Four Pillars Pay Arrangements & Back Pay

Further to the endorsement of the Four Pillars of Security and Pay National Agreement (as reported in LTB 183/18) the Department are currently in dialogue with the business regarding the arrangements for the implementation of the 5% pay award and associated back pay. Branches should note that our intention in these discussions is to have this issue resolved as quickly as possible.

Please can Branches ensure that our members are updated on the current situation and thank them for their patience and understanding in respect of this matter.

Further updates will be circulated as soon as possible.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.

Yours sincerely

Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

18LTB193- Four Pillars Pay Arrangements and Back Pay

Communications Department Conference Fringe #RiseUp

Dear colleagues,

The Communications Department will this year host a fringe event on improving how we engage with our members, the public, media and politicians. The speakers will include Dave Ward, General Secretary and Liam Young a high profile journalist and left wing figure.

The fringe will be held at 13:00 on Sunday 22nd April in the Tregonwell Hall at the BIC. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Following contributions from the panel, the meeting will be opened up for delegates to put forward ideas on how we engage as a union.

Attached to this LTB is a copy of the fringe leaflet and a graphic. Please could you share these as widely as possible amongst your delegations.

We look forward to seeing you all on the day.

All enquiries on the content of this LTB should be directed to Marcia Murray mmurray@cwu.org

Kind regards

Chris Webb

Head of Communications, Engagement and Media

LTB 189.18

rise-up-2up

Rise Up poster

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Attendance Procedure – Update

Due to a surge in the number of complaints around the current Occupational Health model and approach to sickness absence the department met with Royal Mail yesterday where we discussed the issues reported.

These include:-

◦ Equality Act – a perceived lack of proper consultation and inappropriate issuing of attendance reviews

◦ Moving to Leaving the Business through Ill Health(LTBIH) too quickly·

◦ Part day absences·

◦ Inappropriate use of the notification / line in the sand letter

◦ Contact Strategy being abused·

◦ Inappropriate threats to and actual stoppage of sick pay

◦ Difficulties in rehabilitation plans

◦ Inconsistency in timescales and getting / not getting OH advice.

We have agreed to meet again next week as a matter of urgency to find solutions to the issues facing our members.

The solutions will include setting up interventions in the worst perceived areas, retraining on aspects of the attendance procedure to ensure the attendance agreement is adhered to.

This activity will link into the work we started last year and the activity we have committed to carry out in the Four Pillars and Pay agreement. Both parties are committed to moving this forward as quickly as possible.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 415. Email address: khawkins@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary

18LTB185 Attendance Procedure – Update

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Agreement between Royal Mail Logistics and the CWU on Resourcing Guidelines for the Deployment of the Network Revision 2018

No. 184/2018

29th March 2018

For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches with Network Members

Divisional Representatives

Regional Organisers

Area Distribution Representatives

LGV Representatives

Dear Colleagues

Agreement between Royal Mail Logistics and the CWU on Resourcing Guidelines for the Deployment of the Network Revision 2018

Branches will be aware that in March 2017 activity commenced in relation to Network Review 2017. Ultimately, however no revision activity took place during 2017 due to various anomalies identified in the data gathering process and the issue became part of the National discussions that were taking place.

Following the conclusion of the National agreement, discussions have re-commenced in relation to the review and the business has re-presented the revised proposals to the Network Working Group (NWG). The group has reviewed the proposal, which has been significantly mitigated from the original proposal and has agreed that this may now be progressed to Stage 3 of the process. An Agreement has been concluded to enable local activity to commence in line with the agreed framework.

Again discussions have centered on opportunities to mitigate the proposed headcount reductions by addressing current resourcing practices, maximising internal resourcing options and markedly reducing the current considerable reliance on agency or external driving resource.

Building on the experience of previous years, the attached agreed Resourcing Guidelines should assist representatives and Branches in progressing local discussions on Stage 3 of the Network 18 proposals. The guidelines cover a range of resourcing options and again provide clarity on an agreed position on a number of recurring issues such as Leave Reserve ratios, coverage of Ad-Hoc workload through Flex duties, the use of “as directed” time in duty construction and the movement of work elements between VOC’s in area solutions.

The Stage 3 Local discussions will now commence on Tuesday, 3rd April 2018 and release has been arranged for representatives to fully prepare and participate in the process. As in previous years the NWG will be available to advise and assist Branches and representatives in dealing with proposals where required. Given the complexity of the discussions in this

revision, duty construction should be targeted to conclude by early June 2018 and progress will be monitored continuously by the NWG and a final National implementation date will be agreed and communicated to Branches and representatives.

The department would like to take this opportunity to place on record our thanks to the members of the NWG for their ongoing assistance on the Network 18 discussions.

Branches are requested to bring the contents of this LTB to the attention of all our Professional Driver members as a matter of urgency.

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: 233.13.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 184-18 – Network 18 Review Stage 3 – 29.03.18Attachment 1 – Network 18 Revision – 28.03.18

Attachment 1 – Network 18 Revision – 28.03.18

Following today’s ballot result. Here is a message from Terry Pullinger DGSP to all members – Thank you #PowerOfTheUnion

https://www.facebook.com/ThecommunicationsUnion/videos/1710666332346172/

SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO SESSIONS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Dear colleagues,

Over recent times the rise of social media and video as a means of engaging with our members, politicians, media and the general public has been significant. As a union we have quadrupled our social media followings and reached tens of millions of accounts with our key messages.

We have seen the effectiveness of using online engagement to assist our political work during the general election but more crucially, industrially during the Four Pillars dispute.

Alongside the work at CWU HQ we have seen some fantastic progress being made at Branch, Regional and Divisional level on producing both video and social media content. We are keen to see this built on across the union and with this in mind the Communications Department are planning a series of social media / video masterclasses during Annual Conference. These sessions will aim to give branches the basic knowledge needed to set up social media pages and record videos but also give more advanced guidance on how to structure online campaigns.

These sessions will be held at various points during the Conference. In order to ensure we lay on enough spaces could any branches wishing to send delegates please email Marcia Murray mmurray@cwu.org by no later than Monday 9th April.

Kind regards

Chris Webb

Head of Communications, Engagement and Media

LTB 181-18 SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO SESSIONS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

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The Voice – Join us on May 12th 

Welcome to the latest edition of The Voice. This issue as always covers all of the key industrial and political news alongside several great features.

The cover, GS column and centre-spread focus on the TUC New Deal for Workers Demo in London on May 12th. We fully understand many of our members work on Saturday but for for those who don’t we ask you to make every effort to get to London for the day. Every CWU Branch has been asked to provide transport so please speak to your representative if you can make it.

Changing this country is not a spectator sport. We have to do it by collective action. Join thousands of workers on May 12th and demand a better deal for you, your children, grandchildren and the future generations.

https://www.cwu.org/publication/the-voice/

Dave Ward 

General Secretary

LTB 180/18 Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

No. 180/2018

28 March 2018

Our Ref: N4/18

Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose behind Workers’ Memorial Day has always been to “remember the dead: fight for the living” and unions are asked to focus on both areas, by considering events or memorials to remember all those killed and injured through work but at the same time ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated.

That can best be done by building trade union organisations, and campaigning for stricter enforcement with higher penalties for breaches of health & safety laws.

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

In 2018 the theme for the day is “Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces” and will focus the huge difference that unions make in preventing deaths in the workplace. We will also be celebrating 40 years of union health and safety representatives.

The CWU Health Safety & Environment Department has promoted Workers Memorial Day amongst Branches and Regional Health and Safety Forums via regular reports and LTBs. A CWU Workers Memorial Day poster has been produced and will be distributed to Branches to promote the day, and put up in workplaces. Attached to this LTB is a pdf of the poster.

What you can do:

• Find out what is happening in your area on 28 April. The website below will list all the local activities we know about, but you can also ask your union branch or trades council and other union contacts;

• If nothing is happening locally then get together with some of your workmates or others in the area where you work and organise something. It can be a commemorative rally, a workplace meeting or just a small get-together;

• Organise a minute’s silence in your workplace on the day (because the 28th April is a Saturday, if your workplace is closed that day you may want to hold it on the Friday);

• Ask your 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 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 their workplace or in the community;

• If you are planning any events for the day, or you 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;

• Let people know about anything that happened in your area on the day. Use hashtag #IWMD18

For resources on Workers Memorial Day including ribbons and car stickers please contact the Greater Manchester Hazards centre at: mail@gmhazards.org.uk.

More details are at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/national/workers-memorial-day

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB180 Workers Memorial Day – 28th April 2018

Workers Memorial Day 2018 Poster

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