An update from Davie Robertson on Parcelforce mediation and a last minute reminder to VOTE #WeRiseAgain
A FAREWELL FROM THE DAC
A FAREWELL FROM THE DAC
Branches will be aware that we have now begun the process of moving into our new equality structures. The CWU acknowledges the role played by the four Advisory Committees previously administered by my department.
The attached booklet further acknowledges the role of the DAC and is a formal way for this Advisory Committee to say goodbye.
Any queries on this LTB should be directed to Fevzi Hussein fhussein@cwu.org in the first instance.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development
It’s World Mental Health Day. Please take 40 seconds today to ask someone if they are ok.
It’s World Mental Health Day. Please take 40 seconds today to ask someone if they are ok.
Here is a message from Jonathan Ashworth MP
CWU MEMBER BENEFITS
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No Images? Click here   CWU Member Benefits
Dear Members,
 CWU Member Benefits has negotiated a further extension of the limited time offer of the new TOTUM PRO card. CWU members can now purchase TOTUM PRO at the cost of £14.99 for 15 months* (saving £5.00) until Tuesday 31 December 2019.Save money on all the things you love from dining out and keeping fit, to clothes, shopping and travel abroad.  Save money on gym memberships with My Gym Discounts! It is a voucher based or discount code scheme which offers members the opportunity to benefit from discounted gym memberships at hundreds of gyms, leisure centres, health clubs and class studios across the UK and Ireland*  Save between 2%-10% on Apple products including MacBook, iPad and iPod as well as Apple accessories. There’s no need to wait for delivery, instead, you can order online and collect from your nearest Apple store within one hour*  The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Affinity Scheme provides CWU members access to exclusive savings on their range of new vehicles. Exceptional promotions are now available to you on new Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Jeep cars, and Fiat Professional vans*  CWU members can now save money on their energy bills through Ofgem accredited website, Energylinx. It’s free, impartial and could save you hundreds of pounds! They will even give you £10 cashback when you transfer with single fuel and £15 for dual fuel* If you see a competition or two in the links as well – don’t be shy about entering. Last month two CWU members – Sue Iyayi and Bill Hogg both won sunglasses from Vision Express! We will email out regularly with the latest membership benefits but if you don’t want to miss out you can check for yourself here. #TheCWU *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice. Energy Linx – Cashback is subject to a 6 week switch period and it will need to be claimed. Fiat Group – Please contact your Retailer for details. Apple – Annual purchase limits apply. Discounts are subject to availability. For the latest offers visit the Apple EPP store. CWU Member Benefits is managed and run on behalf of CWU by Parliament Hill Ltd.
CWU, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1RX
Tel: 0208 9717 200 / Fax: 020 8971 7300/ Email: info@cwu.org You have received this email because you are listed in our database and consented to receive this email. |
CWU Death Benefit increase
CWU Death Benefit
In accordance with the terms expressed in CWU Rule 4.1.11 Branches are advised that from the
1st October 2019 the CWU Death Benefit payment will be increased to £839.
This information will also be published in the Voice.
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
Fleet Solutions Branch Forum / Consultative Committee Meeting – 30 October 2019
Fleet Solutions Branch Forum / Consultative Committee Meeting – 30 October 2019
As advised in LTB 426/2019 the next meeting of the Fleet Solutions Consultative Committee takes place on 30 October at 11am in Conference Room 1 at CWU HQ.
Please be reminded that those branches with members employed by Fleet Solutions will be eligible to send one delegate to the Consultative Committee. Delegates should be preferably employed by Fleet Solutions and the cost of the branch delegates attending this meeting will be borne by the branches. The National Team will be in attendance but are not entitled to be delegates.
Please provide any agenda items and the name of the person attending to Julie Quaife on jquaife@cwu.org so that visitors’ security passes can be prepared in advance.
Provisional Dates for 2020:
29 January 2020
29 April 2020
29 July 2020
28 October 2020
Yours sincerely,
Allan Eldred
Assistant Secretary
Royal Mail TV Comms just not up to scratch parody
We’ve seen five episodes of Royal Mail TV in the last few weeks aimed at convincing you to vote no.
We’ve had actors, actresses, managers and even the CEO on camera.
To save you we’ve summed their efforts up in 2 minutes
#WeRiseAgain 🦁
Last chance to vote
Last chance to vote – As we enter the final days of voting it’s time for one final push. We would ask branches to concentrate on getting into bigger offices – Mail Centre’s, Hubs, MPUs etc. As we know from previous ballots, thousands of papers will still not be returned so we need to keep going until the end. Branches / Area reps doing around the clock meetings at big centres could make a critical difference #WeRiseAgain
Average Pay on Leave (Holiday Pay Claims) Against Royal Mail Group Limited 8/10/19
Average Pay on Leave (Holiday Pay Claims) Against Royal Mail Group Limited
Further to LTB 575/19 circulated to Branches on 4th October 2019, the DGS(P) Department has been advised that from 1st October 2019 all new holiday pay Early Conciliation (EC) cases in England and Wales will automatically be issued with an ACAS certificate as no further conciliation will take place.
Branches covering England and/or Wales should also be aware that an ACAS certificate will now be issued for all current EC cases that are in progress and have yet to receive an offer. As a result Branches are likely to see an increase over the coming days in ACAS certificates and should be aware that these may be time critical in some cases.
In addition, Branches will also need to contact the appropriate ACAS Conciliator to highlight the cases where offers have already been accepted or a recalculation has been requested. This will ensure that such cases do not slip through the net and are brought to a conclusion.
Once again, thank you for your ongoing efforts and further updates will be provided in due course.
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)
POST OFFICE: BARCLAYS – DECISION TO DENY ITS CUSTOMER ACCESS TO CASH AT POST OFFICES
POST OFFICE: BARCLAYS – DECISION TO DENY ITS CUSTOMER ACCESS TO CASH AT POST OFFICES
Today we have been alerted to a disappointing development in regard to Barclays’ decision to withdraw from the Banking Framework agreement with the Post Office, thus meaning that from 8th January 2020 customers with Barclays bank accounts will no longer be able to access cash at the nation’s 11,500 Post Offices. A link to the Daily Mail article with the following headline is below:
“Barclays bosses deliver blow to Post Offices by stopping savers from withdrawing cash from branches”
Worryingly, the article states “Barclays drove another nail into the Post Office network’s coffin – as it prepared to ban its savers from withdrawing cash at local branches”.
Also below is a link to a BBC news article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49971170
Branches and our members will be only too acutely aware that bank branches have been closing at a rapid rate across the nation in recent years. According to Which, it is estimated that Barclays has closed 481 sites in the last 5 years which is a third of its network. At this stage, it is difficult to fully understand the real implications of this shocking decision by Barclays. However, we are particularly worried about the continued viability of Post Offices that specifically operate in areas where Barclays banks have closed in recent years, the impact of which could have a disproportionate effect on the ongoing sustainability of these particular Post Offices. Accordingly, it does bring into question the Post Office’s recent publicity surrounding increased fees for Postmasters performing cash withdrawing services. Consequently, we can well imagine many Postmasters being very worried about their future.
Rachel Reeves, Labour MP and Chair of the BEIS Select Committee has responded to this unwelcome development with the following statement – the full article is taken from DeHavilland (Political Research):
08 October 2019
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has commented on the move by Barclays Bank to stop its customers withdrawing cash from post office branches.
* Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee Chair’s comments
Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee said:
“Barclays need to think again. Barclays unjustifiable decision to stop customers accessing their own money from post offices is a deeply retrograde step which lets down their customers, potentially leaving people in many places without access to their own cash, and which undermines the post office network.
“Access to free cash withdrawals at post offices is vital to people, especially those who are elderly and vulnerable, and this decision comes at a time when, across the banking sector, high-street branches are closing and free cash-points are under threat. It’s essential that to secure the future viability of the post office network and this decision from Barclays suggests they are forgetting their wider social responsibilities. The Business Committee has been examining the future of the post office, including looking at ways for the branches to provide more banking services, and we expect to come forward with a report and recommendations later this month.”
As part of its inquiry into the post office network, the Committee questioned (on 25th June), Minister Kelly Tolhurst and BEIS Department officials on issues around the provision of banking services in post offices and on the stability and viability of the national post office network. The session also examined the range of services offered, the franchising of Post Offices and problems facing sub-postmasters, the reduction of Government subsidies, and the long-term resilience of the service.
In the first session of this inquiry, the BEIS Committee questioned on 21st May witnesses from the Communication Workers Union, National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, WH Smith PLC, Association of Convenience Stores, and Post Office Ltd about a range of issues affecting the Post Office network.
CWU echoes the sentiments expressed by Rachel Reeves MP and is extremely disappointed with the situation whereby Barclays customers will effectively be denied access to cash via Post Offices. We will be considering this development further and as such will be talking to Gill Furniss, Shadow Post Office Minister to see what further
pressure can be placed on government, who in turn should call upon Barclays to reverse this appalling decision. Of course, all of this further demonstrates why it is absolutely necessary for the Post Office to establish and operate a Post Bank, which is a key and fundamental Labour Party policy.
Further developments will be reported.
If you have any questions in relation to this LTB, please contact Lea Sheridan – lsheridan@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary
19LTB578 – Post Office – Barclays – Decision to Deny its Customer Access to Cash at Post Offices
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 