REDESIGN – HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING

The purpose of this LTB is to advise Branches that as part of Redesign and the ongoing reorganisation of CWU Headquarters, we are jointly developing a wider strategic role for Health, Safety and wellbeing within our Central Services team.

This will enable the union to develop a clearer forward agenda and have greater influence in Government, legal, societal and TUC developments in the field of health, safety & wellbeing.

Crucially, it will also provide the platform for consistent policy development, guidance and expertise being utilised across the whole union, in support of our industrial constituencies and our new Regional structures.

This more strategic approach in our Central Services team will also mean clearer defined responsibilities for day-to-day industrial health, safety & wellbeing work within the Industrial Executives.

Currently, we operate different approaches within the Postal and T&FS Constituencies and before the transition to the wider strategic role, we will be discussing with the DGS (P) and DGS (T&FS) the most consistent and effective way of undertaking our industrial health & safety work, whilst also harnessing the strengths of the overall union and the Central Services team, for the benefits of all members.

This type of approach has already been discussed with senior Health and Safety representatives and we will continue to take their valuable input as we begin the process of transition and the work will now commence to define the lines between strategic and industrial work, alongside better coordination between both.

As part of this, next week, we will hold a Zoom meeting for Health and Safety Representatives and Branches, where we can discuss the direction we are taking, as well as taking this opportunity for a wider discussion on the COVID19 pandemic and the approach the Government will be announcing on Sunday to ease the current lockdown.

Details on the date, time and how to access this Zoom meeting will be sent out in due course.

Any enquiries on the Redesign approach to the gsoffice@cwu.org, specific enquiries on Health, Safety & Wellbeing matters to djoyce@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary                                    

Dave Joyce – National Health, Safety and Environment Officer

20LTB246 REDESIGN – HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING

Deaf Awareness Week – Communications Department

Dear Colleagues,

As part of Deaf Awareness Week, the Communications Department have been taking the opportunity to reflect on the work we have done to make our communications as accessible as possible and, as a priority, what more we can do.

We take a lot of pride in the fact we were the first union to subtitle videos and use signers in live sessions. We now subtitle almost every recorded video that goes out on our channels.

We have, however faced challenges making sure our impromptu live sessions are as accessible as possible. We took the step some months ago, of transcribing each session shortly after they closed and this has worked well.

We have now agreed the following additional measures;

• A specific signer has agreed to work with us on as many of our live sessions as possible.
• We are working with the Equality and Education Department and Development Department to investigate the possibility of training CWU HQ staff as signers.
• We are looking into new technology which will make our communications even more accessible.
• We have updated the accessibility page of the CWU website.

This week we have produced two videos for Deaf Awareness Week:

We are pleased to share some progress we have made in auto captioning tools our deaf members can use to live caption any sessions (live or recorded) we are holding;

1. Android phone users https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.audio.hearing.visualization.accessibility.scribe&hl=en_GB

1. Web browser software https://webcaptioner.com/

We ask that Branches ensure the full content of this LTB is shared with reps and members locally so awareness of these tools is shared as widely as possible.

We hope Branches will be able to recognise the work that has gone into making our communications available to as many of our members as possible. In the same spirit we recognise that work must continue.

Kind regards

Chris Webb
Head of Communications, Engagement and Media

Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay Claims) Against Royal Mail Group Limited

Further to LTB 112/20 circulated on 9^th March 2020, I am writing to provide Branches with an update on average pay on leave (holiday pay) in Royal Mail Group, both in terms of ongoing dialogue with management and the status of Employment Tribunal claims.

At a meeting on 17^th March 2020 the Postal Executive rejected a further closed offer from Royal Mail Group to settle the long-standing issue of average pay on leave. This closed offer had been tabled by a manager who was not present at the previous talks and contained a formula for calculating the regularity of holiday pay that was against certain national agreements and would have disadvantaged many members.

On 19^th March 2020 further correspondence was received from Royal Mail Group in which management questioned the use of a 52 week reference period (as outlined in LTB 112/20) and claimed that it was confusing and misleading. The LTB in question had been circulated following legal advice but for the sake of completeness the Department sought further legal opinion.

Unionline has now supplied a further judgement which supports the position of the union in relation to the use of a 52 week reference period and not that of Royal Mail Group. In part of their correspondence the solicitor from Unionline states the following “If Royal Mail say differently about what the reference period is then they should be asked for the legal basis of it. I could not find one”.

In light of this I have written to Royal Mail Group and made clear the relevant points about the 52 week reference period and also confirmed that the last closed offer received has been rejected but that we remain open to further talks.

Branches should however be aware that over the past six weeks there have been developments in relation to the Employment Tribunal submissions. These are reported below:

England and Wales

A preliminary hearing was held by telephone on 27^thMarch 2020. The legal representatives have agreed the clauses below, meaning that those who have already submitted ET claims will be able to have additional periods of annual leave added to their existing case without needing to submit an additional ET1:

• For all claimants who have already lodged claims in this multiple, additional claims of for subsequent periods of underpaid holiday pay are to be added by way of automatic amendment without the need to submit individual applications to amend.
• In respect of claims not yet lodged, once lodged, the same principle shall apply until determination of the multiple, i.e. that any additional subsequent periods of alleged underpaid holiday pay shall be added automatically   without the need for further application to amend.

Unionline has informed the Department that they are hoping to hear from the Tribunal in the near future in relation to whether these words are acceptable and following this will also provide an updated newsletter. Those who do not yet have a live case will however still need to follow the previous process starting with ACAS and submit a new claim. The Regional Employment Judge (REJ) will then decide if such submissions form part of the multiple claim.  This request was previously notified to Postal Executive members so that they could relay this on their Divisional calls with Branches, but it is worth repeating.

Importantly Branches must note that the REJ has also requested that CWU claimants use a standard claim form going forward and identify themselves as CWU claimants by listing the CWU as their representative. Claimants are also asked not to phone the ET for an update on their particular claim. 

In terms of timescales going forward, the parties have until 30^th September 2020 to identify potential lead claimants. It is envisaged this may be around 30 in number that will then be whittled down to a final 10. Royal Mail Group are not required to file an ET3 pending the identification of lead claimants.

A date of 5^th October 2020 has then been set for a further preliminary hearing to identify the lead cases, when the ET3 is to be filed, listed and further directions given.

SCOTLAND 

Branches will recall that all employment tribunal claims in Scotland were originally sisted until 20^th April 2020. This was then extended by just over a week to 28^th April 2020.

Following an update from Unionline in Scotland, unfortunately the position is that all Tribunal hearings scheduled to take place from the middle of March until 30^th June 2020 have now been cancelled.  These claims will be prioritised when the Tribunal list in person hearings again.

In the telephone case management discussions involving the respective parties, in order to reschedule cancelled hearings the Tribunal has advised that these Employment Tribunal cases will now be listed for a final hearing through January 2021 until March 2021.

The cases are of course safely in the system and it is possible that the timeframe for final hearings will be reduced. However, rather than raise expectations, at the time of writing we have to work on the assumption that there is likely to be a significant delay in arranging a final hearing.  Unionline will be writing to the Tribunal this week to request that a telephone case management be arranged so that cases can start to be progressed.

NORTHERN IRELAND

The situation in Northern Ireland remains unchanged at present, with all cases awaiting the outcome of the case involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Branches will appreciate that the COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly resulted in the timescales for the Employment Tribunals and the associated hearings being deferred. Whilst this is disappointing it will hopefully allow more time for talks with the business.

It is also important that Branches continue the previous good work in terms of maximising the number of claims and the Department will ensure that further updates are circulated as and when they become available.

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 243/20 – Average Pay on Annual Leave (Holiday Pay Claims) Against Royal Mail Group Limited

COVID–19 Test Kits Initiatives Update

Branches and representatives will be aware that Covid-19 testing services are now being made available via different access points. In this regard the CWU has been engaging with RMG on a cross departmental basis, to ensure that the services that are being provided for key workers, through various initiatives on behalf of the Government/NHS, are collected and processed quickly and safely.

Attached for information at Annex A is a Joint Communication, which provides an update in respect of the current status of the Covid-19 testing initiatives.

As detailed in the attached update colleagues will note that one of the initiatives being provided by Royal Mail on behalf of the Government/NHS is a Home Collection service. Currently the Royal Mail owned eCourier service are collecting Covid-19 Test Kits from home addresses and delivering them to Mail Centres, for onward processing and delivery by Royal Mail to laboratories.

Due to the expanding demand for Home Collection test kits consideration is being given to the introduction of the collection element by Royal Mail employees, as eCourier have limited capacity to provide the service. Discussions have therefore been taking place with the business in this regard and pilot activity has been agreed to be undertaken in the TR area. The pilot agreement is included at Annex B. Branches and representatives will be kept updated in relation to the pilot and in regard to the operational arrangements for the deployment of the service on a wider basis going forward.

The Safe Systems of Work for the home collection of these items is also attached as below:

Annex C: Delivery & Collection Service
Annex D: Doorstep Collection Service

Equally, as demand for the Home Collection service increases additional Mail Centres/RDC’s will be coming on line and utilising the Tracked Returns process. Attached for assistance are the relevant SSoW and Standard Operating Procedures for the Processing function:

Annex E: SSOW Processing
Annex F: CV2 Outward Primary Sort RM Tracked
Annex G: CV3 Process and Scan Tracked Returns 24 Covid19 Test Packs 
Annex H: CV4 Delivery to Covid19 Test Pack Lab

We appreciate that members will have concerns in relation to the handling of the test kits and we believe that every effort has been made to ensure that maximum protections are being provided. However, all activity relating to testing initiatives will continued to be monitored at National level.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:

Processing & Area Distribution: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 014.14

Delivery & Collections: Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference 600

Health & Safety: Ray Ellis, Acting Head of Health & Safety, quoting reference E1/20. 

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson 
Assistant Secretary

Mark Baulch 
Assistant Secretary

Ray Ellis
Acting Head of Health & Safety

LTB 242/20
Annex A – Joint Communication Test Kits – 05.05.20
Annex B – COVID Home Collection_TR Document_Final
Annex C – COVID 19 Test Kit SSOW Deliveries and Collections
Annex D – COVID 19 Test Kit SSOW Doorstep Collections
Annex E- COVID 19 Test Kit SSOW Processing
Annex F – CV2 Outward Primary Sort RM Tracked
Annex G – CV3 Process and Scan Tracked Returns 24 Covid19 Test Packs
Annex H- CV4 Delivery to Covid19 Test Pack Lab

A couple of videos for branches to share on Deaf Awareness Week

Further Updated Guidance on Assistance available to Members and their Dependants during the COVID-19 Crisis

Further to LTB 221/20, attached for the information of Branches is another fully updated document from the Research Department illustrating the latest guidance on the various assistance measures put in place to support individuals and their dependants during the current COVID-19 crisis.

Branches should note that the revised text is again highlighted in red on the attached Report for ease of reference.

I am optimistic that the attached amended information will provide a useful reference point to Branches and Representatives in continuing to assist our members and families however Branches should note that the information contained within this LTB is for guidance only, as qualification for any form of assistance is dependent on individual(s) circumstances.

The Department will continue to liaise with the Research Department to ensure that further guidance on assistance and additional updates are circulated as they become available during the current crisis.

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)                

20LTB221 Updated Guidance on Assistance available to Members and their Dependants during the Covid-19 Crisis

LTB 221.20 ATTACHMENT 1

Temporary USO Changes – Operational Guidelines

Further to LTB 238/20 published this afternoon on the commitments secured around the temporary changes to the USO regarding the non-delivery of letters on a Saturday until the 13th of June, for the information of Branches and Representatives, attached are the operational Guidelines agreed with the business.

Building on the commitments contained within the correspondence included in LTB 238/20 these guidelines clarify the safeguards and the process for discussions and should be used to guide local engagement on any proposed changes.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference: 230.03.

or

Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 014.14.

Yours sincerely

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary 

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary 

LTB 239.20 – Temporary USO Changes – Operational Guidelines

Final – Operational Guidelines -Interim Changes to Delivery and Saturday Parcels Services 1 May 2020

Quadrant Furlough

The department were recently informed by Quadrant Catering that, in line with the policy of Compass Group, due to impact that the Covid-19 crisis has had on footfall and revenue in Quadrant Canteens that they intended to Furlough in the region of 80 frontline employees.

The department immediately sought legal advice on the proposal and engaged with the company to ensure that any Furlough arrangements fully protected the affected membership and ensured continuity of service at our Quadrant units. In doing so, we have sought to address potential issues that may be created by the activity and through discussions persuaded Quadrant to apply an equitable process.

Arrangements were concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive earlier this week and the department were awaiting confirmation from the business on the timing of their comms to ensure that the respective communications were coordinated. Unfortunately, we understand that the business progressed local briefings prior to the National notification, which is regrettable.

To ensure that no individual is considered surplus, at affected sites Furlough will be enacted on a rotational basis. Quadrant have informed us that they have produced a rota, which will be communicated verbally to all affected units today. This will be followed by individual letters being sent out to affected employees next week.

Quadrant will Furlough each of the affected employees on a rotational 4 week period commencing Monday 4th May 2020.

The Furlough would only apply to units:

1) Where all employees in a unit can be furloughed
2) Where current levels of sickness allow
3) Where there had been the ability to produce a rota to accommodate Furlough
4) Where RMG have decided to close the sites e.g. Call Centres (yet to be confirmed by RMG) 4) Where there has been a significant sales decline

If RMG decide to close the Call Centres all staff will be furloughed in those sites for a period of 8 weeks.

The Furlough will take place in two tranches of 40 employees. However, should Call Centres be closed the numbers being Furloughed will be 100 and this will increase the two tranches to 50 employees. . The catering units where staff are Furloughed will still provide the takeaway service, as is currently available.

In respect of Furlough pay Quadrant have confirmed that they will top up the Government 80% by 20% in order that all affected employees receive their usual basic pay. The business has also confirmed that affected individuals will continue to be entitled to all of the non-discretionary benefits of their contract, and annual leave will continue to accrue in the usual way. It is expected that individuals will return to work on their current terms of employment at the end of the Furlough period (or before if the situation changes) and there will be no break in service.

In respect of 12 week shielded employees who can produce a Government/NHS letter, these will also be Furloughed on the terms above. Quadrant will be making contact with those affected on an individual basis.

In addition to the above the department made representation that due to the need to fulfil operational requirements there will be some Quadrant employees who will remain at work throughout the Covid- 19 crisis. Following discussion it has been agreed that there should be some recognition for the work that these individuals will continue to perform in what are very difficult and exceptional circumstances. Therefore employees who are not Furloughed will receive 1 days additional leave (for this year only) to be taken in line with usual leave authorisation protocols.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference 014.14

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 236/20

Deaf Awareness Week 4th – 8th May 2020

We are pleased to announce that Deaf Awareness Week (DAW) commences next Monday on 4th May and will run throughout the week.

We have been working closely with our NEC Lead for Disability, Mark Anthony Bastiani and our Regional Disability Lead for the South West – Lee Starr-Elliott, who have both been pivotal in assisting us to prepare the vlog resources that are going to be released during Deaf Awareness Week. Our appreciation is extended to our Communications, Engagement and Media Department.

We would ask all our Regional Disability Leads to play an active role in circulating as many resources around deaf awareness during DAW.

Any queries on this LTB should be directed to Equality&Education@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development 

20LTB 235 – Deaf Awareness Week 4-8 May 2020