Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 50 – July 2023:

Introduction:

The Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) came into existence as a result of funding from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC. The GJA 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.

GJA ‘Free’ Courses:

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 with details published in the newsletter.

The GJA now offer three ‘on-line’ courses as follows:

1.  Climate Change Awareness

This short introductory course is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to develop their understanding of the issues around climate change.  The course is divided into 4 modules.  The modules contain background information, short videos, graphs and illustration

• Module 1: Climate Change Explained
• Module 2: International Responses
• Module 3: Trade Union Responses
• Module 4: Getting Involved

At the end of each section, there are references and links to additional materials if you want to go further. There are no formal tests and you can work through the materials at your own pace but there are optional quizzes to check your understanding at the end of modules 1, 2 and 3.

2.  A Trade Union Guide to Just Transition

Social justice must be at the heart of the development of a net-zero carbon economy. The course covers:

• The meaning and history of the term just transition
• Why it should be a priority issue
• UK and international policies and case studies
• Ideas for developing an action plan

It is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to improve their understanding of why just transition should be central to climate change policy.

3.  Air Quality – a trade union issue

The following issues will be explored in this free online course. It is made up of 3 modules,

• Module 1: The Causes and Health Impacts of Air Pollution
• Module 2: The Law and Government Policy
• Module 3:  Trade Union Responses and Campaigns

Link to GJA on-line Courses:https://greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/courses/

GJA Founder Graham Petersen:

The founder GJA Secretary and Newsletter editor was Graham Petersen who 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 and the successful TUC Occupational Health & Safety Diploma Course. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post and has been a visitor and guest speaker at CWU events and meetings. After 30 editions, Graham stood down at the GJA AGM and handed over to Paul Atkin as newsletter editor and Tahir Latif as GJA Secretary. Graham remains a GJA Steering Group member and is now working part time for the Wales TUC having recently written a publication for them ‘Greener workplaces for a just transition – a Wales TUC toolkit for trade unionists’ which was circulated by the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department.

Paul Atkin Editorial GJA Newsletter Issue 50 – ‘Editorial: “Long Hot Summer Autumn and Winter”:

Editor Paul Atkin opens by making reference to the hottest June ever, with daily temperature records broken three times in the first week of July, the Southern US under a heat dome, Beijing breaking 40C three days in a row, Montevideo down to two weeks’ worth of drinkable water and an extraordinarily mild Antarctic Winter 10C – 20C above the average temperatures for the period 1979-2000. This should be injecting an increased urgency into climate action. “350.org” the international environmental organisation and others are calling for mass actions this November and GJA is calling for there to be a huge trade union involvement as the ice is cracking under our feet” says Paul.

(350.org is an international environmental organisation addressing the climate crisis. Its stated goal is to end the use of fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy by building a global, grassroots movement).

Contents GJA Newsletter 50:

• Editorial: Long hot Summer, Autumn & Winter
• What Just Transition in the North Sea looks like
• Climate mitigation and climate adaptation
• Climate Change Committee Key messages
• News from ITUC
• Unions Unite for Steel transition
• Union Conference round up: UNISON
• Mining Heritage – Green Future
• Putting Workers First – Sheffield Conference
• Not Coal! Not Dole! – Whitehaven
• Migration & the Climate Crisis
• How can workers assess the environmental impact of their workplaces & create alternatives?
• Green Bites

What is a just transition?

A just transition seeks to ensure that the substantial benefits of a green economy transition are shared widely, while also supporting those who stand to lose economically – be they countries, regions, industries, communities, workers or consumers.

A rapid increase in the speed and scale of actions required to reduce the risks of climate change will create new economic opportunities.

Whilst a just transition is mainly based on environmental considerations, it is also shaped by other structural changes affecting labour markets, such as globalisation, labour-saving technologies and the shift to services.

A just transition is an integral part of many of the global commitments adopted by countries. The Paris Agreement acknowledges “the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities” and highlights the importance of workers in responding to climate change.

Furthermore, the just transition concept links to 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, explicitly drawing together SDGs No 12 – climate action, No 10 – reduced inequalities, No 8 – decent work and economic growth, and No 7 – affordable and clean energy.

Many countries have recognised the challenge that this transformation entails and are taking measures to protect those that are most vulnerable and affected by the changes, including across the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) regions.

• The European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism is integral to the EU’s Green Deal, targeted at ensuring “a fair transition to a climate-neutral economy, leaving no one behind” and aims to mobilise at least €150 billion over the period 2021-2027;
• The Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration signed by 50 countries at COP24, which states that: “a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs are crucial to ensure an effective and inclusive transition”;
• Climate Action for Jobs Initiative, co-led by the International Labour Organisation, Spain and Peru, with 46 countries committing to develop “national plans for a just transition and create decent green jobs”.
• The UNFCCC Gender Action plan, whereby parties to the UNFCCC have recognized the importance of involving women and men equally in the development and implementation of national climate policies that are gender-responsive.

Quote of the Month

For me, the clue is in the name ‘green prosperity plan’. If you really believe that this is the only way to sustainably grow our economy, then it cannot make any sense to say that you will wait until the economy grows before you start the plan.

Barry Gardiner MP

Much more in the GJA Newsletter No 50 attached.

 Attachment: 

• GJA Newsletter No.50 for July

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB186 Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 50 – July 2023

GJA-Newsletter-50-July-2023

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Dear Colleagues

Following discussions with Royal Mail Group, we are now able to confirm the relevant dates for pay increases and lump sums linked to the endorsement of the Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Agreement. 

PAY 

The 6% increase will be paid on Friday 4 August, including arrears backdated to 3 April 2023. Monthly paid colleagues (excluding Fleet and PFSL) will receive their increase and arrears in July salaries (pay date Monday 31 July)

The pay increase applies to base pay, overtime, scheduled attendance, basic pay supplements, functional supplements, skills, and unsocial hours allowances (except RRIS legacy and reserved rights payments), London weighting and Scottish Distant Islands Allowance.

£500 LUMP SUM

The one-off £500 lump sum will be paid to members in Royal Mail, PFW and support functions (excluding PFSL and Fleet) on Friday 29 September.

£900 LUMP SUM (minimum)

In addition, the one-off lump sum payment of at least £900 will be paid on Friday 29 September.

The exact amount will depend on the precise number of employees at the time of the payment but will be at least £900 per employee. This payment will also be received by Fleet and PFSL members.

This means a total lump sum payment of at least £1,400 will be paid on Friday 29 September (pro-rated for part-time employees)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

All the payments set out above will only be paid to employees in post on the 4^th August 2023.

Fleet members will not receive the pay rise and £500 lump sum at this point. These payments will be subject to the ongoing negotiations with the employer.

SUMMARY

The ambition of the CWU was to ensure the payments were made to members as quickly as possible. We have achieved this aim with regards to the pay rise and arrears – this is one of the quickest turnarounds we have seen following the endorsement of a national agreement.

We would have wanted to have seen the lump sum payments paid earlier but we are sure members will welcome the certainty of an exact date for payment.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward
General Secretary

Andy Furey
Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

RMG/CWU BUSINESS RECOVERY, TRANSFORMATION & GROWTH AGREEMENT SECTION 7 – NATIONAL AGREED TRIAL INDOOR DELIVERY METHODS CHANGES: JOINT COMMUNICATION

Branches and Representatives will be aware of the commitments contained in the Business Transformation, Recovery and Growth negotiators’ agreement in relation to Section 7, National Agreed Trial Indoor Delivery – Methods Change.

In line with the terms of this Section of the BTR&G agreement talks have been ongoing with Royal Mail in relation to progressing trial activity. These talks have concluded with an agreed Joint Communication, which is attached together with the associated Annexes.

As set out, the Indoor Delivery Methods trials will be held across 10 sites, one per Division as listed below:

• Bournemouth DO (West Section) – South West/South Wales
• Brandon DO – Anglia
• Dover DO – South East
• West Derby (Liverpool) DO – North West
• Lanark DO – Scotland
• Dronfield DO – North East
• Pinner DO – South Central
• Armagh – Northern Ireland
• Cheadle – Midlands
• Paddington – London

In addition, Branches will note that the specific methods to be trialled are set out in Annex A and this will be set against the success criteria, as set out in Section 7 of the BTR&G agreement, as detailed in Annex B.

The trial activity will ensure that CWU Representatives across the catchment areas will be fully involved in the activity, including the establishment of Local Joint Working Groups. To further support this, two launch events have already been held early this week to ensure full engagement from the CWU at all levels. The trial will be further supported by both Departments and with PE members being nominated to oversee activity at each of the listed sites.

The trialled methods will be managed fully in line with the Royal Mail safety and quality standards.  This will be done through risk assessment, SSOW and ergonomic assessment and the input of the CWU HS&E Department. During the trials, feedback will be sought from all individuals involved at the trial locations to suggest modifications to the way of working, the method used, and current equipment or alternative equipment.

Additionally, the trial will undertake relevant reviews and Industrial Engineering (IE) studies of the outdoor delivery operation in order to understand any possible impacts resulting from the indoor methods trials. There will also be further joint IE studies to allow the measurement of the new methods compared with the traditional methods measured in the Industrial Engineering Planning Values Database. This will measure what benefits and efficiency can be achieved through a revised method change. This will also include IE studies of a sample of walks involved in the trial in advance of the trial to support this feedback at a route level.

Full training will be provided for all Delivery OPGs engaged and Workplace Coaches involved in the trials.

All units involved in the trials will be managed consistent with national agreements, guidelines and procedures and both parties have agreed that during the trials there will be no structural changes to Duty Structures/AWD Duties or Scheduled Attendance arising from the activity.

In regard to the Upstream element it is confirmed that during the trial, there will be no changes to Processing or Distribution plans, specifically because of the trials. However, discussions between Royal Mail and the CWU on the potential impact of Upstream Activity on the trial, in Mail Centres/Processing Units and Distribution will take place between the respective Roya Mail Leads and CWU National Parties, in order to discuss the engagement process for involving the Area Processing & Distribution Reps as part of the LJWG at in-scope units to support trial activity.

The trial will be jointly reviewed on an ongoing basis by the National JWG (including feedback from the Local JWGs), who will meet on a regular basis to discuss and review the progress of the trials.

The aim of the trials is to define a preferred method, which will be rolled out beyond the trial sites in order to support and facilitate National deployment from August 2023 onwards. The ongoing programme of rollout and National deployment will also form part of the joint outputs from the review.

As Branches will note from the agreed Joint Communication the explicit detail of the different methods to be trialled along with concepts and aims and objectives has been covered in some detail. Also encompassed within the Joint Communication is that the trial is carried out with full CWU involvement and in line with the commitments set out in Section 7 of the BTR&G agreement.

Any queries to the content of the above, please contact the Outdoor Department, reference number: 540, email address: njones@cwu.org .

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference number: 054.01.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Baulch – CWU Assistant Secretary                         

Davie Robertson – CWU Assistant Secretary   

LTB 184-23 – RMG CWU BRTG Agreement – Section 7 Indoor Delivery Methods Trials

RM & CWU National Joint Communication Indoor Delivery Methods Trial

Annex A Indoor Transformation Methods Guide

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ROYAL MAIL GROUP: BUSINESS RECOVERY, TRANSFORMATION & GROWTH AGREEMENT & APPENDIX 4 FLEET – BALLOT RESULTS

Further to LTBs 181/23 & 182/23 that announced the results of the above two ballots please find attached to this LTB copies of the certificates issued by Civica Electoral Services, who conducted these ballots on our behalf.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB 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

23LTB183

T1373_1_CWU – Royal Mail

T1395_1_CWU – Fleet Consultative

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BUSINESS RECOVERY, TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH AGREEMENT – BALLOT RESULT

Please find attached a Membership Communication with the ballot result on the Agreement.  It is essential this is communicated a widely as possible.

The scrutineer’s certificate will be sent out shortly in a separate LTB.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward                                                    Andy Furey
General Secretary                                      Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)  

23LTB181 BUSINESS RECOVERY TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH AGREEMENT – BALLOT RESULT

MEMBERS COMMUNICATION – BUSINESS RECOVERY TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH AGREEMENT – BALLOT RESULT 75.8%

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RE: ROYAL MAIL GROUP – OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROVIDER

We have recently been informed, over the last few months Royal Mail Group (RMG) have undertaken a detailed procurement involving colleagues from Operations, Finance, IT and HR in their bid to ensure they select a partner to support them over the coming years. This includes the Occupational Health (OH) Provider. RMG have been with the current provider, Optima since the service was outsourced in 2002. Several Occupational Health providers were approached, who provided proposals laying out how they intend to support RMG to deliver services which “improve levels of attendance across the organisation”.

The procurement process has concluded and ‘Health Partners’ have now been selected to be the new Occupational Health provider.  RMG have informed us they are currently working through an implementation plan with Health Partners and the aim is to go live with them during October 2023.  National Officer Carl Maden, will be the CWU lead on this matter going forward and the Business have been informed accordingly.

We are in the process of arranging a presentation with Royal Mail to understand the new OH provision.

Branches and Representatives will be kept fully updated of future developments on this matter.

Andy Furey                                                                      

A/Deputy General Secretary (Postal)            

Carl Maden

Assistant Secretary

LTB 180/23 – Royal Mail Group Occupational Health Provider

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Royal Mail Group: Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth Agreement – Ballot Result: Appendix 4 Fleet

CWU members have delivered an overwhelming Yes vote for the full Agreement as reported in LTB 181/23.  This position endorses all generic matters arising from the Agreement and applies equally to our Fleet members – for example, job security.

However, Fleet members will know that an additional ballot was conducted, specifically in respect of Appendix 4 and the outcome of this result was a rejection by the Fleet members as follows:

No votes              63.4%
Yes votes             36.6%
Turnout               67.6%

In view of the members’ decision, it will be necessary to initiate fresh negotiations with RMG with the aim of amending Appendix 4 so it becomes more acceptable to our Fleet members.  We will be writing to RMG to seek an urgent meeting in this regard.

We are planning to meet with our Fleet Senior Reps and Cluster Reps on Friday 14th July where we will discuss not just the reasons why Appendix 4 was rejected but also what is required to be done to modify the Agreement so we can be in a position to re-ballot our Fleet members at the earliest opportunity.

To be clear, the Postal Executive fully respects the outcome of the Fleet ballot for Appendix 4 and as such we will look to do everything possible to arrive at a way forward that Fleet members can support.

Yours sincerely,                                                                      Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey                                                                              Dave Ward
A/Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                             General Secretary  

23LTB182 Royal Mail Group – Business Recovery Transformation and Growth Agreement – Ballot Result Appendix 4 Fleet (002)

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https://rmg.cmail20.com/t/d-l-vsdldy-dllduyjikt-j/

Rivus Garage Closures following BT Contract Loss

Rivus Fleet Solutions (formally BT Fleet) announced today at 4pm, the closure of forty-eight of their fifty-six garages. This follows their failure to secure alternative work in time to enable them to sustain the business until new contracts are signed and work arrives. To date, no new contracts have been signed.

Rivus was effectively a start-up company when it purchased BT Fleet and is owned by a Venture capitalist company called Aurelius. The BT work is around 60% of Rivus’s current workload.

The BT contract has been won by an American company called Holman, which has a UK base but no garage network of its own. An urgent meeting with Holman at senior level will be sought and our aim will be to ensure that they fulfil their legal obligations to our members under TUPE legislation and provide work for those who wish to transfer to Holman.

I am looking to hold a virtual forum for branches with Rivus members either later this week or very early next week. Further details will be provided as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Allan Eldred
Assistant Secretary

LTB 178.2023

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HSE Publishes Work-Related Fatality Figures 2023

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published work-related fatality statistics for the period 2022-2023. A copy is attached.

Great Britain Work-Related Deaths 2022-23

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. Their role is to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses and enforcement action through Fee For Intervention Charges, Improvement Notices, Prohibition Notices and prosecution through the courts. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. (HSE Website http://www.hse.gov.uk).

One hundred and thirty-five workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain in the last year, according to figures published on 6 July by the Health and Safety Executive.

The industries with the highest deaths were:

• Construction (45),
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21),
• Manufacturing (15),
• Transportation and storage (15).

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers of all the main industrial sectors followed by waste and recycling.

The annual data release published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s workplace regulator, covers the period from April 2022 to March 2023.

The three most common causes of fatal injuries are falls from height (40), being struck by a moving object (29), and being struck by a moving vehicle (20).

The total of 135 worker deaths in 2022/23 is higher than the previous year (123) but is in line with pre-pandemic levels. The figure for 2020/21 was 145.

The UK Government and HSE continue to claim that Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work and that there has been a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries to workers, though in the years prior to the coronavirus pandemic the rate was broadly flat.

A further 68 members of the public were killed following a work-related incident in 2022/23. This is a decrease of 20 from last year.

In a statement launching the annual data release HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon stated; “Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy. While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyone’s agenda. HSE’s mission is to protect people and places and HSE remains committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions.”

Northern Ireland

The number of all work-related fatalities in Northern Ireland (2021-22), including those within areas that are the responsibility of both HSENI and local councils, was 19 compared to 13in the last reporting year. The 2022-23 data will be published later in the year.

Asbestos-related deaths

HSE has also published the annual figures for Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. The figures show 2,268 people died from the disease in 2021. This is a fall of 302 compared with the 2,570 deaths in 2020 and substantially lower than the average of 2,520 deaths per year over the period 2012-2019.

Asbestos-related diseases take decades to develop. Most people with them today will largely have been exposed before the tightening of controls and the use of asbestos was banned in 1999.

The current regulations state that where asbestos is present in buildings it must be managed, maintained in a good condition, and stay undisturbed. If this level of protection cannot be achieved, then asbestos must be removed.

These regulations have led to a significant reduction in exposure and the number of people developing asbestos-related illness is predicted to fall as we get further from the date asbestos was banned in 1999. Prior to that point, asbestos was used extensively in construction.

The TUC policy, backed 100% by the CWU is for all asbestos to be removed from public and commercial buildings. The House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee of MPs last year published a report from its inquiry into asbestos management in which it backed the TUC call for the complete eradication of asbestos from buildings. The TUC says current asbestos management is not fit for purpose and has long called for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings. There is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos fibres – inhalation even of small quantities can lead to Mesothelioma decades after exposure. This means that where asbestos is still present, it is not safe to assume there will be no disturbances that put working people in danger. The only way we will eradicate Mesothelioma in Britain is with a legal duty to safely remove asbestos, and a clear timetable for its eradication. Only then can we ensure that future generations will not have to experience the same deadly epidemic from asbestos-related diseases that we suffer today.

HSE’s approach to asbestos management is based on evidence that is constantly reviewed. HSE has recently launched a campaign called ‘Asbestos & You’ to raise awareness of the risks associated with the dangerous substance.

To find out more about the ‘Asbestos and You’ campaign, see attached new HSE Guide and visit HSE’s Asbestos Website for further guidance on asbestos here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 179/23 – HSE Publishes Work-Related Fatality Figures 2023

Att: HSE – Work-Related Fatal Injuries in GB 2023

Att: AsbestosYou-refcard-v4-online

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CWU CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS 2022

Please find attached a copy of the final CWU Consolidated Accounts for the financial year 2022.

Accordingly Branches are now invited to forward questions to the attached CWU Consolidated Accounts 2022 to arrive by no later than 12 p.m. on 24^thJuly 2023.

Please note all questions should be sent to the email address sdgs@cwu.org.  Please note, any emails sent to any other email address will not receive a response and will not be included in the published questions and answers. 

Any other queries on this LTB should also be addressed to sdgs@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 177/23

Att: CWU 2022 Final Accounts (SIGNED)

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