1. A live update from Terry Pullinger https://www.facebook.com/ThecommunicationsUnion/videos/532986837331859/?vh=e&d=n
2. We have re-issued the hugely impactful GLS video on Facebook and twitter https://www.facebook.com/981299138616232/posts/2818220774924050/?vh=e&d=n
3. A draft of the first home mailing (postcard) has been completed and will land with members this weekend.

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National Briefing – Wednesday 26th February 2020 – Parcelforce Hub & Depot Representatives

Branches are advised that a National Briefing for the above representatives will be held on Wednesday 26th February 2020 to provide colleagues with an update on latest developments in the Royal Mail Group dispute relating to Parcelforce Worldwide.

The Briefing will be held at the Communication Workers Union H.Q., 150, The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1RX, commencing at 11:00 am and concluding no later than 15:00 pm.

The following Representatives are invited to attend the Briefing:

Parcelforce Regional Organisers

Parcelforce Hub Representatives

Parcelforce Depot Representatives

Parcelforce Admin Representatives

Branches should note that this briefing is exclusive to Parcelforce representatives due to the limited capacity of the conference rooms at CWU HQ. Colleagues can however be assured that they will be fully briefed on the Parcelforce developments at the National briefing taking place on the 27th February.

At the time of drafting this notification I can report that dialogue is continuing with Parcelforce as to the status of the release, i.e: paid or unpaid; further information in this regard will be circulated in due course. The important point however is to maximise the attendance of our Parcelforce Representatives on the 26th February, therefore release applications should be submitted on receipt of this LTB.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department quoting reference 24000 or PNQD Department reference 054.04.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger                                                              Davie Robertson

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                           Assistant Secretary

LTB 083-20 – National Briefing – Wednesday 26th February 2020

Joint Review of Annual Leave Arrangements – Update Purchased Annual Leave

Despite the turbulent period that we are in and the current dispute with Royal Mail, we recognise that matters related to contractual and purchased annual leave are key issues for our members. Therefore, the CWU has continued to attempt to address the difficulties related to annual leave, Branches will be aware that activity has been taking place in conjunction with this and in relation to the Joint Review of Annual Leave Arrangements. This has been undertaken in order to establish the exact levels of outstanding Annual Leave that exist and is owed to our members (LTBs 566/18 and 409/19 refer).

As a result of the activity that has taken place it has been identified that as at February 2020,
approximately 1,750 employees had in excess of 10 days outstanding of additional Purchased Leave, which is of course paid for via deductions from individual salaries.

Clearly this indicates that in some instances employees, many of whom are our members, are paying to purchase additional annual leave which they are not receiving and this is of concern to the union and the business.

The Royal Mail policy allows individuals to carry forward 5 days of annual leave from one year to the next. While we understand that some people may wish to build up annual leave in anticipation of specific events, to carry forward anything in excess of the 5 days requires agreement from their line manager.

The business has therefore advised the Union that from the 17th February 2020 they will be writing to employees who purchase additional annual leave and who are likely to have leave in excess of 10 days to carry forward into the next financial year, to invite them to a discussion with their line manager and CWU representative to:

• Agree their leave card is accurate.
• Discuss whether purchasing leave is still their wish.
• Agree a reasonable period to use their accrued leave, which meets with the mutual interest principles of allocation for individuals and the business.

A draft copy of this letter is attached to this LTB for your information.

While the 5-day policy will be highlighted, the main aim of the discussion will be to determine whether in light of any outstanding leave that may exist, the continued purchase of additional annual leave is desired by the individual.

The activity will conclude by the 29th February 2020, which is the PSP cutoff date for opting in/out of purchasing additional annual leave.

Those opting out of purchasing additional annual leave will see their deductions cease at the end of this financial year. They will then return to normal pay and their leave entitlement will be revised to normal contractual leave, plus any outstanding leave from the 2019/20 leave year that is to be taken in the 2020/21 leave year.

Individuals who decide to opt out at this time may opt back in between October 2020 and February 2021, if they wish.

To ensure that the members are supported during the above process and that local representatives are aware of the activity, Branches are requested to circulate this LTB to their representatives at the earliest opportunity.

In addition to the above, progress has also been made in relation to employees purchasing additional leave who increase their contracted hours, e.g. at Christmas, to ensure that they receive the appropriate level of leave commensurate with the higher deductions that are made from their pay during such periods. The current situation is that there will be a manual adjustment made on PSP to ensure that individuals are credited with the appropriate level of additional leave as a result of any increased deductions.

However, due to the current industrial climate there has been no progress in relation to increasing the purchased leave ceiling from 6 to 7 weeks. Any developments in relation to this issue will be communicated to Branches in due course.

Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 703.01.

or

Mark Baulch, Assistant Secretary, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference number: 445.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

Mark Baulch

Assistant Secretary

LTB 082.20 – Joint Review of Annual Leave Arrangements – Update Purchased Annual Leave

Excessive Leave and POAL Letter

Four Pillars – Honouring our Agreement: Local Industrial Action Ballot Requests

Further to LTB 059/20 dated 4th February 2020 that contained the timetable for the national industrial action ballot, I am writing to advise Branches on the current situation concerning local ballot requests.

Branches will be aware that since the timetable was first published, the DGS(P) Department has been concentrating our efforts on ensuring that we will be in a position to issue the national industrial action notice to ballot on 25th February 2020. This ongoing work is being carried out in conjunction with both the General Secretary and SDGS Departments. Throughout this time however, the Postal Executive has continued to consider and endorse requests for local industrial action ballots for matters that are not directly linked to the current dispute.

In relation to local industrial action ballots that have been requested due to the current management executive action, these continue to be received and will be processed but we are clearly prioritising the national ballot.

In a recent Podcast Question and Answer Session with major Shareholders, Royal Mail Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Stuart Simpson was asked the following question by an individual from JP Morgan concerning the current approach to executive action by Royal Mail Group – “At what point do you think you may look to change strategy in terms of how you’re approaching the union, go for a bit more of a collaborative approach rather than you taking executive action. At what point might you look to compromise to resolve the impasse?”

In his response, Stuart Simpson said – “But actually we can keep just pressing on and that is what we’re doing and of course the union can then raise local disputes. They haven’t done so at the minute, we’ve got many offices going through change and we haven’t had a local ballot on it yet”.

Branches will recall that when I met with the business in January 2020, I made a request that executive action was stood down in order to de-escalate tensions and therefore provide the appropriate atmosphere for difficult negotiations. This was rejected and Stuart Simpson has now publicised the position of Royal Mail Group.

Stuart Simpson is however under the false impression that the executive action is not being opposed locally. I corrected this during a Facebook Live Session on 12th February 2020 where I outlined the fact that local ballot requests are being received in response to executive action and highlighted one in particular. Additionally, in correspondence with the Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer Achim Dunnwald, I have highlighted the fact that at CWU Headquarters we continue to deal with a growing number of local ballot requests.

I must reiterate that it is not the case that local ballot requests are not being submitted in response to executive action and Branches are encouraged to continue to maximise ballot requests where such action has been notified.

This is indeed the only process to ensure that Branches will be able to challenge executive action going forward and local ballot requests will continue to be progressed as soon as possible.

May I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to our members’ discipline in the face of such immediate and intense local managerial provocation designed to undermine our legal and democratic right to protest by withdrawing our labour.

Never Give Up.

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 081-20 – Four Pillars – Honouring our Agreement Local Industrial Action Ballot Requests

Royal Mail Group Coronavirus Guidance Advice, Frequently Asked Questions and Answers and Work Time Listening and Learning Brief (Feb 2020):

This update to Branches and Regions follows LTBs 033/20, 043/20, 054/20, 063/20 and 071/20.

RMG Updated Communication:

Royal Mail Group has been closely following the guidance of Public Health England, the World Health Organisation and Chief Medical Officers amongst others, to provide the latest advice throughout the business on preventative measures and to minimise the risks to the workforce.

The latest advice is being issued via the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Business Partners and Advisors to all Office Managers and Persons in Charge (PiCs) through internal communication channels. (See attached copy of the WTLL and the Q&A documents).

Travel Advice:

Public Health England is advising that people who have travelled to the UK from (or travelled through) mainland China (excluding Wuhan or Hubei Province), Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and are experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, they are to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild. [In Scotland phone the GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours. If in Northern Ireland, call 0300 200 7885.] Employees should also inform their line manager.

In the interests of employee health, RMG is strongly recommending that employees do not travel to China and review the latest travel advice from Public Health England before any travel likely to take them to designated areas of higher risk.

Basic Hygiene

As with good winter health practice, it is important that everyone follows basic hygiene techniques. Wash hands regularly particularly after using the toilets or before eating. Regularly clean with antiseptic wipes any shared equipment such as keyboards, PDA’s and Scanners. Employees with a cold, dispose of any tissues immediately and try to cough into an elbow rather than into hands.

RMG First Class Support

RMG wish to remind all of the workforce that First Class Support is a free 24/7 confidential support helpline 0800 6888 777 providing a range of support services including health, counselling, debt and legal advice and practical help.

Anyone with concerns or questions relating to their own health and the Coronavirus should call NHS 111 or their GP for advice.

Anyone unsure about the PHE guidance for travellers, or if they have returned from an identified high risk area, should call NHS 111 or speak to their GP for reassurance of the action they need to take before returning to work and they should keep their manager fully informed.

CWU Reps can direct managers with questions or enquiries to the RMG SHE‎ Business Partner.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

20LTB080 RMG Coronavirus Guidance Advice, FAQs and Answers and WTLL Brief (Feb 2020)

Coronavirus Guidance – SHE Business Partners Questions and Answers 13.02.20

Coronavirus WTLL 2020

Royal Mail/CWU Road Safety Campaign Week – “Tyre Safety” – Monday 24 February to Friday 28 February 2020:

Introduction

Royal Mail Group has announced the first Road Safety Campaign of 2020, which will be about raising awareness of the importance, to all drivers, of correct tyre maintenance and the dangers of defective and illegal tyres whilst driving Royal Mail vehicles.  The campaign will concentrate on key messages to drivers and managers with the emphasis on how important it is for drivers to ensure that vehicles are safe to drive by checking the tyres before commencing their driving work duties.

Background

While it might sound like an elementary campaign title, first-hand evidence underlines the fact that there is still a need for basic education of a significant proportion of drivers. There may be a minority who choose to ignore road safety messages but there’s good reason to believe a far larger number would act on the advice, if they were made aware of it. This February’s Tyre Safety campaign covers routine tyre safety checks and maintenance: air pressure; condition; and tread depth. The campaign seeks to encourage drivers to check their tyres before commencing their driving duty as part of their pre-use checks and we want ASRs to help get the message out – ‘Don’t Ignore Your Tyres – Check Them’:

Things To Check:

• Air pressure: Is at the recommended setting.
• Condition: Lumps or bulges, cuts and cracks may mean the tyre may need replacing.
• Tread depth: Should be checked to ensure it is above the minimum limit.

Some Tyre Facts:

• 40% of fatal or serious RTCs are caused by defective tyres.
• In the last 9 months, Royal Mail breakdown providers removed over 1,700 illegal tyres from Royal Mail and Parcelforce vehicles.
• That doesn’t include illegal tyres removed by RMG Fleet Workshops.
• The legal limit for tyre tread is 1.6mm, or 1.0mm for 3.5t and above. Royal Mail’s policy is to change tyres at 2mm. 
• The maximum penalty for a driver caught driving with illegal tyres is a £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points per tyre. 
• In wet conditions, tyres with only 1mm of tread can take 23% further to stop, than with 2mm at 50mph.
• Driving with under or over-inflated tyres can ‘dangerously’ affect the braking distance and steering of the vehicle.

CWU ASR Activity Guide & Checklist (Attached):

By following the daily activity guide and checklist, carrying out Safety Inspections at selected Offices, and speaking to our drivers/members during w/c 24^th February ASRs can play a key role in helping to raise the profile of ‘Tyre Safety’ during Road Safety Week for our members’ benefit by helping keep Royal Mail and Parcelforce drivers safe.

During the week, which is fully supported by the CWU/HQ Health, Safety & Environment Department, CWU ASRs will be fully involved and consulted in this Road Safety Week Campaign.  CWU/ASR full support and participation is much appreciated by Royal Mail, Parcelforce Worldwide, RMSS, RMP&FS and CWU HQ.

Benefits of the Campaign:

• Improved compliance with RMG Policy and Road Traffic Law.
• Increase awareness amongst drivers and managers.
• Reduction in Road Traffic Collisions.

ASRs Should Agree With Operational Managers, Which Units Will Be Inspected And Jointly Supported During The Road Safety/Tyre Safety Campaign, And:

• Assist the Front-Line Manager in delivering the WTLL.
• Carry out additional safety inspection and spot check activities to increase awareness.
• Start carrying out tyre checks on all vehicles ahead of Road Safety Week.
• Remind drivers to carry out their safety checks before they set out on their journeys.

Engage CWU/Member Drivers:

• Use the Road Safety Campaign materials (attached) to talk to drivers about the importance of tyre safety and carrying out vehicle pre-use safety checks.
• Check that drivers have received the WTLL briefing on tyre safety (attached).
• Check drivers have seen the poster and leaflets (attached).
• Ask Drivers – Do they follow Royal Mail policy on vehicle safety checks – including tyre checks?
• Remind drivers of the Fleet Customer Helpline number: 0345 266 0005 and to select option 4for tyres.  Royal Mail Group’s tyre provider, NFS will then either direct drivers to their local workshop or NFS site.

Engage Front Line Managers And Ask them:

• What activities have they completed for the Tyre Safety campaign?
• Have they made all drivers aware of the actions they need to take?

Attachments:

• ASR ‘Tyre Safety’ Activity Guide & Checklist
• Road Safety Week/Tyre Safety Campaign Plan
• Tyre Safety Campaign Power Point Slide
• Tyre Safety WTLL For Road Safety Week(draft)
• Tyre Safety Leaflet
• Tyre Safety Poster

Thanks for your support and assistance.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

20LTB078 Royal Mail CWU Road Safety Campaign Week – Tyre Safety – Monday 24 February to Friday 28 February 2020

ROYAL MAIL LEAFLET DROP – FINAL V4 – 6th Feb

ROYAL MAIL TYRE DEPTH POSTER – FINAL V4 – 6th Feb

RS Campaign One Pager – Tyre Safety – FINAL V2

Slide for Tyre Safety – FINAL V2

Tyre Safety February 2020 ASR – FINAL V2

WTLL February Road Safety Week -Tyres – Feb 2020 V2 (MB edits)

Lots of info out today but this one is vital. A video from SDGS Tony Kearns urging branches to return updates membership lists as a matter of urgency.

This is vital.

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