Anglia Divisional Update
Election of Postal Constituency Positions 2019
Election of Postal Constituency Positions 2019
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- National Executive Council Members (Section 1)
Following the publication of LTB 353/19 dated 11th June 2019, notification has been received from Mole Meade of South East London Postal & Counters Branch advising of the withdrawal of his nomination for Postal Constituency NEC Representative (Section 1).
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
CHANGE OF STARTING POINT 15 JUNE – GRENFELL SECOND ANNIVERSARY
CHANGE OF STARTING POINT 15th JUNE – GRENFELL SECOND ANNIVERSARY
Further to LTB 335/19 please note that there is a new starting point for the March on Saturday 15thJune which is now Whitehall, opp Downing St, London SW1A 1AA.
The details for the silent walk in North Kensington on the 14th June are the same. For further information please find attached a flyer and a programme of events for both dates.
We would ask branches to publicise these events to members and any queries on the contents of the LTB should be directed to gsoffice@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
General Secretary
19LTB368 – CHANGE OF STARTING POINT 15th JUNE – GRENFELL SECOND ANNIVERSARY
CWU Retired Members Conference – Wednesday 23 October 2019
CWU Retired Members Conference – Wednesday 23rd October 2019
The CWU Retired Members Conference will be held on Wednesday 23rd October 2019 at the Birmingham CWU Offices, 46-48 Summer Lane, Hockley, Birmingham B19 3TH.
We expect that the timetable for the submission of motions to be sent to Branches in early July.
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Chris Tapper either by post to head office or by email to conferences@cwu.org
Yours sincerely,
A P Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
19LTB367 – CWU Retired Members Conference – Wednesday 23rd October 2019
ACAS Stress and Anxiety at Work Survey Report 2019
ACAS Stress and Anxiety at Work Survey Report 2019:
ACAS – What They Do
ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service is a Crown, non-departmental public body of the government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong industrial relations practice. ‘ACAS Workplace Policy’ helps inform and influence the debate on a range of critical employment, industrial and economic issues. ACAS has important relationships with a range of key stakeholders throughout government and across industry and they aim to help shape new policy. They offer balanced analysis of topical issues at work, covering everything which impacts on working lives, including mental health.
Report Background
This short 12 page report is written by Adrian Wakeling and reports on the results of a new survey on workplace stress and anxiety. The views expressed in this ACAS Workplace Report/Policy Paper are those of the author and not the ACAS Council.
Introduction
In October 2017, the government published its review of mental health and employers, ‘Thriving at work’ produced by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer (MIND CEO) which set out what they described as a “wholly realistic” vision that by 2027, “employees in all types of employment should have “good work”, which contributes positively to their mental health, our society and our economy”. Achieving this vision of mental health at work, they believe, is based upon having the right tools, raising awareness and building confidence.
In September 2018, ACAS published a ‘Framework for Positive Mental Health at Work’ which reflects both the “core” and “enhanced mental health standards” set out in the Stevenson/Farmer review. This includes the importance of “good working conditions”, “effective people management”, and “open conversations about mental health”. It is ACAS’s experience that delivering complex and cultural changes requires an approach built on the engagement of all workplace players. The ACAS framework reflects this with its emphasis on making mental health a shared responsibility, involving employers, managers and individuals.
Against this backdrop of a high-level vision for mental health, ACAS commissioned a YouGov poll to find out more about individuals’ current experience of mental wellbeing at work, specifically what are the causes and reactions to stress and anxiety in the workplace.
Prevalence, causes and solutions
The ACAS survey found that two-thirds (66%) of employees have felt stressed and/or anxious about work in the last 12 months. This reflects findings of several other recent surveys, such as those carried out by BITC, CIPD and ‘Simplyhealth’ which states that 37% of organisations have seen an increase in stress-related absence, and nearly three-fifths an increase in the number of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
The ACAS report found that feeling stressed and/or anxious about work is more common in younger employees (76% under the age of 35) than older workers (54% aged 55 and over),
and at a time when the UK’s culture of long working hours seems to be dominating the headlines, the causes of stress identified in the ACAS survey are very familiar, with workload (60%), the way people are managed (42%) and balancing work and home life (35%) the chief culprits.
Key findings
- Two-thirds of employees (66%) have felt stressed and/or anxious about work in the last 12 months, with particular variation by age – 76% for those under the age of 35, compared to 54% for those aged 55 and over.
- Less than 1-in-10 (8%) say their organisation is ‘very good’ at preventing employees from feeling stressed and/or anxious about work.
- The most commonly cited cause of stress and/or anxiety for employees is their workload (60%), followed by the way they are managed (42%) and balancing home and work life (35%).
- Employees who feel stressed tend to take time out to manage it, such as having a cup of tea or going for a walk (41%). More than a quarter (28%) don’t do anything, and the same proportion use annual leave, with far fewer (15%) opting to take sick leave.
- A third (33%) of employees think that ‘a reduced workload’ would help with feeling less stressed and/or anxious, followed by ‘better flexible working opportunities’ (26%) and ‘more clarity around what is required from me for my job role’ (23%).
- Less than half (43%) of employees would talk to their manager in the event of being stressed and/or anxious at work, and more than one-in-five (22%) would not talk to anyone at work.
- A large majority (72%) of employees think that it is a manager’s role to recognise and address stress and anxiety in the workplace; 60% said the same of an individual themselves; 31% think their colleagues; and 28% said HR.
*A copy of the report is attached.
ACAS Mental Health Framework
The ACAS mental health framework has been designed to support and enable employers, employees and line managers to create a thriving, healthy and productive workplace. The ‘Framework for Positive Mental Health at Work’ was published in September 2018. This, in their words, reflects both the “core” and “enhanced mental health standards” set out in the Stevenson/Farmer review. This includes the importance of “good working conditions”, “effective people management”, and “open conversations about mental health”. It is ACAS’s experience that delivering complex and cultural changes requires an approach built on the engagement of all workplace players. The ACAS framework aims to reflect this with its emphasis on making mental health a shared responsibility, involving employers, managers and individuals.
*A copy of the Framework is attached.
ACAS Guidance Links
- Mental health in the workplace
- Promoting positive mental health in the workplace
- Managing anxiety in the workplace
- Dealing with stress in the workplace
- Free e-learning on mental health awareness for employers
[Note: The Stevenson/Farmer ‘Thriving At Work Report’ is published in LTB 107/18 and the BITC Mental Health at Work Survey Report is published in LTB 412/18.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
19LTB365 ACAS Stress and Anxiety at Work Survey Report 2019
Joint Statement On the Realignment of Depot Customer Service Resource
Joint Statement On the Realignment of Depot Customer Service Resource
No.361/2019
12th June 2019
For the Immediate Attention of All:
Postal Branches
PFW Regional Organisers
PFW Representatives
Dear Colleagues
JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU ON THE REALIGNMENT OF DEPOT CUSTOMER SERVICE RESOURCE
Branches and representatives will be aware that in line with the commitments contained in the Parcelforce Annex of the Four Pillars agreement, review activity has been taking place under the Terms of Reference between Parcelforce Worldwide and the CWU for Customer Service Activity Across All Teams 2018/19 (LTB 345/18 refers).
Initial review activity in line with the aforementioned Terms of Reference has already resulted in a Joint Statement being agreed in 2018 for a framework to enable the reintroduction of the Mystery Shopper and Call Coaching.
In addition to the above, analysis has been taking place via the Table of Success Customer Service Joint Working Group (CSJWG) in relation to the realignment of Customer Service resource to provide a more professional and effective customer experience. The recommendation that has been provided by the CSJWG has indicated that it would be beneficial to have dedicated teams of Customer Service advisors and admin staff in depots.
Discussions have therefore been taking place with the business in relation to a Joint Statement to facilitate the realignment of activity, which has now been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive, a copy of which is attached for your information (Appendix A).
Branches and representatives will note that the attached document provides a defined list of responsibilities for each role and that a comprehensive, dedicated training package has been developed for Customer Service teams which will be delivered jointly.
Colleagues will of course be aware that Motion 96 reproduced below, was debated and carried at Annual Conference 2019:
Motion 96: This Conference instructs the Postal Executive to secure an agreement with Parcelforce that protects the job security of our admin CSP grades within our Depots.
This Conference agrees that the current proposals submitted by the business are not in the long term best interest of our Depot admin members and threatens the ethos of the CSP uni-grade (every member of staff can do any job for which they have been trained to do), by attempting to pigeon hole members into definitive roles.
The Postal Executive is therefore tasked to negotiate an agreement that offers the appropriate training to all admin grades which will lead to a more professional workforce within our Depot admin units.
The programme that has been developed and agreed in relation to the review activity will provide training for 334 advisors, which we believe is a major achievement in respect of the conference policy that was adopted.
The CSJWG will review the activity jointly in November 2019 to ensure that the realignment continues to support the forecasted levels of customer call demand going forward.
In addition to the Joint Statement a copy of the WTLL which is due to be briefed imminently, is also attached for information (Appendix B).
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 134.02
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
LTB 361-19 – JS Realignment of Depot Customer Service Resource
JS ON THE REALIGNMENT OF DEPOT CUSTOMER SERVICE RESOURCE
Cervical Screening Awareness Campaign Month – June 2016: PHE & Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Cervical Screening Awareness Campaign Month – June 2016: PHE & Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Following Motion 38 (2009) carried at the Union’s 2009 Conference, correspondence and meetings took place with ‘Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’ which established a long-standing working relationship, involving the CWU providing support and assistance to the Charity in raising awareness and providing better, easily accessed information for CWU members and their families, and at the same time supporting ‘Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’ campaigning objectives. Motion 6 (2019) was carried on the subject of Cervical Cancer Screening campaigning, however the Health, Safety & Environment department has been very active in campaigning on this issue for years. We will continue to support Cervical Screening Awareness raising campaigns and encourage Branches and Regions to cascade that support and awareness raising. We are additionally discussing with the major employers support for the ‘Time to Test’ campaign and encouraging women staff to attend screening.
The CWU has a strong, long-working link and relationship with ‘Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’ and we’ve supported the successful ‘HPV Vaccination campaign’, the ‘Put Yourself in The Picture’ campaign, the ‘Smear For Smear’ campaign and we are registered supporters of the ‘Time to Test’ campaign with the CWU Logo being the only Trade Union Logo on the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust supporters organisations Website Page! I have personally met Jo’s Sister and Jo’s Trust CEO Robert Music on several occasions in meetings and at lobbying events – both have thanked CWU for its support and asked me to pass their thanks on to our Reps, Branches and members.
Cervical Screening Awareness National Campaign led by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to women and their families affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities. Their aim is to offer information, support and friendship to women of all ages, to help them to understand the importance of cervical screening, and to provide their own personal brand of support if their screening shows up abnormalities or if they are diagnosed with cancer.
What is cervical screening (a smear test)?
Cervical screening is a free health test that helps prevent cervical cancer. It checks for cell changes (abnormal cells) on your cervix caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). It is not a test for cancer.
You might hear cervical screening being called a smear test. This is just a different name for the same test.
In the UK, Women are automatically invited for cervical screening if they are:
- between the ages of 25 to 64
- registered as female with a GP surgery.
Women are invited:
- every 3 years between age 25 and 49
- every 5 years between age 50 and 64.
Women may get their first invite up to 6 months before turning 25 and an appointment can be booked as soon as the invite is received.
It is very rare to develop cervical cancer:
- under the age of 25
- over the age of 64, if a woman has had regular cervical screening.
Any woman worried about any symptoms, should get them checked by their doctor or nurse, whatever their age.
Cervical Screening – Why is it important?
Cervical screening prevents 75% of cervical cancers from developing in the UK yet one in four women do not attend cervical screening when invited. Not going for cervical screening is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer.
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme has made a significant impact on cervical cancer mortality since it was established in 1988, saving an estimated 5,000 lives a year. However, women attending for Cervical Screening is at a 20-year low. Figures published by NHS Digital show that the percentage of eligible women (aged 25 to 64) attending for screening has dropped to 71%. The national target for cervical screening coverage is 80% with coverage at its lowest amongst those women aged 25 – 35. Earlier this year Public Health England launched its first ever national multimedia cervical screening campaign. See LTB No. 228/2019 dated 12 April 2019 on the PHE ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives Campaign’.
The Campaign target audience is all eligible women aged 25 – 64.
The campaign aims are to:
- Highlight the risks of cervical cancer.
- Highlight the preventative benefits of the often misunderstood screening test.
- Encourage women of all ages to respond to their screening invitation.
- Encourage women to consider booking an appointment if they have missed previous invitations.
- Aim to tackle barriers to screening highlighted by research, issues such as fear and embarrassment.
The PHE Campaign launched earlier this year in March and the Jo’s Trust Campaign this month focus is on all things to do with Cervical Cancer including information about symptoms and causes of the disease, ways to prevent it and importantly encouraging women to attend screening.
Did you know?
- 3,000 women a year are diagnosed with Cervical Cancer yet there are steps women can take to prevent it from affecting them. Despite this in the UK 30% of women do not take up their invitation for cervical screening. Raising public awareness of cervical cancer prevention is more necessary than ever.
- Every day in the UK 9 women are diagnosed – 3000 a year and 2 women die of cervical cancer every day – 750 a year.
- Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease.
- In the UK, cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.
- The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are:
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- Bleeding between periods, after sexual intercourse.
- Post-menopausal bleeding, if you are not on HRT or have stopped it for six weeks.
- Smelly discharge from the vagina.
- Discomfort during sexual intercourse.
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- Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a common virus called Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
- You can catch the virus, called HPV as soon as you start having intimate relationships.
- Cervical screening and HPV vaccination are the best ways to reduce your risk of getting cervical cancer.
- HPV vaccination protects against two types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers.
- Screening in England and Northern Ireland starts at 25 and ends at 64, in Wales it is 20 to 64 and Scotland 20 to 60*.
- Smoking increases your risk of getting cervical cancer.
What You Can Do
The Health, Safety & Environment Department wants all Branches and Health and Safety Reps to get involved and help us raise awareness. Branches and Reps can run campaigns and activities locally at a time when it suits them. It doesn’t have to be at any specific time or date. Raising awareness in your Branch area is often one of the best and most effective ways of reaching a high number of members and planning it in your programme is probably the best way of going about it.
Examples of how you could reach and raise awareness amongst members in your local branch area include:
- Display Public Health England or Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust posters and leaflets in Offices, Depots.
- Distribute leaflets in Offices and Depots.
- Ask local management to allow posters to be put up e.g., in women’s toilets etc.
- Run a stand or tables with leaflets at your branch area Offices, Depots etc.
- Organise an event with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust – invite a speaker from the Charity.
- Articles on Branch Websites and in Branch Magazines.
Order Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust publications and Materials to display and hand out
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust can send you materials to display and hand out or you can download your own from the Charity’s resource centre. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has a series of comprehensive materials available for you to download. The materials are organised into two categories: fundraising and information. All the factsheets have been refereed by members of their expert medical panel. If you want to order hard copies of any of their campaign materials, please fill in a materials order form or download a form and send your order to:
– See all the available materials and resources at this Website link:-
https://www.jostrust.org.uk/shop/information
– Email to: publications@jostrust.org.uk
More Information
If you want more information contact Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust:-
Postal address:
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust,
CAN Mezzanine,
7-14 Great Dover Street,
London, SE1 4YR
You can phone the Jo’s Trust office on: 020 3096 8100You can Email at: info@jostrust.org.uk
The Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Helpline for members is 0808 802 8000
The Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust helpline is open regularly throughout the week. It’s an opportunity to talk things through with someone who cares. All of the volunteers on the helpline have experience of either cervical cancer or cervical abnormalities and they have all received training to provide information and support on a very wide range of topics.
Attachments:
- A Smear Test Lasts 5-Minutes Poster
- Cervical Screening Fact Sheet (Jo’s Trust)
- NHS Cervical Cancer Screening Leaflet
- Spread The Word – Cervical Cancer Symptoms Poster (Jo’s Trust)
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
19LTB360 Cervical Screening Awareness Campaign Month – June 2016 PHE & Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Men’s Health Month June 2019 – Raising Awareness of Key Numbers For Men
Men’s Health Month June 2019 – Raising Awareness of Key Numbers For Men:
During Men’s Health Month 2019, the Men’s Health Forum are raising awareness of:
- 7 numbers that all men need to know and
- 5 statistics that policy-makers and service-providers need to know if they’re to reach men effectively.
For men who want to get to know their numbers better, the Forum is also publishing Man MOT, a new interactive mini-manual that enables men to check their own health and then challenges them to do better.
Man MOT has 25 health challenges in total.
Key numbers for men:
- 37 – a waist size of 37 inches or above puts you at increased of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
- 150 – men should aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
- 5 – we should aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
- 14 – maximum 14 units of alcohol a week.
- 10 – cigarette smokers die 10 years younger on average than non-smokers.
- 120/80 – normal blood pressure.
- 75 – 75% of suicides (3 out of 4) are by men.
Key numbers for policy-makers and service providers:
- 1 man in 5 dies before the age of 65.
- 2 men in 5 die before the age of 75.
- 3 out of 4 suicides are by men.
- Men in unskilled work are 3 times more likely to take their own lives than men in senior management.
- The richest men live on average 10 years longer than the least well-off men. Richer area = longer life.
THE MHF MESSAGE:
One man in five dies before he is old enough to retire. Together, by knowing our numbers, we can change this statistic.
For Men’s Health Month 2019, the Men’s Health Forum has pulled out the key numbers. There are seven numbers and five statistics they want all men to know including the male life-expectancy gap in their area. At the Men’s Health Forum, men of all ages, policy-makers and service-providers alike all ask what they can do to improve men’s health. Knowing a few simple numbers can make all the difference. To take it further, the MHF new interactive manual ‘Man MOT- DIY checks and challenges’ helps men put those numbers to work monitoring their own health and living healthier lives. Man MOT is a new interactive manual built around knowing your numbers, that enables men to check their own health and then challenges them to do better. Easy to use – 25 health challenges in total.
A copy of the Men’s Health Forum Mini-Manual Booklet order form is attached.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
19LTB359 Men’s Health Month June 2019 – Raising Awareness of Key Numbers For Men
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 