Dear Colleagues,

KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK – THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT (PAY ARRANGEMENTS)

Further to LTB 38/21 which confirmed the ballot result and endorsement of the above agreement, following dialogue with the business, details of the implementation of the two pay awards are reproduced below.2020 – 2.7% Pay Award 

2.7% uplift of weekly paid employees to commence from 22^nd February 2021 and in February salaries for monthly paid employees. The uplift and arrears will be received at the same time by both weekly and monthly paid employees on pay date Friday 26^th February 2021. 

Colleagues will appreciate that the payroll team experience a very heavy workload at the start of April, including work related to the tax year end. In addition to this the 1% pay uplift coinciding with the Easter holidays has made it difficult to implement the weekly pay uplift from the start of April. The arrangements for this element of the pay award are detailed below.2021 – 1.0% Pay Award

The 1% uplift will be implemented from week commencing 26^th April 2021 for weekly paid employees. The revised pay rates and arrears will be in both monthly and weekly-paid employee’s pay packets on 30^th April 2021 (backdated to the start of April).

The pay review and arrears will not apply to any former employee who left employment prior to the date of communication of the negotiators’ agreement on 18^th December 2020.

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 43/21 – KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT (PAY ARRANGEMENTS)

LTB 042 – TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12th February

No. 042/21

4 February 2021

TO: ALL BRANCHES

Dear Colleagues,

TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12^th February

The Annual TUC Heart Unions week will be held this year from 8-12^th February.

As part of this week of activity, each union has been asked to hold an online event. We have chosen to host National Follow the Union Day on Friday 12^th February.

This day will be used to highlight the details of the national unions social media channels and ask as many members as possibly to like and follow our accounts. In the coming days we will produce materials which will aid branches in promoting the event. We would also encourage branches to advertise and promote your own social media channels as part of this event.

Whilst, on the face of it, this event may not seem one of our more significant moments, it is absolutely critical that as we face serious issues with our employers and we seek to grow our influence in the wider movement, we have the greatest natural reach possible.

National Follow the Union Day will be backed by a number of high-profile figures across our movement who will share messages of support throughout the day.

We would also ask branches to use the day to promote the best of our union. With this in mind our hashtag for next Friday will be #CWUandProud – so we want videos, messages and graphics letting the whole movement know why you are so proud to be CWU.

Please support this event, grow our channels and play in key role in getting our messages out to members.

Kind regards

Dave Ward                    Chris Webb

General Secretary      Head of Communications                                          

LTB 042-21 – TUC Heart Unions Week – National ‘Follow the Union Day” – Friday 12th February

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INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOT – OPENREACH Ltd. REPAYMENT PROJECT ENGINEERS (RPE)

The industrial action ballot involving our Repayment Project Engineer members closed today.  I am delighted to publish the result in line with the required legislation.

• (a) number of ballot papers sent out – 170

• (b) votes cast in the ballot – 160

• (c) individuals answering “Yes” to the question, or as the case may be, to each question – 138

• (d) individuals answering “No” to the question, or, as the case may be, to each question – 22

• (e) spoiled voting papers – 0

• (f) Percentage of number of votes cast in line with the number of individuals entitled to vote in the ballot – 94%

This is an absolutely fantastic outcome and clearly shows the strength of feeling among the members impacted by the imposed changes.  Our RPE members have driven this campaign from the beginning until today in order to ensure that the RPE role remains as a team member grade.  This will undoubtedly continue and by acting as a collective we will deliver the outcome they set out to achieve.

The support given by reps, Branches, Regional Co-ordinators, the National Team and Executive has been invaluable and is appreciated by the members who have made their voice heard with this result.  This is not a CWU driven issue or campaign as has been suggested by the company.

The company must now reflect on this outcome and return to the negotiating table with a genuine desire to resolve this dispute by reaching an agreement that ensures the RPE role remains a team member grade.  The CWU is willing to meet the company as soon as possible in order to progress the discussions.  In the absence of a commitment to move forward on that basis then the appropriate notice and strike action will take place.

Branches will be kept up to date with progress and are asked to ensure they continue to support their members in the days and weeks ahead.

Any enquiries from Branches regarding this LTB should be referred to my office in the first instance.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Bowman

Assistant Secretary

039.2021

POST OFFICE: POSTMASTERS: HORIZON INQUIRY – HAVE YOUR SAY

The Inquiry into the Horizon scandal currently being undertaken by retired Judge Sir Wyn Williams and his team is looking for current or former Postmasters and/or their families to take part in focus groups over the next few weeks. The CWU is encouraging as many Postmasters as possible to participate in this important process in order to further expose the ongoing flaws and previous poor attitude from Post Office management. The first focus group took place on 15th January and Mark Baker, our Postmasters Branch Secretary and serving Postmaster took part in this interesting session, along with two other CWU Postmaster members. The recording of this focus group can be accessed here

In conjunction with our Communications Department a dedicated CWU web page on the Horizon Inquiry has been constructed which provides the full details and links to the application process for the further focus groups. My thanks go to the Comms Team for their excellent work in this regard. A web story has also been published with all associated links and can be accessed here

We believe it is imperative that Postmasters’ voices are heard to make sure those Senior Directors who were responsible for ruining the lives of so many are fully held to account for their actions in the Horizon scandal. Therefore, Branches are urged to give wide publicity to this activity via all available channels including social media.

Parliamentary Questions – 1st February 2021

Interestingly, the following two questions was tabled by Kevan Jones Labour MP for North Durham:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) Post Office or (b) his Department (i) has taken or (ii) plans to take, any legal
action against Fujitsu following the civil litigation case Alan Bates and Others and Post Office Limited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Post Office has to seek financial compensation from Fujitsu in response to the costs incurred in the civil litigation case Alan Bates and Others and Post Office Limited.

Paul Scully, BEIS Minister provided the following identical answer to both questions:

While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The details regarding contracts with Fujitsu and seeking financial compensation, are an operational matter for Post Office Limited.

The Department has not taken, and has no plans to take, any legal action against Fujitsu.

EDM 593: Judge-led public inquiry into the Horizon scandal

It is good to report in recent weeks there has been a significant increase to the number of signatures to this EDM regarding Horizon, which we previously highlighted to Branches in various LTBs including 311/20. The EDM now has 137 signatures and I am grateful to those Branches and Representatives who have promoted this topical EDM to their MPs and wider political circles. However, in the absence of a proper judicial inquiry, the Union believes we should engage with the only vehicle currently open to us, meaning we will continue to participate in Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry.

The parliamentary questions above, together with the EDM demonstrate that the Horizon scandal remains very much under the microscope from politicians.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 037/21 – Post Office – Postmasters – Horizon Inquiry – Have Your Say

ROYAL MAIL CONSULTATIVE BALLOT – RMG AND CWU KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT (THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE) – BALLOT RESULTS

Please see below the result for the above named ballot.ResultFOR53,99891.5%AGAINST5,0338.5%Number of eligible voters112,595Votes cast by post:38,671Votes cast online:20,384Total number of votes cast:59,055Turnout:52.4%Number of votes found to be invalid:24Total number of valid votes to be counted:59,031

This emphatic ‘Yes’ vote marks the end of an extremely testing two-year dispute with Royal Mail Group and we would like to place on record our sincere thanks to all of our Representatives and members for the invaluable contribution they have made to society as key workers but also for their outstanding and unflinching solidarity to each other and their union.

This collective strength has enabled us to defeat an ideology all too present in society today, where greed and profit is more important than service and culture. We now have an agreement that offers hope, growth, job security and the protection of a wonderful public service.

The race to the bottom, mass job losses and declining business strategy has been defeated and we now have a Royal Mail Group leadership that totally support this agreement and are committed to working with the CWU to redesign and grow this great public service.

Embracing change and creating a positive and mature mutual interest culture is at the heart of this agreement. Our members are the most trusted provider on the door step, customers have total confidence in their postal worker and we are and always have been an essential service.

This past year has proven beyond doubt the vital role postal workers have in society, from Covid test kits, vaccination appointments and keeping every business, government service and household connected, our members have delivered against the greatest odds.

• We have always known the value of the service our members provide to society.
• We know what a modern universal service looks like.
• We know what a decent job looks like.
• We know what the value of job security is for our members and their families.

We have fought for so long for a vision of the future and the right to shape it, this agreement gives us the opportunity to do that.

There is now a massive job ahead of us to deploy the terms of the agreement and ensure the mutual benefits are achieved – let’s start that work now.

Please ensure that these results are brought to the urgent attention of the members of your Branch.

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 038/21 – ROYAL MAIL CONSULTATIVE BALLOT – RMG AND CWU KEY PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT (THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE) – BALLOT RESULTS

UNITED TECH AND ALLIED WORKERS (UTAW)

We are pleased to be able to inform you that since launching towards the end of last year, the new United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW) National Branch within the CWU – which seeks to represent and fight for workers interests in the expanding tech and digital sector – has just reached its initial membership target of 200 members!

As was highlighted in LTB 461/20, the CWU has for some time been a viable option for workers in the tech industry looking to unionise and already had members in the sector. The formation of the new branch and the recruitment efforts that have followed have sought to expand our existing membership and provide a dedicated space within which to organise and collectivise, to support and empower one another, to fight against exploitative business practices in the industry, and for the improvement of every member’s working conditions.

Please join us in warmly welcoming all new members to the UTAW branch of the CWU, and spread the word within your networks to help us further expand the CWU family and grow what is, without a doubt, the best fighting union in the country.

Attached to this LTB is a one-page info sheet for distribution to branch members. There are also graphics suitable to be shared on social media – these can be downloaded here 

Any enquiries relating to the above should be addressed to rodept@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis   Dave Ward
Head of Recruitment & Organising          General Secretary

LTB 035/21 – UNITED TECH AND ALLIED WORKERS (UTAW)

CWU United Tech and Allied Workers Branch

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NEC ELECTION TIMETABLE 2021

Please see below the timetable agreed by the NEC at their meeting on 21^st January 2021 for the NEC elections due this year.

Nominations Open:  20 May 2021

Nominations Close:  10 June 2021 (14:00)

Accept Nomination:  14 June 2021 (14:00)

(TFSE NEC/IE positions only)

Despatch ballot material:  6 July 2021  

Close of ballot:  3 August 2021 (first post)

Result:  5 August 2021

As you will see this timetable is scheduled for later in the year than would normally be the case.

The reason for this is that the NEC has agreed that there is a need to make further changes to the structure of the NEC to continue to address the issue of proportionality.

Given that the structure of the NEC is governed internally by the appropriate Rule and externally by legislation, then in order to implement any proposed changes we would need to make changes to the CWU Rule Book.  This in turn requires us to have such rule changes agreed by a conference of the Union.

Accordingly, we are in the process of making arrangements to have a CWU virtual conference to deal with this particular issue.

We anticipate that this conference will take place towards the end of April 2021.  Any changes agreed by that conference, either proposed by the NEC or by Branches will then be incorporated into the regulations for the NEC in time to meet the above timetable.

Branches will be aware that the issue of proportionality has been under consideration for some time and the NEC believe it is now time to make more progress at NEC level to address this issue.

Branches will be advised of the date of the conference, entitlement to motions, the timetable for submission of such rule change motions once these have been agreed following discussion with the Standing Orders Committee.

Additionally, the NEC will produce a report to Branches outlining the proposals they will be making and the rationale as to why these are being made.  In order that the NEC proposals can be explained and questions from Branches can be answered, we will be holding an online event in advance of the conference.  Again, Branches will be advised of the date of this event once arrangements have been finalised.

The purpose of this LTB is simply to give Branches the formal information of when the NEC election will take place.  All other aspects of the processes outlined above that will lead to that election will be forwarded to Branches in the coming weeks.

Any enquiries on the election timetable or the proposed Rules Revision Conference should be addressed to the SDGS Department sdgs@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 034/21

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POST OFFICE: POST OFFICE PENSION PLAN (DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
SCHEME) – FURTHER ONLINE PENSIONS SEMINARS FOR FEBRUARY

Further to LTB 397/20 dated 28th July 2020. Branches are advised that we have
continued our joint activities in conjunction with the Post Office and Unite in relation to
the Post Office Pension Plan (DC scheme).

These ongoing activities, which include working directly with the provider Scottish
Widows to arrange and deliver online pensions seminars for our members, are discussed
as part of our regular Governance Group meetings which I attend along with Mole
Meade, Postal Executive member and Lorna Pearson, Policy Advisor.

The latest seminars, which will take place during February, are on the subject of:

• Investment Choices – Wednesday 3rd (3pm) Tuesday 16th (9am)
• Pre-retirement Options – Thursday 4th (2pm) Wednesday 17th (10.30am)

Scheme members who are unable to attend the live seminars will be able to play back
the recorded session at their convenience.

A Joint Statement which also reminds members to keep their Expression of Wish and
Beneficiary forms up to date has been published today and is attached for information.
Branches and Representatives are asked to bring this matter to the attention of our
Post Office members.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB 033/21 – Post Office – Post Office Pension Plan (DC Schme) – Further Online Pensions Seminars for February

Attachment 1 to LTB 033/21 – Joint Statement

Attachment 2 to LTB 033/21 – Nomination Of Beneficiary Form

Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 30 – January-February 2021

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 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.

The GJA AGM will take place on Monday 2 February: Celebrating 10 years of the Greener Jobs Alliance

All CWU Reps are invited to register and join the event and the guest speaker is Paul Nowak, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC. The GJA celebrates a decade of work pushing the green jobs and skills agenda after being set up in 2010. The GJA has supported unions and environmental organisations with their newsletters, courses, and advocacy throughout this period. The AGM is an open meeting but requires registration to receive the ‘Zoom Link’ and documentation.

Greener Jobs Alliance AGM

Tuesday 2 February from 1.30 – 3.00pm

Register here: https://www.greenerjobsalliance.co.uk

There will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the ‘Path to a zero-carbon economy’ and help GJA set their priorities for 2021.

Newsletter 30 – The GJA’s January/February newsletter has been published following the flurry of Government activity around the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ announcements. In November last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson broadcast to the nation his ‘10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ but what’s missing pointed out the GJA is a strategic plan to reach net zero by 2050 and the public investment in jobs and skills to match. The UK, which is hosting important UN climate negotiations (COP 26) in 2021, is under national and international pressure to deliver an ambitious climate strategy that shows leadership, setting the bar high as countries around the world come to the table to pledge greater climate ambition. It’s not only unions that have been critical of the plan. E3G a European think tank has also commented on the weaknesses https://www.e3g.org/news/green-without-the-recovery/.

This Tory government has been keen to adopt terms like ‘green industrial revolution’ and ‘build back better’ as part of its posturing on the recovery from the pandemic. On the 18th January, Prime Minister Johnson unveiled the ‘Build Back Better Council’ made up of bankers, oil giants and aviation firms. Unions, social justice campaigners and environmentalists have challenged the exclusion of worker representatives and climate experts from the new 30-member body, intended to ‘unlock investment’ and ‘level up the UK’. The TUC has proposed a joint National Recovery Council, which the Government ignored. “We have significant expertise in industry and business and I know many employers who agree that it is not just foolish to exclude unions from these bodies – many see it as the Government adopting an anti-union position. It’s indicative of how they see unions, like the cuts to the Union Learning Fund.” The Government’s ‘Build Back Better Council’ fronted up Bernard Looney, the CEO of BP, at the launch, who said, “I am a big believer in British business and the Prime Minister’s push to create a cleaner, greener, more inclusive economy.” The irony is that BP is ranked as one of the world-beating polluters.

Labour launched its own plan for a Green Economic Recovery, calling for £30bn of spending over the next 18 months to create 400,000 new green jobs. This plan seems more focused on the here and now, the need to take swift action to deal with the economic fall-out from the pandemic and to kick start the work on the climate crisis. Even so, whether Labour is putting out short term plans or a full length strategy, the GJA believe it is essential for the Labour Party to keep focused on the radical building blocks needed to tackle the climate crisis.

What’s needed is a coherent strategy on green jobs and skills.

A copy of the GJA Newsletter No. 30 is attached.

Contents of GJA Newsletter No 30:

1. Editorial: ‘Government falls at the first hurdle of Build Back Better’.
2. GJA AGM Monday 2 February: 10 years of the Greener Jobs Alliance.
3. ‘Develop sectoral, local and regional green jobs strategies’ GJA tells Parliamentary jobs inquiry.
4. TUC’s ambitions for the Green Jobs Taskforce.
5. Green Jobs Now.
6. Just Transition reports from across the globe.
7. All roads lead to Glasgow.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 032/21 – Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 30 – January-February 2021

GJA-Newsletter-JanFeb-2021-No30