Election of Divisional Representative Vacancies 

Election of:

• Royal Mail Divisional Representative – Midland
• Royal Mail Divisional Representative (Substitute) – London 

Further to LTB 132/25 dated 3^rd July 2025 in regard to the above vacancies, at the close of nominations today at 14:00,   the following nominations have been received:Royal Mail Divisional Representative – MidlandSteve BlowerNottingham & District Amal*ElectedRoyal Mail Divisional Representative (Substitute) – LondonKevin CareyNorthern/North West London*Elected

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 0208 971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org .

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 152/25 – Election of Divisional Representative Vacancies

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CONSULTATIVE BALLOT –REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL PART 1 (EP GROUP/CWU AGREEMENT 2024) AND 2 (3 YEAR PAY SETTLEMENT 2025-2027)

The timetable for the consultative ballot is detailed below.  Ballot Papers will be dispatched 2^nd Class to all members’ home addresses for them to be returned electronically.

• Ballot Papers Dispatched Wednesday 6^th August 2025
• Ballot Closes at 14:00 Tuesday 26^th August 2025
• Result announced Tuesday 26^thAugust 2025

Online Voting

To return their vote using the online electronic voting system, members will receive personalised correspondence which will enable them to cast their vote.

The online voting process uses a secure voting site administered by Civica (Independent scrutineers) specifically for this ballot.

The process for voting is based on a simple, easy to use format that is routinely used by other Unions and the Labour Party

However, in advance of the ballot we will share an example ballot paper and instructions for Branches and members on how to complete their vote.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the SDGS Department (lparrett@cwu.org)

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 151/25 – Consultative Ballot – Rebuilding Royal Mail Part 1 (EP Group-CWU Agreement 2024) and 2 (3 Year Pay Settlement 2025-2027)

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Samaritans Awareness Day – Thursday 24th July 2025

‘TALK TO US’ MONTH 24/7SAMARITANS AWARENESS DAY 2025

The above date is chosen because of the pledge to listen 24/7. The Samaritans have proven for many years that they are a lifeline for many, offering a listening ear and confidential support for anyone struggling to cope. Throughout July, the Talk to Us campaign highlights the importance of talking about mental health issues and encourages people to reach out for help whenever they need it. Follow this link for further information: Samaritans Awareness Day

The Samaritans is a charity that prevents suicide through human connection.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) recently opened a public consultation for a new British Standard on suicide awareness. The public consultation ran for 8 weeks, closing on 16th July 2025. The British Standards Institution is the UK’s National Standards Body who work with many different stakeholders to develop British, European and international standards. The BSI will be releasing the UK’s first standard in late 2025 (BS 30480) which will be dedicated to suicide awareness and education. It will provide comprehensive guidelines to help organisations plan for, respond to, and support people affected by suicide.

This landmark initiative is welcomed and comes amid growing recognition of the mental health crisis in the UK. There remains an urgent need, however, for structured and compassionate responses from employers.

The CWU has now responded to the BSI consultation after surveying over 100 CWU trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders). The findings of our CWU survey highlighted the following:

• 85% of our surveyed CWU MHFAiders have provided mental health support more than once in the last 12 months.
• 39% of our surveyed CWU MHFAiders have provided emergency support to a colleague in a mental health crisis in the last 12 months.
• 3% percent of our surveyed CWU MHFAiders believe that the impact of suicide is not well understood by their employer.
• 3% of our surveyed CWU MHFAiders have provided support to someone outside of normal work hours in the last 12 months.

Today and every day, every 10 seconds, Samaritans answer a call for help.

In November 1953, the first ever call was answered to what was to become the Samaritans’ helpline. This single act of humanity became a service involving tens of thousands of Samaritans who together over the years have answered more than 134 million calls for help.

There are over 200 Samaritans branches and locations across the UK and Ireland.

The Samaritans regularly undertake work in prisons, schools, hospitals and on the rail network to support people going through difficult times and train others to do the same.

Recent Samaritans policy and research can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Policy and Research | Samaritans

Samaritans Awareness Day – 24/7social media materials can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Downloadable Materials | Talk To Us Campaign | Samaritans Campaigns

This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact –

Jamie McGovern, FRSPH MIIAI at jmcgovern@cwu.org.

LTB 150/25 – SAMARITANS TALK TO US AWARENESS DAY 24 7 pdf version

Attachment: Little_Tips_leaflet_A4_digital

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RMG (SHE) Integrated Audits – Involvement and Consultation with CWU Area & Field Safety Representatives

The purpose of this LTB is to remind all CWU Area Safety Reps (ASRs) and relevant Field Safety Representatives of the need to engage and be fully involved in the Royal Mail Group, Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Integrated Audits process.

As previously communicated to Branches and Safety Reps, most recently in LTB 066/24, the Integrated Audits are an annual activity which covers the majority of operational sites across Royal Mail Group including Parcelforce, Fleet, Customer Experience etc.

The agreed position with RMG is that every ASR and relevant Field Safety Rep covering specific business functions will be invited to every audit across their constituency and should be given notice of audit dates and afforded an invitation to participate.

Royal Mail Group and the CWU have agreed that involvement from our CWU ASRs and relevant Safety Reps can add value to the audits by way of information sharing from previous and separate workplace safety inspections and investigations, as they are likely to visit the workplace more often than the Auditor/SHE Technician.

ASRs and Field Safety Reps’ direct involvement in the Integrated Audits can:

• Support the ‘signposting’ of issues from their previous safety inspections and highlight remedial actions that are outstanding in the workplace and issues that could be overlooked.
• Review the ORAs (Offsite Risk Assessments) and test whether it’s working or not, log any problems that need addressing, assist in dealing with hazards and risks that are encountered locally as well as supporting suitable controls to reduce these risks. Also ensuring that local hazard warnings are up to date, accurate and communicated/displayed.
• Check on any Occupational Health and Wellbeing issues with individuals. This can include work stress risk assessments and ensuring that individuals are aware of the RMG Wellbeing Hub and available services including RMG ‘Help@Hand’, which gives individual employees and their family access to fast, free, wellbeing support and services.
• Make sure that local safety committee meetings are taking place with the Workplace Safety Representative (WSR) and that any agreed actions are being undertaken and have been completed with all onsite alongside confirming that the bi-monthly local inspections are taking place.
• Check to ensure all staff are aware of the yard rules and have received yard awareness training and that the managerial controls are in place.
• Check that the colleagues performing deliveries and collections are aware of the dog attack and attack prevention controls and that necessary actions are being undertaken.
• Check that fire evacuations have been conducted with employees.
• Check the required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is provided.
• Check to see if there is any faulty equipment on site.
• Check managerial control around daily safety checks.
• Check with new starters to see that their safety training has been completed.

The above is not an exhaustive list and the Integrated Audits offers a further opportunity to engage with WSR and the manager/PiC (Person in Charge) when onsite.  Importantly, the audit can offer additional opportunities to discuss health and safety issues with staff and CWU members in the workplace/location to secure extra feedback from individuals on safety issues, risks, hazards and any need for follow up inspections including investigations at customers’ premises for members who work on delivery and collections.

The audits are delivered by the RMG SHE Team and the audits will assess the level of safety and health compliance with key instructions, policies and legal/regulatory requirements as detailed within the SHE MS (Safety, Health, Environment Management System), Security, Compliance and Ethics policies.  The Integrated Audit will be conducted onsite and compliance will be assessed through a combination of:

• Data analysis and validation
• Document review
• Discussion and observation

All locations/workplaces will receive an audit notification email at least 2 weeks before the audit takes place but, in some cases, a longer notice period will be given.  The average audit should require 1 or 2 days onsite.  The relevant ASR and Field Safety Rep will receive the invite email at the same time as the location manager/PiC and if the audit can’t be accommodated, it will be rearranged, again, allowing 2 weeks’ notice.

Initial onsite feedback will be given to the location managers and then an ‘Action Plan’ will be issued via email to the unit.  Location/workplace managers/PiCs will be required to monitor and close down actions.  Actions must be completed by the required date as set out in the Action Plan.  Update reports on the audit actions will be given to the joint health and safety committee relevant to the location, where there can be a discussion on progress.

The audit will be transparent and shared with the relevant ASR and Safety Reps by email.  The audit file will remain with the manager onsite to ensure that the correct version of the file is maintained.  Any issues and Audit Action Plan progress can be discussed at joint health and safety committee meetings at the workplace/location or at Regional level.

Attached below is the link to 11.1 SHE Management System Audit:

11.1 SHE Management System Audit

Also attached is the Integrated Audit (version 7.1) and guidance in Excel File format.

ASR/Relevant Safety Reps Action:

• All ASRs and relevant Field Safety Reps are asked to give these Integrated Audits priority and ensure they attend and input into the process.
• These Integrated Audits are not and should not be seen as a replacement for the regular safety inspections required.
• The end date for this year’s Integrated Audits cycle is 31^stMarch 2026.

In setting out the above, Royal Mail have confirmed that Safety Technicians will and do share the workplace safety audit dates with both the CWU and Unite/CMA Safety Reps so they can be in attendance and engaged.  However, if any issues or concerns arise in terms of providing such audit dates at least 2 weeks in advance or the ability to be fully involved in line with the agreed and joint position between RMG and the CWU, these should, in the first instance, be raised directly with the relevant SHE Technician or the Field Safety Team.  Where issues remain, these should be referred to the DGS(P) Department directly.

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

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)   

LTB 149/25 – RMG (SHE) Integrated Audits – Involvement and Consultation with CWU Area & Field Safety Representatives

Attachment to LTB 149/25

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EUREST (EX QUADRANT) PAY SETTLEMENT 2025 

The annual Pay Review Date for our Ex-Quadrant members in Eurest was 1^st April and the department has been in discussions with Compass Group/ Eurest on achieving a settlement for some months.

It was anticipated the discussions this year could prove extremely difficult, especially against the backdrop of another significant rise to the National Living Wage (NLW), which is relevant with regard to our National C Grade members. The rise in the NLW this year (6.7%) far outstripped all inflation measures and again, made reaching a uniform agreement for all grades extremely challenging.

After a number of meetings with Compass Group/Eurest between 8^thMarch and 7^8th July 2025 a negotiators agreement has now been reached with the employer on pay for all CWU grades in Compass Group/Eurest, which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive.

1. 77p increase to each hourly rate of pay for all grades thus maintaining the 9p differential to NLW for the National C grades, a priority issue during the negotiations.
2. The retention of the £1 premium (O/T) rate for all grades as per current arrangements for hours worked over and above 37.5. I.E.  Overtime is paid at £1 per hour more than the standard hourly rate.
3. No change to Night duty allowance rates or rules.

On basic pay the above process is in line with 2024’s pay agreement and does apply a uniform monetary pay uplift for all Grades across the three Pay Ranges. It also ensures that the previous commitment to maintain the Premium overtime hourly rate at £1 above basic pay rate.

The uniform uplift in pay rates results in varying percentage pay rises depending on the starting point but all are well in excess of inflation. Rises range between 4.4% for Inner London A Grade and 6.7% for National C Grade employees. In the latter case although the full 6.7% increase would not have been required to honour the NLW, we have been successful in ensuring that the full uplift was achieved to ensure that we maintain the buffer between C Grade pay and the NLW. C Grade employees are by far the majority grade within the Eurest structure.

Given the timescales, we were unable to complete a ballot in time to affect any rises in August Salaries.   As such, for our National C Grade members their basic pay was increased to meet the National Living Wage in April Salaries. Remaining increases for the National C Grade and all increases for all other Grades will be applied following the outcome of the ballot and backdated in full to 1^st April 2025.

The ballot timetable will be:

Papers Dispatched: Monday 21^st July 2025

Closing Date and result: Monday 11^thAugust 2025

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: jrodrigues@cwu.org quoting reference LTB 148/25.

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

LTB 148.25 – EUREST (EX QUADRANT) PAY SETTLEMENT 2025

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Crown Office Network – Preference Exercise, TUPE, Bumping & Redeployment Plus Enhanced Financial Terms for Leaving PO Employment 

Branches with PO members are advised that the Preference Exercise undertaken amongst the members in the 72 Crowns previously announced with Franchise partners closed last night. The headlines are as follows; the vast majority of our members have indicated they wish to take a financial package via a Settlement Agreement with only 9 members interested in transferring to the new franchise partners via TUPE.

Running in parallel to the Crown Preference Exercise described above, was a further one specifically for our Admin & Supply Chain members for the purposes of “Bumping”. I am able to report that over 60 Crown Office members responded to the Preference Exercise stating they wished to retain PO employment by redeploying into these functions. Thankfully we also had a similar number of Admin & Supply Chain members returning Preference forms saying they wish to leave PO employment which could enable a bump to take place. Accordingly, Mole Meade Postal Executive member and myself are meeting management tomorrow with the purpose of identifying suitable matches for bumping so that job offers can be made to our Crown members seeking to retain employment in the PO. This is an important activity as it will help Crown members move into new roles within Post Office whilst enabling some of our members in Admin & Supply Chain to leave the PO with a financial package.

In line with the Joint Statement as contained in LTB 105/25 of the 27^thMay 2025, we have also been in negotiations to enhance the financial terms for Crown members (known as Special Severance terms) for those not wanting to TUPE. The starting point for this is the MTSF terms with a minimum of 6 months’ pay and a maximum of 2 years as laid out in the Ready Reckoner.

The following enhancements have been secured and confirmed:

• To qualify for the full 104 weeks compensation 17 years’ service is now required irrespective of age. This compares favourably with MTSF which is 28 years
• Rounding up of both years of service and years in age for the purposes of the Ready Reckoner calculation. For example, this means some with 12 years and 40 days service will be rounded up to 13 years whilst at the same time the age of the person will also be rounded up to their next birthday. This provides for additional weeks compensation.
• For both Full and Part time members, the financial package will be based on actual hours worked (inclusive of all overtime performed) over the most recent 3-month reference period. This ensures all extra hours worked are included in the calculation.
• The full 3% pay rise from 1st April 2025 will apply to the basic pay used in the calculation.
• Members aged 55+ who were members of the RMPP on 31^stMarch 2017 will receive a cash compensation of 104 weeks’ pay regardless of age and length of service.

In closing, Branches will see at Appendix A the provisional dates for the closure of 76 Crowns where a Franchise partner has been announced. These dates have been shared with our members today. In this regard the Territorial Reps are fully supporting all members and are regularly visiting the Crowns to ensure a good presence and profile at this important time. The Reps will of course answer all questions from members and provide necessary support. In this regard, Mole Meade and myself are meeting regularly with the Reps to discuss developments as they occur and any issues of concern that arise from members.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey 

Assistant Secretary 

LTB 147/25 – Crown Office Network – Preference Exercise

Attachment: Appendix A

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CWU Reps Hi-Vis Vests – Join the Union

Following on from the success of our CWU reps’ polo shirts, we are pleased to offer Branches the opportunity to purchase CWU reps hi-vis vests. 

The vests, which can be seen in the attached images clearly identify our reps in the workplace and the design includes a QR code which will take perspective members directly to the join CWU page. 

The vests cost £9 each and can be printed in a wide variation of sizes. 

Branches wishing to order should email Marcia Murray mmurray@cwu.org by no later than Friday 8th August with:

1. The number of vests you wish to order
2. The sizes you wish to order

Once we have the full UK wide numbers in place we will contact Branches to organise payment and delivery. 

Increasing the unions visibility in every workplace is a key part of our new recruitment strategy and we encourage all Branches to place an order. 

Kind regards

Chris Webb

Head of Communications

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 146/25 – CWU Reps Hi-Vis Vests – Join the Union

Attachment – Image 1 – CWU Reps Hi-Vis Vests 

Attachment – Image 2 – CWU Reps Hi-Vis Vests

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Royal Mail Group Members – WhatsApp Channel

In recent months we have been trialling a new WhatsApp channel to share information with our Royal Mail Group members. Even with limited promotion we already have over 4,000 subscribers to the channel, which is excellent. 

We are now moving to formally launch the channel as a long-term communications platform and we ask all Branches to undertake the following actions:

1. Sign up to the channel yourselves as senior officials.
2. Make sure all local representatives are signed up. 
3. Share the link with members in Royal Mail Group via all means possible, including social media, email, text and WhatsApp. 

The link to our new channel is below and it takes you directly to where you need to be to subscribe:

https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz0X5sKQuJQcyrJyk1D

This channel is for Royal Mail Group members only. The Communications Department will launch new channels for other areas of the union in due course. 

Yours sincerely, 

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

Chris Webb

Head of Communications

LTB 145/25 – Royal Mail Group Members – WhatsApp Channel

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