CWU and has a long standing working relationship with the Union. He is a former TUC Tutor and Course Designer who created Safety Reps training courses. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post.
Newsletter 27 examines the detail of the Government’s claims to be supporting a Green Recovery and provides updates on a range of union/workplace climate initiatives.
Contents:
Editorial
July Budget: peanuts for ‘green recovery’
GJA demands action on green skills
‘A million new jobs needed’, TUC
No-deal Brexit threat to manufacturing
Give our young people and the planet hope – Unite
Unions call for ‘Retraining Revolution’
Canadian unions demand Green Youth Job Guarantee
COVID-19: Unions demand WHO action on airborne spread of virus
Just Transitions: ‘one concept, different meanings’
Taking place on 1 August, World Lung Cancer Day raises awareness about lung cancer and its global impact. The day aims to create an educational movement of understanding lung cancer risks as well as early treatment around the world.
Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Around 47,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK. It’s estimated that lung cancer accounts for nearly one in five cancer deaths globally. In 2012, there were 1.8 million newly diagnosed cases of this disease alone.
Lung cancer is also one of the most common work-related cancers, caused by exposure to dangerous carcinogens such as asbestos, silica dust and diesel fumes. However, it can be prevented by putting in place measures to control exposure at work.
IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety & Health) is calling for support for World Lung Cancer Day and is encouraging everyone to use their ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign resources to help raise awareness of how to protect people from this deadly disease. Further IOSH information and resources are at:- https://www.notimetolose.org.uk/world-lung-cancer-day-2020/
In support of World Lung Cancer Day, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), calls for more awareness and understanding of lung cancer risk factors, as well as the importance of early screening and treatment. See attached ‘FIRS’ Fact Sheet.
Lung cancer is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 cancer deaths according to the World Health Organization. While lung cancer and breast cancer are diagnosed at the same rate (11.6 percent), lung cancer kills more people yearly than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer mortality is projected to reach 2.45 million by 2030, a 39 percent increase in just over a decade.
While most understand that smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer at 80 percent of all cases, other lesser known risk factors include the environment and genetics. Environmental exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium and uranium has been linked to lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer also increases with a history of cancer in another part of the body, age, family history, radiation to the chest area and lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Access to screening options and education is vital for early detection and treatment. Low-income countries, where survival rates are significantly below the average, report only a 15 percent availability of treatment through public health systems. More that 90 percent of high-income countries report vital access to care.
Lung cancer symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain, coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used to diagnose lung cancer include chest x-rays, CT and PET scans, bronchoscopy and needle biopsies. If you are a current or former smoker and over the age of 55, you may be a candidate for a low-dose CT scan screening that can potentially detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.
Identifying symptoms:
Identifying symptoms early can mean that treatment is more effective. Warning signs to look out for include:
a persistent cough
a cough you have had for a while that gets worse
breathlessness
coughing up phlegm with traces of blood
an ache or pain in the chest or shoulder
loss of appetite or unexpected weight loss
tiredness
Lung Cancer Facts:
The most frequently diagnosed cancer is lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer at 1.74 million (18.4 percent).
Lung cancer deaths exceed breast cancer mortality for women in 28 countries.
Lung cancer mortality is projected to reach 2.45 million worldwide by 2030, a 39 percent increase since 2018.
About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are as a result of smoking tobacco.
Smokers exposed to other known risk factors such as radon and asbestos are at an even higher risk.
For men, lung cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, it is third for women.
Prevention of lung cancer:
Over 80% of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking and other risk factors are air pollution, workplace exposure to Asbestos, Silica and diesel engine exhaust fumes and ionising radiation. Stopping people being exposed to these risk factors can help to prevent lung cancer.
The NHS Prevention – lung cancer advice is as follows:
Smoking
If you smoke, the best way to prevent lung cancer and other serious conditions is to stop smoking as soon as possible. However long you have been smoking, it’s always worth quitting. Every year you do not smoke decreases your risk of getting serious illnesses, such as lung cancer. After 10 years of not smoking, your chances of developing lung cancer falls to half that of someone who smokes. “NHS Smokefree” can offer advice and support to help people quit smoking. Call 0300 123 1044, or visit the website. A GP or pharmacist can also give advice about stopping smoking.
A balanced diet
Research suggests that eating a low-fat, high-fibre diet, including at least 5 portions a day of fresh fruit and vegetables and plenty of wholegrains, can reduce the risk of lung cancer, as well as other types of cancer and heart disease.
Exercise
There’s strong evidence to suggest that regular exercise can lower the risk of developing lung cancer and other types of cancer. Most adults are recommended to do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, plus strength-training exercises on at least 2 days each week.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
ROYAL MAIL: TRAFFIC TRANSFORMATION – PRODUCTION DEMAND SUPPORT ROLES – JOINT STATEMENT
Further to LTB 363/20 dated 14th July and the associated Joint Statement regarding the resultant changes created by the switchover on 29th June to the new Traffic Transformation solution.
We held a productive joint conference call with Royal Mail management and the impacted LA grade Product Demand Support members on Friday 17th July and the preference forms were subsequently distributed. An agreed set of Q&As (attached to this LTB) arising from the call and from emails received has been sent to the members.
A further conference call was held with management earlier today and the feedback was there has been a good response to the preference exercise, although there are still 10 days remaining until the closing date of Friday 7th August. Branches and Representatives are encouraged to engage with members to ensure they have everything they need in terms of information to enable them to complete and return the preference forms.
The following Joint Statement has been published today:
Joint Statement between Royal Mail and the CWU regarding the preference exercise for the Production Demand support roles
Further to our previous Joint Statement on the 14th July 2020, Royal Mail (RM) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) held a joint conference call with all impacted people on the 17th July 2020 to give people the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts. Thank you to everyone who attended the call and asked questions. We have communicated a further frequently asked questions document which contains the additional questions asked on the call.
A preference exercise commenced on 17th July 2020 for all LAs performing the Production Demand Support role who are in the affected population. To date we have had circa 60% of responses to the preference exercise. There is only one week left for the people outstanding to complete the online preference form so please remember to set aside some time to complete this before the closing date on Friday 7th August 2020.
We wish to reassure you, as with any changes that impact upon people, our discussions align fully with existing agreements, particularly Managing the Surplus Framework (MtSF). MtSF is the agreement between Royal Mail and CWU that covers the policy and approach for dealing with surplus situations, redeployment and redundancy terms including selection criteria. The overarching objective is to deliver change without recourse to compulsory redundancy, in line with MtSF.
We understand this situation may be unsettling for some and we are fully committed to jointly providing support to all our colleagues who will be affected by the changes over the coming weeks. You can continue to ask questions by emailing traffic.transformation@royalmail.com
Tony Lewis Andy Furey National Process Performance Leader CWU Assistant Secretary
Branches are urged to bring this JS and the associated activities to the attention of our LA members on Production Demand Support. I am both pleased and satisfied that this activity is being conducted fully in line with the MtSF agreement. Further developments will be reported.
RE: CORONAVIRUS – COVID-19 GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT – SPAIN
Branches will be aware the Government abruptly announced a 14 day self-isolation period for anyone returning from Spain, the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands over the weekend.
We contacted Royal Mail yesterday morning and have since seen the communication published by Royal Mail yesterday which can be seen in Appendix A.
I have formally written to Royal Mail last night requesting a meeting to discuss the Government announcement and their policy.
Whilst I acknowledge the announcement will have caught everyone by surprise and the Government have a lot to answer for in the way this has been handled, I do not believe Royal Mail’s response is taking into account the circumstances some of our members have found themselves in.
The policy of taking annual leave or unpaid leave is actually against the Government advice. The Government have stated they are relying on the goodwill of employers.
When making the announcement, quotes from the Government include:
“No worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised by employers.”
“If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they should, they can’t have penalties taken against them.”
“No employee should be penalised for following the rules and self-isolating.”
The irony will not be lost on our members if Royal Mail attempt to invoke the Government guidance on self-isolation and then do not follow the rest of the advice where employees should not be penalised.
We have also made Royal Mail aware in previous discussions and correspondence, some of our members cannot afford to take time off unpaid and will be forced to go to work, when they should be self-isolating.
There is a huge risk to other members if an employee feels they cannot afford to take unpaid leave and have to take the chance of coming to work, even if that means potentially spreading the virus and infecting other members within their office. Should this happen, Royal Mail will end up paying them and all of their colleagues sick pay, plus there will obviously be a disruption to the service.
Throughout the pandemic Royal Mail have continually told employees to follow Government advice. Their latest policy will be telling you to follow Government advice on self-isolation, however, Royal Mail will not be following the same advice and will end up penalising members who had no notice of the Government decision which requires members to self-isolate for 14 days on returning from Spain.
I have requested a meeting with the aim of discussing a mutually beneficial resolution.
We will keep members updated on any developments.
All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 420. Email address: khay@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Carl Maden Assistant Secretary (Acting) PTCS Department
POST OFFICE: POST OFFICE PENSION PLAN (DC SCHEME) – FOLLOW UP TO ONLINE SEMINARS
Further to LTB 347/20 dated 30th June 2020. Branches are advised that the two online pensions seminars took place as planned on 8th and 15th July regarding the Post Office Pension Plan (Defined Contribution scheme) in conjunction with the provider, Scottish Widows. I am pleased with the high numbers of participants on these online sessions and no doubt we will be working with the Post Office to organise similar events for the future. A further Joint Statement has been published today and is reproduced below:
Joint Statement from CWU, Post Office and Unite Post Office Pension Plan (Defined Contribution) – Scottish Widows – Online Seminar
Dear Colleague,
Thank you to those who were able to join the Scottish Widows defined contribution pension online seminars on either 8th or 15th July. We do of course appreciate that it wouldn’t have been practical for many people, particularly those who are customer-facing to have watched the seminar live.
With this position in mind, we are pleased the sessions were well attended and that hundreds of you were able to join either via phone or Webex. We hope you found the presentation both informative and helpful.
For those who were unable to join, or were only able to dial in, a link to the recording from the second session on 15th is as follows:
The full duration is 53mins with the main presentation ending at 36 minutes, followed by the Q&A.
A “One Update” was published yesterday containing the slides from the online seminars and the Q&A from the combined sessions (grouped by themes for ease of reading).
This activity is part of our ongoing commitment to you to raise awareness and knowledge of an important benefit. If you have any ideas or suggestions for further engagement, let us know.
If you have any questions about this communication please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Post Office Reward Team at RewardTeam@postoffice.co.uk or your Union representative.
Yours sincerely,
Maxine Cross Phil Savage Andy Furey Head of Reward Unite the Union Assistant Secretary Post Office CWU
Branches and Representatives are asked to bring this matter to the attention of our Post Office members and encourage them to watch the recording of the seminar and review the Q&As if they were unable to join the previous events.
Statement from Coronavirus RM team we have just received on anyone caught up with the Spain holiday issue.
A group comms update comes out tomorrow but we have just received confirmation that employees affected by the new isolation rules the absence should be taken as either annual leave or unpaid leave in cases that they cannot work from home.
The Government now advises “against all but essential travel to mainland Spain” (excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands) and has announced they will not hesitate to do this again for any country. Therefore, all future announcements for Spain or other countries will be treated in line with the current policy noted above. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave remains. Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken.
If they do not have any coronavirus symptoms after the 14 days, they can stop self-isolating and return to work.
If you or any member of your team is concerned about the financial impact of their absence, the Rowland Hill Fund may be able to help. The Fund can be contacted at rhfhelpline@royalmail.com.
Please be aware of the risks associated with travel for the foreseeable future. Travel and quarantine advice can change quickly. This could mean:
Travel to your planned holiday destination is prevented before you travel. You need to quarantine/self-isolate on return at short notice. Hotels or towns are put into lockdown, impacting your ability to return to the UK on your scheduled date. We will continue to monitor the Government and public health advice and communicate where required.
Proportionality and Representation – A New Direction
The purpose of this LTB is to update you on the new direction of moving proportionality and representation forward within the CWU.
Attached is a copy of the Proportionality and Representation report carried out for the GS Department by Katie Dunning.
The report includes data gathered between 2013 and 2019 and sets out the make-up of our membership and our activist base, specifically looking at Sex, Ethnic background, age and regional trends. We have also looked in more depth at part time workers, representatives who hold multiple roles in the union and participation trends for training and educational courses.
The data that has been used is from our membership database which is provided by members and branches as such it is the most detailed information available but cannot claim to be one hundred percent accurate or complete.
Moving forward we want to work closely with our regional structures to update this document so that it reflects how we look as a union but also assists in measuring any future proportionality work whilst setting clear objectives.
In 2019 conference agreed a number of significant changes to our representative structures and to our overall approach on equality work. The rationale for change was to break down silo working and bring our equality work into the mainstream structures of the union. Although we are still in the early transition of change this new model will raise the profile of our equality work and includes four new NEC seats and four executive seats (Women, BAME, LGBT+ and Disability) in each CWU Region.
In 2014 and 2015 a number of new policies were adopted to address the challenges of achieving proportionality and representation, however the new equality structures now in place have meant that some of the policies adopted in previous years have now become invalid.
The attached paper which has been fully endorsed by the NEC builds on some existing policy providing a framework and a new direction on how the CWU will strive to achieve proportionality and representation. The document has been broken into three separate tables to illustrate existing policy, strategy based on the principles of existing policy and new strategy.
A meeting has been scheduled on the 4th August with the Assistant Regional Secretaries and Regional Equality leads to discuss the attached framework and to set in place the next steps.
This will then be followed with a Branch online Q&A session on the 5th August at 15:00 which will include the General Secretary, further details to follow.
Any queries on this LTB should be directed to equality&education@cwu.org
Yours sincerely,
Kate Hudson Head of Equality, Education & Development
Royal Mail and CWU National Joint Statement – Consumer Collections Pilot and National Deployment
Further to LTB 331/20 which was focused on introducing the training plan for the introduction of Consumer Collections, the Department have now concluded a National Joint Statement for the initial pilot and rollout of the service and product.
As Branches will no doubt be aware there is undoubtedly a demand from online retailers and marketplace sellers to have a doorstep collection service for returns and outbound parcels. This growth in the market is being targeted by Royal Mails competitors, and therefore in order that Royal Mail can compete in the parcels market there is a need to provide a doorstep collection service for customers.
Customers will be able to book a collection on the Tracked Returns Portal; via retailer’s websites; on the Click & Drop shipping system; or on Royal Mail’s app. These items will be collected by the delivery staff who are in the vicinity or attending sites for deliveries.
The Joint Statement issued in June 2020 – LTB 331/20 set out the training plan, as below:
• Work Place Coach (WPC) training sessions to commence on 6th July and finish by the 7th August 2020.
• WPCs to cascade training to frontline OPG’s from 13th July and conclude by 9th October 2020.
Part of the agreed training plan was on the basis that Customers will be able to book a collection on the Tracked Returns Portal; via retailer’s websites; on the Click & Drop shipping system; or on Royal Mail’s app. These items will be collected by OPG’s who are in the vicinity or attending sites for deliveries. The service will be limited to no more than 5 addresses per day/delivery route Monday – Saturday, and items restricted to a maximum of 20kg and size.
Pilot and National Deployment Plan
We have now Jointly agreed with Royal Mail the deployment approach and timescales which are outlined below: –
CWU and Royal Mail via the Local Joint Working Group jointly conduct a pilot in West of England Area over a 4-week period;
• Pilot in the Bristol Operations Manager area – 21st September to 2nd October;
• Expand pilot to the remaining units in the West of England Service Delivery Leader area – 5th October to 16th October.
• Targeted National Launch – 19th October
The Joint Statement reaffirms that Health & Safety is of paramount importance and that the necessary SSOW will be put in place and that all issues arising in this respect will be proper to the relevant RM safety experts and the CWU National Health & Safety Department.
In addition, Branches will note that the Joint Statement also confirms that Royal Mail and the CWU will jointly review progress against the set criteria during the pilot phase including a study involving Industrial Engineers in order to determine and establish the correct time identified for the tasks involved. All data/information generated from the deployment will be shared with the CWU at a National level to assist with further discussions regarding future revision activity and Resourcing to Workload, along with the accuracy of traffic forecasting.
We will also Jointly review the pilot in order to resolve any issues highlighted arising from it and in order to jointly confirm the roll out timescales for National deployment which is targeted to commence on the 19th October.
Any queries to the content of the above please contact the Outdoor Department reference 532, email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.
We Can’t Breathe: Sporting legends and MPS back charity’s BLM campaign to end racism
SPORTS stars and MPS have come together to back a new Black Lives Matter campaign from anti-racism educational charity, Show Racism the Red Card.
This Friday (July 24) Show Racism the Red Card is launching a new video, ‘We Can’t Breathe’, to coincide with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The video which is being made available on YouTube, shows how the eight minutes surrounding George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis back in May went on to create a global reckoning.
It explores the horrifying murder and the resulting aftermath, including details of the protests which have since taken place all around the world in what can be described as the biggest civil rights movement in recent history.
Several sports stars and MPs such as David Lammy, Douglas Ross, Zarah Sultana, Shaka Hislop, Colin Charvis as well as Premier League host Manish Bhasin, are also supporting the campaign, to ensure conversation around the issue does not die down.
Appearing in the video, David Lammy, Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “You assume and hope and pray that at some point the officer might take his knee of his neck and then you watch this man die. But the truth is, I’ve seen these images before, I know that apprehension that comes in my stomach because I’ve felt it before. It wasn’t a shock but it was a revulsion.”
Douglas Ross, Tory MP, added: “He was pleading for his life, he was making it so clear that he couldn’t breathe. The point that really struck me was when the pain was moving through his body – his stomach was hurting, his neck was hurting. He was promising to comply with what was being asked for but wasn’t given that opportunity. while he was still conscious and able to make that plea, those pleas were ignored and those who were witnessing this were also trying to act on his behalf and pleading for his concerns and for him to be listened to. Sadly we witnessed a life being lost which never should have been lost.”
Former Newcastle United and Trinidad and Tobago International, Shaka Hislop, commented: “The experiences [in the George Floyd video] live out in real time and they weigh heavy. We took the decision, despite the pandemic, to go into battle in the nearest city where we live and join the Black Lives Matter march.”
Shocking figures show that black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be shot and killed by police. And in the UK during lockdown, London’s metropolitan police carried out 22,000 stop and searches on young black men – which is the equivalent to one in every eight young black men in London.
Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, added: “It’s scandalous that the leading cause of death for young black Americans is at the hands of the police so I absolutely and unequivocally support those who have taken to the streets and said enough is enough.”
Mr Ross added: “There is more of an emphasis now, there is a bigger lock in of people who maybe weren’t that connected with the campaign in the past, or had a passing interest. But now it’s right at the top of the social and political agenda.”
And Humza Yousaf, from the Scottish National Party, commented: “The police have to be willing to engage with the public, putting up defensive walls is the worst thing any police force can do. They have to acknowledge where there is an issue and then they need to rectify.”
He adds: “I see people talking about race now in a way that it has never been talked about before. People want to be educated about it and make a tangible difference. This is definitely a game changing moment.”
Zarah Sultana and Wales rugby national, Colin Charvis agree that education is key.
Ms Sultana commented: “We know that racism isn’t something that people are born with, it is something that is very much learnt. We know the power of education that can transform lives. We need to make sure that in our curriculum people are equipped for conversations around race.”
And Colin Charvis added: “Principally to drive this ambition for a fair and equal society, if it is driven from below, if our children, our educators, our adults are all beating the same drum when it comes to the anti-racism principles, that is a step forward. We can change and grow as individuals.”
Show Racism the Red Card which was established in January 1996 and is dedicated to combating racism in society through education. It utilises the high-profile status of football and football players to publicise its message and has a 24-year record of producing high quality educational films to combat racism in society.
Ged Grebby, Chief Executive at Show Racism the Red Card, said: “We are dedicated to tackling racism and promoting change in society through education. With this short film, we’re hoping we can again contribute to a discussion around combating rife racism in society.
“However more still needs to be done. As the recent events over the past couple of months show, racism is still very much alive around the world, and we stand alongside all those who are protesting against it.”
Tosca Fairchild, Chair of Show Racism the Red Card and Assistant Chief Executive Officer of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, added: “Racism persists in society, in the workplace and in our education systems and targeted assaults on someone based on the colour of their skin are all too common across the world – including at home here, in the UK.
“Show Racism the Red Card has existed for nearly 25 years, with the aim of combating racism in society through the production of high-quality educational resources. We believe that racism in society can be fought by challenging misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes and we continue to deliver educational sessions to more than 50,000 individuals per year at schools, workplaces and events.
“We hope that together we can at least ensure that the spotlight cast on this pervasive issue by George’s tragic loss of life is not in vain, and that we can affect some positive change.”
The video will be available to view on Show Racism the Red Card’s YouTube channel from Friday 24 July at 12pm.
CWU Submission to Low Pay Commission on National Minimum Wage 2020
The CWU has made the attached submission to the Low Pay Commission on the National Minimum Wage, which was endorsed by the NEC today.
The CWU’s submission highlights that our low paid members are key workers, and the coronavirus crisis has exposed the prevalence of low pay amongst workers who perform essential roles in our society.
The submission includes evidence from a survey of our members on low pay which CWU Branches helped to promote amongst members in May this year. We’re grateful for the assistance of Branches on this which helped generate over 500 responses to the survey from a group of around 3,000 members who were asked to participate. The survey showed that 89 per cent of respondents earning the real living wage or less said they felt they were paid unfairly and 69 per cent said their pay did not cover all of their outgoings.
The submission calls for a rise in the minimum wage to £10 per hour nationally and the rate of a real living wage in London as soon as possible. We also call for the abolition of age-related pay rates and the introduction of one minimum rate of pay for all workers regardless of their age, in line with CWU General Conference policy.
An article has been posted about this on the CWU website today at the following link, which also includes a link to the submission:
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 