Workers Memorial Day 2019 – Sunday 28 April 2019 “Dangerous Substances – Get Them Out Of The Workplace”

The ITUC have now confirmed the theme for the 2019 International Workers Memorial Day which is held on 28^th April each year. The theme is “dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace”.

The focus will mainly be on carcinogens but Unions, Regions, Branches and Reps can adapt the theme to whatever is most relevant in the workplace or areas where members work and hazardous substances they may face, as many substances can also cause illnesses such as asthma or dermatitis.

Two important issues are of course Asbestos and Diesel Exhaust Fumes, and the TUC has useful guides on both of them and there is also a TUC guide on Workplace Cancers. (Copies are attached).

Other ideas suggested may be dust, cleaning fluids or other chemicals.

As Branches, Health and Safety Reps and Regional Health and Safety Forums will know, the Union has, in four of the last five years, commemorated Workers Memorial Day (WMD) at ‎ Annual Conference as WMD fell during Conference Week after the move of Conference to the end of April. This will occur again this year.

This year WMD occurs on the Sunday of the week, on General Conference day and arrangements are being made to commemorate WMD at Conference. Those Branch Reps and Officers not attending CWU Conference will be able to participate and support WMD events around the UK and will need to note this and make local arrangements to attend the many events taking place across the UK.

Once again the CWU will continue its support of this important commemorative day in the calendar and would urge CWU Branches, Reps and Regions to give their support to local and regional WMD events as above.

The purpose behind Workers’ Memorial Day has always been to “Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living” and the TUC, the Hazards Campaign, FACK and all the nation’s Unions will be focusing on both areas, by considering memorial and health and safety events to commemorate the day and remember all those killed at work or through work but at the same time ensuring that we continue to do all we can to make sure such tragedies are not repeated.

That can best be done by building trade union organisation, recruiting members, pressing employers to invoke better health and safety standards and risk controls and campaigning for stricter enforcement by the HSE and Local Authorities with higher court penalties for those employers and bosses breaching health and safety laws.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.

In 2019 the theme for the day is “dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace” and will focus on the risks to workers and the toll of occupational illnesses caused by exposure to toxic substances, fumes, dusts etc., inequalities in occupational health and the role Unions play in narrowing the gap.

The TUC is compiling a list of WMD events taking place across the country and the list will be updated over the coming weeks and circulated in due course. Some of these events will also feature a minute’s silence at noon, or a suitable time. Most will be on Sunday 28th April and some will take place on the weekend of 27th/28th April.

What CWU Reps can do:-

• Find out what is happening in your area on 28 April. Check with other Unions, Local Authorities, local Trades Councils, Health and Safety Campaign Groups, Hazards Campaign, the TUC Website WMD page and a general website search for events and activities which can signpost Reps and members to events they may be unaware of.
• Regional Health and Safety Forums may wish to organise their own event and activities on the day, for those not at CWU Conference, which can be a commemorative rally, a workplace meeting or just a small get-together and invite other Unions. Organise a minute’s silence in workplaces on the day.
• Ask the local council, or any other public body, to fly official flags at half-mast on the day.
• Remember that the day is officially recognised by the UK Government. That official recognition was given by Parliament under the Blair Labour Government.
• Arrange an event such as planting a memorial tree in a public place, putting up a plaque, dedicating a sculpture, a piece of art, or a bench, to remember workers who have been killed at the workplace or in the community.
• If those planning any events for the day want to raise awareness about Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April, then it is important you consider how you can best use local media both before and on the day.
• Ask local religious centres to include Workers Memorial Day in their worship on the day.
• Distribute purple ‘forget-me-not’ ribbons, the symbol of Workers Memorial Day.
• If those organising an event for Workers Memorial Day would like it displayed on the TUC dedicated WMD Webpage please email through the details to healthandsafety@tuc.org.uk
• For resources on Workers Memorial day including ribbons and car stickers please contact the Greater Manchester Hazards Centre at: mail@gmhazards.org.uk.

Attachments:

• TUC Asbestos Guide
• TUC Diesel Exhaust Fumes Guide
• TUC Workplace Cancers Guide

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB100 Workers Memorial Day – Sunday 28 April 2019 Dangerous Substances – Get Them Out Of The Workplace

Asbestos – time to get rid of it – Guide for reps May 2016 pdf_0

DieselExhaustWorkplace1

Occupational Cancer

Pat O’Hara – Former President, NEC Member and Postal Executive Chair

It is with great sadness that we let Branches, Representatives and members know that Pat O’Hara, former President, NEC member and Postal Executive Chair, passed away yesterday after a lengthy illness.

Pat was a great comrade, Trade Unionist and Activist of our union in every sense of the word.

He was a proud member of the Merseyside Amal Branch and served our members with great distinction at all levels of our organisation.

In the most difficult times we have faced we could not have had a better President/Chair of the union. It was during these moments, in our big dispute, that his real inner strength and wonderful sense of humour set him apart from others and kept the union moving forward.

Pat was also well known for his strong belief in family values and we will pass on the sincere condolences of the whole of the CWU to his wife Patsy and family.

We will notify Branches of the funeral arrangements in due course.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to gsoffice@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

19LTB099 – Pat OHara

The Communication Workers Union Eastern Number 5 Branch are proud to offer our full support and backing to Lisa Forbes for Peterborough.  Lisa is an experienced PPC in Peterborough who we have had the pleasure of working closely with as a trade union. Lisa is a proud working-class women who has the interest of all communities at the heart of all she does in Peterborough. She continues to work tirelessly for the people she has lived with and worked alongside in Peterborough therefore we believe she can hit the ground running.  As a trade union we believe that we need more people in Parliament with real life experienced like Lisa and the communities at their core values. We offer Lisa Forbes all our support and backing for Peterborough PPC.

Andy Beeby Branch Secretary CWU Eastern 5 Branch

 

RETIRED MEMBERS AGM REPORT & FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER 

 

Dear Colleagues

This report and newsletter reflects on what has happened in the past 12 months, and possibly what we have to look forward to in the coming months.

Firstly, my thanks must go to all who have supported me during the past months, right through from the Branch Officers and Committee, to the Retired Members who have assisted with the circulation of our newsletters. Also to all Retired Members who have given their input on how we can improve on Retired Membership and pensioner issues.

My personal thanks also to Dick Hewlett for his support and input, and finally, on behalf of the Branch, our best wishes to Pat Friskey and Mick Shill and thanks for all the hard work put in on our behalf.

The following items are for information, but will be open for debate and discussion at the Branch AGM on the 24th of February if you are coming.

 

BREXIT

Whatever personal preferences people made on Brexit, I don’t think it has portrayed democracy, politics or politicians in a very good light. I’ll leave it there, for as we speak, March the 29th has yet to arrive, and I suspect there are still many stop and start miles to go. Only then will we some idea of what the future holds.

 

UNIVERSAL PENSIONER BENEFITS

Although we are still in receipt of these benefits, there is pressure being brought to bear by some local authorities relating to the bus pass taking into account central government grants reducing year on year. We will continue the campaign to protect allthese benefits.

 

W.A.S.P.I.

Women against state pension inequality. This is a voluntary UK based organisation, working to achieve fair transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s, affected by the changes to the state pension laws.

There is an ongoing judicial review, but it is an issue we should support, and continue to support until its conclusion.

 

 

 

 

 

SOCIAL CARE FUNDING

This is a quotation from an NPC (National Pensioners Convention) circular.

‘The Unfairness of Social Care Funding’ ‘Everyone accepts that the social care system is in crisis, yet the government has delayed a Green Paper on the subject a staggering 6 times. Meanwhile, many older people and their families are struggling with a complicated and unfair means-tested system which treats them all differently’

As always, the argument will continue to be made around the ‘ageing population’ scenario, but as the quotation states, older people and their families are struggling with this issue. Perhaps there should be a call for an integrated NHS/Social care system to be introduced?

 

TV LICENSES FOR THE OVER 75s

This will still be a debatable subject until the conclusions of the BBC’s consultation exercise have been completed in February 2019. You can help as a Retired Member, or as a relative of an over 75 to enter the debate by going online to https://bbcconsultation.traverse.org.uk/  which will guide you to the questionnaire page giving you opportunity to have a say.

Or you can complete the enclosed letter, which details the arguments for the retention of the free license for the over 75’s, and then post it to your local MP.

 

HELPFUL ORGANISATIONS

Again there are many organisations that are a vital link to pensioners and highlight many of the problems being faced, such as avoiding scams, personal home security, how to access benefit claims for O.A.P’s, how we can tackle loneliness and many more. Age UK, the Salvation Army, and local Citizens Advice Bureaux’s has much of this information, and are well worth investigating. The CWU has information via their website on the Retired Members page, and also via the Retired Members supplementary issued with the Voice, this will include information on your pension, and how you can contact Union line for some legal advice.

 

CWU. NATIONAL. REGION. BRANCH

The Re-design conference last November has now concluded the financial and organisational framework for the Union which will be completed by way of the necessary rule changes which will be made at Annual Conference in April.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CWU/cont

Hopefully, the Eastern Region will endorse a proposed motion from the Regional Retired Members Committee to go forward to Annual Conference which will enable the Retired Members at the national level to be properly and equally represented at Region and National level.

At the Branch level, Chris Hunt has proposed two motions to go forward to Annual Conference, one which could allow the widow/widower/partner of a former Retired Member to retain a form of membership with the union which currently isn’t possible.  The second relates to a continuation of being a Retired Member without having to re-apply on retirement. Hopefully, both will be supported, butunfortunately, we cannot accept postal or proxy votes, you will have to attend the AGM if you would like to support them.

 

SUMMARY

Although we are Retired Members, we cannot vote tostrike on all of the problems in the outside world we face up to. What we can do is to continue to protest where and when we can in order to get our points across. I think we will have to strengthen our partnerships with the Labour party, the TUC and all other like–minded organisations sympathetic to OAP’s, so that we can be treated with dignity and respect, remembering the full working life financial investments we have made through our NI and Income Tax contributions.

We shall organising a future Retired Members meeting soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me through the Branch office if you think I can be of assistance.

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

Mick Goldsmith

 

 

 

                                                                                                

Processing Report for 2019

Annual General Meeting’s

 

 

General 

I would like to start this report by thanking those CWURepresentatives and Substitutes who have supported me and each other over the last year. I also thank those members of the CWU Eastern No5 Branch Committee for the supportthey have given me and last of all thanks go out to you our members who have patiently shown support and understanding in another testing year.

The Pay and Four Pillars Agreement (P&FPA) was in its infancy at last year’s AGM. A lot of time over the last 12months has been spent negotiating the many challenges that the agreement offered up, as well as all the normal day to day tasks that face the CWU Reps and members. 

An ever-growing aspect of the business, which we have reported on before, Is the change since privatisation on the business approach to our Royal Mail/CWU Joint National Agreements, which is putting increasing pressure on your CWU Representatives and you the members. It has become evident Managers are being directed to seek advice from HR Legal Advisors when dealing with the Attendance, Grievance, Conduct Code and Bullying and Harassment Procedures. Where pre-privatisation your Union Rep would represent you in front of your Manager and your Managerwould conduct the meetings making their own decisions on the circumstances set out before them. They are nowdirected to consult and adhere to the advice given by these advisors who offer advice purely from a legal point of view. This results in more issues of reviews in the Attendance Procedure and further than normal escalations of the Conduct Code and Bullying and Harassment Procedures,which the CWU feel is fundamentally wrong as this takes away the personal relationship between staff and Management which is against the spirit of our agreements.

 

Processing Re-alignment of Duty Structure

The year started with preliminary discussions around resourcing. We were originally approached by the Production Control Manager (PCM) with proposals torecruit twenty to thirty Anguard Casual conversions to new eight-hour Saturday only contracts. The reason being Saturday afternoon was under resourced because a lot ofthe original Saturday only staff were on temporary increases of contracts to either full–time or mid-week part–time. Which meant we were using casual staff every week.

We were happy to agree on the proviso we would look at the whole processing duty structure in line with the resourcing re-alignment section of the P&FPA, with a view of guaranteeing permanent increases of contracts for all staff who were performing temporary contracts, increase duty work hours on all four shifts, reduce the reliance on casualsand high percentages of overtime, stop diverting work out to other mail centres and secure both the 1c and 2c operationsat Peterborough Mail Centre. 

This is something we had attempted to do several times over the last four years but had failed due to inconsistency of Plant Managers and Royal Mails privatisation with severebudget restrictions. However, the current Plant Manager Su Redshaw was determined to agree with the union a re-alignment of the duty structure which would see all  staff on temporary duties made permanent on the temporary hours they were performing, the introduction of new duties to resource against the Amazon growth and the introduction of the 1st hour towards the shorter working week for full-time staff from the P&FPA and secure our future workplace. The aim was to agree and implement by October 1st, 2018.

We agreed a re-aligned duty set with a minimum amount of disruption to the current working patterns of staff to present to the CWU Processing Shift Reps and Managers to point out people and content issues they identified and aligncurrent staff against the duties, most of whom were alignedagainst the duties they originally picked. The temporary contract staff were re-aligned to their permanent contract duties.

This was displayed to the members and we briefed staff in the Work Time Listening and Learning (WTL&L) sessionsalong with the agreed procedures we would use for the forthcoming pick exercise.

The first two rounds of picks were for processing staff only, whereas rounds three and four were open to staff from other functions under the roof. This resulted in significant increases in contractual hours for 118 people, 78 of which went part-time to full–time, all staff on temporary increaseof hours contracts were successful in picking permanent duties reflecting their temporary hours, staff being able to change shifts to their preference and staff moving into processing from other functions. Of the 78 who moved up to full time, 35 had previously been on 20-hour contracts and 28 new full-time workers moved straight from eight-hour Saturday-only contracts, while another 27 eight-hour Saturday-only people picked 20-hour contracts.

Although the old processing scheduled attendances (SA)were cancelled when the new re-aligned duty structure came in on October 1st, it was agreed to continuing honouring the hours to the staff who held them until the new SA pick exercise had taken place and implemented. The reason for this was we knew a lot of staff would be able to change their shift and work patterns during the pick exercise and therefore deemed it unfair to do the SA pick at the same time as the duty pick. The new re-aligned SA pick was advertised and allocated during the Christmas pressure weeks and implemented in January 2019. There are several vacant SA’s which were not picked. One of the reasons for this is the ceiling on how many SA hours a member of staff can hold in any one week, which is 12 hours, as per The Way Forward Agreement. The CWU are proposing to take a motion to this year’s Postal Conference to address this.

There will be a Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the re-alignment in February 2019 where meetings will be held with the Shift Reps and Managers to discuss how the re-alignment is working towards the Processing workplan with a view to address any issues raised.

Overall the exercise has been a huge success which hasearned the applause of the CWU Postal Executive.

 

 

 

Romec Cleaners Applying for Internally Advertised Mail Centre Duties

During the recent Processing re-alignment exercise jobs became vacant for staff from other functions to pick. Romec cleaners applied which raised issues which needed confirmation from CWU HQ. Confirmation came back stating Romec cleaners can only apply and be allocated a Royal Mail duty if they had previously applied and been successful in passing a Royal Mail aptitude test for an externally advertised Royal Mail job. There was not yet an opportunity for Romec staff to take an aptitude test when applying for an internally advertised job. Because of this some Romec cleaners were unsuccessful with their applications.

The CWU are proposing to take a motion to this year’sPostal Conference to address this.

 

 

Shorter Working Week (SWW)

The first hour was agreed when we Nationally agreed totrials on Automated Hours Data Capture (AHDC), PDA actuals and the Resource Scheduler. The PCM gave his first proposals on where the SWW should be, based on the information produced by the Resourse Scheduler this was put to the CWU Shift Reps and after negotiations andcounter proposals we agreed the first hour reduction to be implemented on October 1st with the re–alignment in line with the P&FPA. However, because of the reduction some members of staff attendances fell below 7 hours 1 min, which is the threshold of the 40+20-minute meal relief entitlement as outlined in The Way Forward Agreement. Royal Mail were quick to react and reduce those members meal relief entitlement by 10 minutes as per the agreement.

The CWU are proposing to take a motion to this year’sPostal Conference to address this. This is a challenge we will face again this year as the second hour reduction to the SWW is due to commence in October 2019.

 

Conduct and Attendance Procedure

In terms of conduct code cases we have had a number to deal with and had varied success. We live in testing times and Royal Mail seem evermore determined to handle cases with qualified Legal HR Advisers and most cases are raised to Second Line Managers, which is a dismissal level. On a plus side we only had one person dismissed under the attendance procedure and this was overturned on appeal.

 

Christmas 2018

The Christmas 2018 Agreement was a bone of contention as Royal Mail Top Management wanted to enforce a maximumlimit of 70 hours work per week with an 11 hour daily rest period and a 24 hour weekly rest period  for all four weeks of Christmas pressure in line with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) totally undermining the last Nationally agreed resourcing for Christmas pressure found in Special Briefing 351/2001 which states:

 

1. Christmas 2001

We agreed that the hours limit would be 80-gross-hours for each of the two peak Christmas weeks, with a 9-hour break in each 24-hour period and no requirement for a weekly break. For the remaining two weeks, the limit will be 72-gross-hours with the daily break flowing through from the year-round position (10-hours if introduced by then, 9-hours if not). Again, with no mandatory requirement for a weekly 24-hour break.

 

As this was the last Nationally agreed statement on Christmas, we quickly entered the Industrial Relations Framework completing stages 1 & 2 locally before raising to stage 3. However, before the stage 3 could be heard,Royal Mail Top Management conceded and allowed the status quo to continue for this year as the disagreement was very near to the start of Christmas pressure and the CWU had threatened not to agree planned diversions in or out of the Mail Centre until we had a jointly signed Christmasagreement.

The CWU are proposing to take a motion to this year’sPostal Conference to address this in time for next year.

 

2018 Christmas Raffle

This year’s raffle for the long-term sick was another success raising £961.70. There were 37 prizes donated for the raffle by Union Reps, Managers and Members of Staff. I would like to say a big thank you to all the Reps who helped organise the event and sell raffle tickets and a big thank you to all the people who supported the raffle by buying tickets.

 

Parcel Sort Machine

At the beginning of 2018 we were told Peterborough Mail Centre (PMC) had been taken of the list of mail centres who were to have a parcel sort machine (PSM) installed.However, there were two machines which had not been allocated and PMC had been shortlisted along with Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield, as a possible centre to have one installed. In September, the eve before the first pick of the Processing duty re-alignment closed, we were informed PMC had been successful with our application for one of the remaining two machines. Installation will start in May 2019 with a view of an up and running date for October 2019. Joint Negotiations will commence shortly around staffing assumptions and the effect the machine will have on PMC.

Further updates will be reported as they become availablethroughout this year.

 

Nationally Agreed Trials

PMC will be a trial site for a re-usable bag tie and AGV’s which is essentially an automated (driverless) TUG consisting of four carts and multiple pick up and drop off points for York’s. Engineers have started to prepare for the trial by installing extra power lines in the Processing hall.

Further updates will be reported as they become availablethroughout this year.

 

 

 

Proposed Motions for CWU Postal Conference 2019

 

1) Since the introduction of the Shorter Working Week (SWW) agreed in the Nationally Agreed Pay and Four Pillars Agreement some duty days have been reduced to a less than 7 hours 1-minute attendance. Royal Mail have been quick to react to these changes by enforcing the entitled meal relief from The Way Forward Agreement. 

Therefore, a member who used to work a 8-hour attendance used to qualify for 1-hour break (40+20) whereas now a member working a 7-hour attendance qualifies for a 50-minute break (30+20) in effect reducing the SWW by 10 mins.

The Postal Executive is instructed to negotiate in any future pay deals a new meal relief structure which will not disadvantage our members when the length of attendance times is shortened by the introduction of the shorter working week.

 

2) Christmas pressure 2018 saw Royal Mail attempt to enforce the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) of a maximum weekly working limit of 70–hours, an 11-hour daily rest break and 24-hour weekly break or 48-hours in two weeks. The last time a joint Nationally agreed document on Christmas was Special Briefing 351/2001 which states.

1. Christmas 2001

We agreed that the hours limit would be 80-gross-hours for each of the two peak Christmas weeks, with a 9-hour break in each 24-hour period and no requirement for a weekly break. For the remaining two weeks, the limit will be 72-gross-hours with the daily break flowing through from the year-round position (10-hours if introduced by then, 9-hours if not). Again, with no mandatory requirement for a weekly 24-hour break.

The Postal Executive is instructed to negotiate with Royal Mail in preparation for Christmas 2019 a new jointly agreed working time directive for the Christmas pressure weeks which will include, the hours limit would be 80-gross-hours for each of the two peak Christmas weeks, with an 11-hour daily rest break and no requirement for a weekly break. For the remaining two weeks, the limit will be 72-gross-hours with an 11-hour daily rest break and no requirement for a weekly break. 

This will be agreed and published in time for local negotiations for Christmas and New Year 2019

 

3) There is not an opportunity for Romec cleaners to apply for Royal Mail internally advertised Mail Centre duties unless the applicant has applied for an external Royal Mail position and been successful in passing an aptitude test.

The Postal Executive is instructed to negotiate with Royal Mail and Romec the opportunity for Romec staff to take an aptitude test when applying for internally advertised Royal Mail duties.

 

4) The Way Forward reads Scheduled Attendances will be limited to no more than 12 hours per employee in any week.

Scheduled Attendances can be introduced on a seasonal basis and therefore are sometimes difficult to resource against whilst a limit is in place. 

The Postal Executive is instructed to negotiate with Royal Mail the removal of a limit to how many Scheduled Attendance hours an employee can hold in any week providing they adhere to the European Working Time Directive.

 

EJ Orviss

Area Processing Representative

Area.processing@cwue5.org

 

Date 7th February 2019

CWU Calls for a Ban on Low-Level Letterboxes and for the UK to adopt the EU Standard: CWU Low-Level Letterbox Campaign Update:

As you know, 2018 Main and Postal Conference passed motions calling for the re-launch of the CWU Low-Level Letterbox Campaign and this has been done in a high profile way with the Campaign gaining widespread National, Regional and Local TV, Radio, Press and Social Media coverage.

The CWU position is that Low-Level Letterboxes should be banned to prevent postal workers straining their backs, injuring their hands, trapping fingers, risking musculoskeletal injuries and repetitive strains or being bitten by dogs at the base of the door – where the dog is!

In support of the Union’s campaign Vicky Ford MP proposed new legislation in a Private Members Bill last month with 12 MPs from various parties signing the Bill, and through CWU high profile lobbying in the House of Commons, hundreds of MPs from all political parties indicated support for the Bill and the CWU Campaign. This is a “key issue for postal workers.”

The Campaign is calling for it to be statutory that all new letterboxes being installed are to be at a height of between 70cm (2ft 3ins) and 170cm (5ft 6ins).

The Communication Workers Union is campaigning for new buildings to meet the EU letterbox height standard. We have made it clear that the CWU, which represents postmen and women, does not expect private households or businesses to change exiting doors, but for the measurements to become a new building regulation in the UK, and to cover new house builds, replacement doors and refurbishments as well.

The union first started asking the government to raise the level of letterboxes in 1958 and, while it was agreed by the British Standards Agency, it was never enshrined into building standards law neither was it transposed into UK law when the EU Standard was issued in 2000, mirroring the previous British Standard.

A similar campaign was run by our sister union in Ireland and that saw low-level letterboxes banned in 2001. Other EU states have similar statutory rules e.g. Belgium, Portugal and the Rep of Ireland and the CWU believes “the time has come to replicate this in the UK.”

There were 16,800 back-related spells of absence in Royal Mail last year involving injured postmen and women.

There are over 95,000 postmen and women, CWU grades, working out on the streets for Royal Mail daily.  They deliver to 30 million address, they serve each of our communities six days a week, every week of the year, and with 300,000 new homes being built annually the problem is growing.

Our Campaign and the Private Members Bill supporting it simply wants to stop developers from building swathes of homes each with a letterbox placed near to the ground and we are campaigning and confident of securing cross-party unity in the Houses of Parliament to secure our policy objective.

The Union’s Health, Safety & Environment Department is now lobbying Housing Minister Kit Malthouse to encompass the Letterbox Standard in the government’s Building Regulations Review later this year.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department now has the full support of Royal Mail for our Campaign and we are planning a number of joint initiatives, through joint co-operation and support for the CWU ‘Low Level Letterbox Campaign’. A joint letter to all UK House Builders, registered at Companies House, asking that they comply with the EU Letterbox Standard and give an undertaking, is planned along with a House of Commons/House of Lords event, inviting all MPs and Lords to a ‘drop-in’ session, to talk about the Low Level Letterbox Campaign and sign up to support us.

The benefits of the Letterbox Minimum Height we are campaigning for include:

• Reducing injuries to postmen and women– Royal Mail workers had over 16,800 back related absence spells in 2017/18 (a ‘spell’ could be any period of time e.g. a day or even a year).  Whilst not all of these will be as a result of delivering mail, the act of bending or stooping to deliver mail to low letterboxes is a significant factor.
• Reducing the risk of trapped fingers which are more easily trapped in low level letterboxes.
• Reducing the impact of dog attacks – low level letterboxes are also easier for dogs (or cats) to hide behind and bite or swipe at postmen and women delivering the mail.  2,275 recorded dog attacks took place on postmen and women across the UK in 2017/18 – 44 attacks per week.
• Higher ‘first time delivery’ rates, meaning fewer damaged items, redeliveries or trips to pick up undelivered mail for customers.
• EN13724 also sets out minimum sizes for letterbox apertures, so that standard size letters and smaller parcels can be delivered through the front door.  Many letterboxes simply cannot take a standard letter, let alone a large letter or small parcel/packet.
• Ensuring developers use minimum standards will lead to fewer mail items being damaged – or not delivered first time – which brings benefits to customers.

We were delighted that Keepmoat Homes one of the UK’s top 20 builders recently changed their door choice policy when challenged by the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department on their use of low level letterboxes on a large 250 homes development in Stoke. We are calling on all developers to follow this lead and commit to installing only doors with the letterbox between 700mm and 1700mm in compliance with the EU Standard and NHBC Guidance (copies attached).

We have the support of MPs and Local Authorities across the nation on this matter and seek your support also.

We have taken our case to the House of Commons and a Private Members Bill was recently passed. We hope that later this year the Housing Minister will enshrine the EU Standard EN13724 into revised UK Building Regulations. In the meantime, we hope to gain support for our campaign in pressing builders to comply with the EU Standard which wouldn’t have been created if it wasn’t necessary.

See attached:-

• CWU Low Level Letterbox Campaign leaflet
• CWU Low Level Letterbox Campaign Logo
• EU Letterbox Height Standard EN13724
• National House Builders Council Technical Guidance Newsletter (P6 Letterbox Heights)

Branches wishing to obtain copies of the leaflets and logo should contact the CWU/HQ Print
Room (Debbie Ackerman). Please share the leaflets with Local Councilors and Builders.

Thank you all very much for your support. Further reports will be made in due course.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB098 CWU Calls for a Ban on Low-Level Letterboxes and for the UK to adopt the EU Standard

European Regulation EN13724 for Post Boxes (2)

Low Level Letter Box Flier

Low level Letterboxes Logo

NHBCs Technical Newsletter Issue 34 – December 2005 (2)

The Importance of Workplace Fire Drills – RMG Fire Safety Week

To: All Branches with RM Members 

Dear Colleagues,

What is a fire drill and why are they necessary?

A fire drill is a simulated emergency procedure which aims to emulate the processes which would be undertaken in the event of a fire or other similar emergency. It involves creating a situation which replicates what would happen if a real fire were to occur, with the inclusion of fire alarms, and requires all employees, and anyone else who may be within the property at the time, e.g. visitors, customers, contractors to evacuate.

Fire drills are an important part of workplace fire safety procedures for many reasons. Preparation is the key to effective response to workplace fires. Fire drills help ensure that the workforce responds quickly, calmly and safely and that all staff, customers and visitors to the premises understand what they need to do if there is a fire. They also help to test how effective the fire evacuation plan is and are used to improve certain aspects of fire provisions. Along with fire alarms, fire exits, fire doors, fire extinguishers and fire safety signs, Fire Drills are an indirect, but equally significant, form of fire protection and aim to protect everyone who works within a Workplace building from the devastating consequences of fire.

As well as testing that the fire alarms are working, carrying out a full fire drill will help to check other equipment such as fire doors, which are used when a fire alarm sounds. Checking that Emergency Lighting works effectively can also be carried out during the fire drill. If there are problems or weaknesses discovered with the emergency evacuation plans then the Person in Control (PiC), along with the Management team, Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Team, in consultation with Union Health and Safety Reps can work together to improve it. Additionally, immediate steps can be taken to rectify any problems with the building’s equipment, getting it fully checked out, repaired or replaced. If it’s found that Fire exits and routes are blocked, or too narrow for employees to quickly escape, remedial action can be taken.

Fire Drills can often be viewed as an inconvenience by Managers and the Workforce alike. Not only do they disrupt the day and distract from valuable working time, they can also be perceived as a nuisance to staff and are often greeted with distain so it’s important to communicate the value and reasons for Fire Drills and that, in a real life situation, not knowing what to do may be putting their lives in danger.

The intention is to make an evacuation in the event of a fire as simple, efficient and effective as possible, it involves running employees through the evacuation procedures, ensuring they are familiar with the plan and are able to get out quickly and safely. It is also intended to make sure relevant fire wardens know exactly what they are doing and can assist if their support is ever really needed.

Fire Drill Frequency

In Royal Mail Group there will be a minimum of one Fire Drill or (Fire Evacuation Practice) per year, per shift in each operational building.

If a Unit Manager, in consultation with the RMG SHE Team and Union Health and Safety Reps decides to carry out further Fire Drills, more frequently than above, for operational of risk assessment reasons within the Office, e.g. due to the number of staff, size of the building, diversity of operations, joint user sites or other complexities, this is acceptable to RMG.

Who is responsible for a fire drill and how often should be they undertaken?

According to Fire Safety Laws in the UK, the person responsible for all aspects of fire safety in commercial and non-domestic premises is the owner, occupier or manager. Legislation refers to this person as the responsible person’ (Person in Control – PiC) and, as such, they are in charge of ensuring all fire safety regulations, as required by law and enforced by local fire and rescue authorities, are fully complied with.

The PiC, as the responsible person’ has a number of duties, including planning for an emergency and providing staff with information, fire safety instruction and training. Therefore, they must make sure regular fire drills are carried out and conducted effectively, putting into place any remedial actions which must be taken as a result of the drill’s evaluation.

In order to fulfill the legal obligations, and in accordance with fire safety regulations, fire drills should be conducted at least once a year (more often in environments such as schools and nurseries and high risk workplaces) and the results should be recorded and kept as part of the fire safety and evacuation plan. Additionally, all new staff should be informed of the fire evacuation procedures as soon as they start work and if a new fire risk is ever noted or recognised all employees should be informed.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

In the United Kingdom fire safety was covered by about seventy pieces of fire safety legislation, the principal ones being the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997/1999. In 2001 it was therefore decided the legislation needed to be to simplified. This was achieved with:-

• England and Wales – the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Scotland – the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
• Northern Ireland – the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) were introduced in 2010.

[Note: The contents of this LTB have been agreed by the Royal Mail Group Property and Facilities Solutions National Fire Risk Manager]

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Office

Actual Hours Data Capture Equipment – Site Surveys 

Dear Colleagues,

Branches and representatives are informed that the Automated Hours Data Capture trial activity has concluded and is currently subject to review at National level, in line with the agreed Terms of Reference (LTB 295/18 refers).

We have however been informed by Royal Mail National Management that they may be undertaking a number of site surveys, in order to identify and establish where in future the equipment and kit associated with this project could be installed, and to understand the associated projected costs.

Royal Mail have stated that this is necessary in order to inform the future Business case if the decision is made to pursue deployment of this initiative. They are also stating that at this stage the Business case decision has not been made to deploy or roll out the use of AHDC equipment Nationally and therefore as such the site survey activity is purely a preparatory exercise.

From the CWU perspective we have made it absolutely clear to the company that the trial activity in relation to this initiative has not been fully and jointly reviewed and evaluated in line with the Nationally agreed Terms of Reference. Therefore any National rollout or deployment is subject to further National discussion and agreement prior to any deployment taking place.

Branches and representatives will of course be updated as developments occur. However, in the meantime you are requested to monitor the situation and ensure that should there be any managerial attempts to introduce AHDC that this is challenged via the IR Framework and the relevant department is notified immediately. 

Any enquires in relation to this LTB should be directed to:

Deliveries: Outdoor Department, reference 230.03, email address: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org.

Or

Processing & RDC’s: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 730.13.

Yours sincerely,

 

Mark Baulch – Assistant Secretary 

Katrina Quirke  – Acting Assistant Secretary 

LTB 096.19 – Actual Hours Data Capture Equipment – Site Surveys