5th UNI GLOBAL WORLD CONGRESS – LIVERPOOL

The UNI World Women’s Conference and UNI World Congress is being held in Liverpool from 14th – 20th June 2018.

The last time a UNI World Congress was held in the UK was over 20 years ago and this year it coincides with many important milestones such as:

• 150th anniversary of the British TUC

• The centenary of some women’s right to vote in the UK

• The 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela

• The 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King

• The 10th anniversary of Liverpool having won European Capital of Culture

• The 70th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Both the UNI World Women’s Conference and UNI World Congress will celebrate the above milestones at an opening ceremony on Sunday 17th June from 16.00 – 18.00.

There will be many high profile guest speakers including Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of TUC and former sportsmen John Barnes and Howard Gayle to name a few.

If any Branches are interested in attending the Congresses please contact headquarters via email to aniven@cwu.org with a list of names of those wishing to attend and arrangements will be made for them to gain access to the venue. If anyone wishes to bring their partners or family they are more than welcome but any expenses incurred are the responsibility of the individuals.

Yours sincerely

D Ward
General Secretary

18LTB318

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LTB 313/18 – National Network Review (Network 18) Update – Deployment Date

No. 313/2018

29th May 2018

For The Immediate Attention Of All:

Postal Branches with Network Members

Divisional Representatives

Regional Organisers

Area Distribution Representatives

LGV Representatives

National Network Review (Network 18) Update – Deployment Date

Dear Colleagues

Further to LTB 184/18 please find attached for your information a Joint Statement which communicates the 18th June 2018 as the agreed target deployment date for the National Network Review (Network 18).

The aim will now be to ensure that any outstanding issues are resolved, through the IR Framework if necessary, and duty sets and re-picks are concluded in readiness for the deployment date, in line with the terms of the attached Joint Statement. The NWG will remain available to offer advice and assistance where necessary.

Branches and representatives are requested to ensure that our Network members are made aware of the contents of this LTB at the earliest opportunity.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 233.13

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 313-18 – National Network Review (Network 18) Update – Deployment Date

Attachment 1 – JS National Network Review Deployment Date – 29.05.18

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CWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE – POSTAL CONSTITUENCY

Further to LTB 281/18 dated 11th May 2018, at the close of nominations the following have been received:

EASTERN REGION

Luke Elgar

Essex Amal*ELECTED

MIDLAND REGION

Catrin Herdman

Nottingham District Amal*ELECTED

NORTH EAST REGION

Louise Bradley

South Yorks & District Amal*ELECTED

NORTHERN IRELAND REGION

*Ballot RequiredGary McCrum

Northern Ireland East Matt McMaster

Northern Ireland Combined

NORTH WEST REGION

Elli Long

Greater Mersey & S.W Lancs*ELECTED

SCOTLAND REGION

Scott Hartles

Scotland No 2*ELECTED

SOUTH EAST REGION

Rebecca Hufton

Kent Invicta*ELECTED

SOUTH WEST REGION

William Hunt

Gloucestershire Amal*ELECTED

WALES REGION

Robert Hynes

South West Wales Amal*ELECTED

LONDON REGION

No Nominations Received

CWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE – TELECOM & FINANCIAL SERVICES CONSTITUENCY

EASTERN REGION

No Nominations Received

MIDLAND REGION

No Nominations Received

NORTH EAST REGION

No Nominations Received

NORTHERN IRELAND REGION

Fiona Curtis

Northern Ireland Telecom*ELECTED

NORTH WEST REGION

*Ballot RequiredErin Brett

MerseyDaniel Lewis

Bootle Financial Services, MeridianStephen McCarthy

Greater Mersey & SW Lancs

SCOTLAND REGION

Rebecca Watt

Scotland No 1*ELECTED

SOUTH EAST REGION

*Ballot RequiredGeorgina Ford

Portsmouth,West Sussex & IOW Connor McCann

Meridian Liam Reed

South East Central 

SOUTH WEST REGION

Adam Gibbins

Somerset, Devon & Cornwall*ELECTED

WALES REGION

Jake Fear

South Wales*ELECTED

LONDON REGION

William Murray

Greater London Combined*ELECTED

The ballot timetable is as follows:

Despatch ballot papers:  1 June 2018

Ballot closes:   15 June 2018

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB315

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Royal Mail Group (RMG), Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Team – Revised Organisational Structure:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Further to my Letter to all Royal Mail Group CWU ASRs and all CWU Regional Health and Safety Forums regarding the announced Business reorganisation‎ announcement by Sue Whalley CEO RM Post & Parcels, the SHE team is now aligned to the main business changes.

‎Details of the new RMG SHE Structure are attached which includes a contact list and the postcode areas covered by the various team members.

Key Points:

• The RM Group SHE Structure, under Shaun Davis RMG Global Director of Safety, Health, Environment and Sustainability remains in place with no break up or devolvement.

• There will be three functional strands in the new Letters and Network organisation; the former Regions (North, West, East and South) have been disbanded.

• These three functions are Processing & Collections, Logistics & Distribution and Delivery.

• The SHE Structure has been reviewed to support these changes with resources allocated on a risk basis by the Business.

• The new field structure is headcount neutral (77).

Attached is a copy of the latest version of the PowerPoint slide presentation detailing the new SHE Structure together with a copy of the updated SHE Contacts List which gives details of the postcode areas that the SHE team members now cover. The combined documents will help ASRs identify who covers which area.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB312 Royal Mail Group (RMG), Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Team

SHE Function Org Chart 2018-19 (040518)

Copy of SHE Contacts May 2018

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GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDPR) 

LTB 227/18 dated 17th April 2018 informed Branches of the need to take action around the above new regulations that come into force on Friday the 25th May 2018.

Since that LTB we have taken time to consider what policies we need to introduce and what guidelines it is necessary for us to issue in order that we can be seen to be taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance.

The TUC have run a number of seminars/presentations on this issue that various members of CWU staff have attended. Additionally advice has been issued by a number of authorities with regard to the steps we need to take.

Following consideration of the issues raised at these events we are now in a position to issue a CWU “GDPR Policy and Guidance for Branches” document in advance of the new regulations coming into force.

As we stated in LTB 227/18 it important for us to understand that breaches of the new regulations can result in organisations being fined up to 4% of turnover. To put this in perspective, unless we take action to show we are compliant we risk a fine that could total up to £1.1 million for breaches. Clearly our job is to mitigate against such risk and as such the Policy and Guidance document is produced and distributed to ensure we alleviate that risk.

That document is attached to this LTB and all Branches are urged to read the document and act appropriately. It is through the compiling, issuing and compliance with these guidelines can the CWU be seen to have taken the necessary action under the law.

Should Branches require any further advice or wish to seek clarification around the contents of the Policy and Guidance document they should contact Denis Lenihan in his capacity as CWU Data Protection Officer by email at dlenihan@cwu.org

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

18LTB310

GRPR Policy & Guidance for Branches

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Here is an important video message from Outdoor Secretary Mark Baulch giving an update on the Four Pillars Agreement.

Virgin Media Fined £385,000 for Street Works Safety Law Offences in Carlisle:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

A judge has imposed a £385,000 fine on Virgin Media after its street works contractors left streets across Carlisle in chaos.

The fine is one of the biggest ever handed down by a Cumbrian magistrates’ court and was imposed after the firm pleaded guilty to seven breaches of street-works safety rules.

The city’s Rickergate court heard how contractors working for Virgin Media repeatedly flouted rules which are designed to ensure that such street works are carried out without putting pedestrians and other road users at unnecessary risk.

Workmen are legally obliged to provide proper signage and pedestrian protection.

However, when Virgin Media’s contractors carried out a huge broadband cable-laying operation across the city in July last year, this did not happen, District Judge Gerald Chalk heard.

The court heard a snapshot of the problems as prosecutor Jonathan Farnsworth described seven locations in Carlisle affected by shoddy workmanship.

Among the problem areas identified by Cumbria County Council highways officials was Upperby Road. Residents living in 15 properties on the street were unable to get into or out of their homes because of the cable-laying excavations.

On the same street, after closing a pedestrian crossing, workmen erected a sign telling pedestrians to use a non-existent alternative crossing.

Elsewhere in the city, pedestrians were forced to step off dug-up pavements and risk walking amid moving traffic on busy roads because no alternative route was provided.

On the day when all seven offences were committed – July 31 last year – Virgin Media’s contractor had eight work gangs who were attempting to work at 22 separate sites across Carlisle.

A council highways inspector said the situation got out of control.

They were not providing suitable and safe alternative walkways for pedestrians and people had to walk along the road.‎ The contractors should have made sure that all the sites they were working on had been made safe before they left them but they just kept digging more holes.

Virgin Media admitted offences relating to poorly guarded or signposted works in the following streets: Scalegate Road, Beaconsfield Street, Thirlmere Street, Uldale Road, Kirklands Road, and two sites in Upperby Road.

Virgin Media was prosecuted under the 1991 New Road and Street Works Act, which aims to ensure that all such work is carried out safely and with consideration for the needs of disabled pedestrians.

As well as being fined, the firm was told to pay prosecution costs of £3,500, and a £170 victim surcharge.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB309 Virgin Media Fined £385,000 for Street Works Safety Law Offences in Carlisle

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Fight For Your Rights To Safety’ – A TUC (North West Region) and Greater Manchester Hazards Training event For Trade Unions, June 8th, Manchester:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The Health, Safety and Environment Department has been notified by the TUC North West Region and Greater Manchester Hazards Centre that they are organising a special ‎Health and Safety training event to celebrate 150 years of the TUC.

The safety and health of workers is good for the workplace, society and the economy. This event will look at what can be learnt from the past to show what improvements need to be made to ensure workers leave the workplace healthy and uninjured now and in the future.

Speakers will address the challenges Trade Unions face and what needs to be done in response to keep workers safe.

The event will take place on ‎8th June at the Mechanics Institute, Manchester, 10am – 5pm with lunch provided.

The Speakers are:-

• Paul Holleran – GMB – How do we tackle health and safety in the GIG economy/Uber?

• Adam Lincoln – UCU – How do we tackle work related stress and workload in all our sectors?

• Lizanne Davenport – Unison – How do we improve the health and safety of unorganised and precarious workers like care workers?

• Suzanne Humphreys – Thompsons Solicitors – How can the law support workers challenging unacceptable and health damaging working conditions?

• Kevin Rowan – TUC & HSE Board Member – Safety Reps Organising for Safety

The event will be chaired by Doug Russell, National Health and Safety Officer USDAW and Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, will open up the conference. To apply please register using Eventbrite on the link at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/you-gotta-fight-your-right-safety-health-safety-workplace

Contact Janet Newsham: email: Janet@gmhazards or 0161 636 7558 for more information.

The Event Flyer is attached.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB308 ‘Fight For Your Rights To Safety’ – Training event For Trade Unions, June 8th, Manchester

flyer You gotta fight for your right to safety

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Government U-Turn on Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry Panel:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

In what is a welcomed announcement, the Government has made a U-Turn and agreed that two independent experts will now be appointed to join the panel presiding over the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry.

They will join Judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick for the second phase of the Inquiry, which is due to commence later this month. The announcement comes after pressure from campaigners who claimed the Inquiry would be a whitewash and not take into account key concerns from campaigners, families, survivors and residents.

A petition, which asked for additional and more independent expert panellists, was launched following concerns that Sir Moore-Bick was unable to relate to survivors. It attracted 156,000 signatures. The Prime Minister Theresa May had originally dismissed the request but has now relented and changed her mind. She has confirmed that two additional panellists will be appointed before Phase 2 of the Inquiry begins.

The Prime Minister stated that in order to ensure that the inquiry panel has the necessary breadth of skills and diversity of expertise relevant to the broad range of issues to be considered in Phase 2, and to best serve the increasing scale and complexity of the inquiry, she had decided to appoint an additional two panel members to support Sir Martin Moor-Bick’s chairmanship for Phase 2 of the inquiry’s work onwards.

Sir Moore-Bick awaits the names of those appointed for his consideration under section 7(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005.

The news of the U-Turn has been welcomed by campaigners who are desperate to make sure the Inquiry delivers truth and justice for those lost in the fire and those that survived.

Campaigners thanked the 100 MPs who came to meet them in Parliament recently and the 156,000 people across the country who signed the petition.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB306 Government U-Turn on Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry Panel

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