UNI World Women’s Conference & World Congress 2018

Further to LTB 054/18 dated 29th January 2018, please find detailed below the results of the ballots.

Postal Constituency

2 Lay Members 

Kate Hudson

South Midlands Postal88,979*ELECTEDSajid Shaikh

Birmingham District Amal32,255Amarjite Singh

South East Wales Amal62,244*ELECTED

Telecoms and Financial Services Constituency 

2 Lay Members 

Vivien Holding

Northern Ireland Telecom24,647*ELECTEDJean Sharrocks

North East27,416*ELECTEDJeffrey Till

Greater London Combined14,113 

The branch analysis for the above elections are attached to this LTB.

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

18LTB095

Postal Returns 2018

TFS Returns

View Online

DIGITAL AUTOMATION LTD 

We have recently received a number of queries from Branches in relation to the above company. The company has contacted Branches offering to assist regarding photocopying contracts. From the information supplied to us the individual concerned, purportedly acting on behalf of the company, is named as Leigh Rammage, although there could well be other individuals claiming to act on their behalf.

We are told that the company has been informing Branches that either they have had authority given to them by the CWU under the CWU redesign process or in some cases specifically quoting the authority to operate given by Tony Kearns as Senior Deputy General Secretary. Both of these positions are false. At no point have Digital Automation Ltd been given any authority to approach Branches and make these claims, to repeat we believe they are deliberately misleading Branches and are doing so to seek to engage the Branch in signing up to photocopying contacts.

Tony Kearns, Senior Deputy General Secretary contacted Leigh Rammage who agreed to write to confirm that they would cease immediately from contacting CWU Branches and making such claims. Despite agreeing to provide this confirmation and despite being given a number of opportunities to do so, no such confirmation has been forwarded to us.

The failure to provide this confirmation, despite assurances that they would, coupled with what we are told is a misleading approach to Branches raises some very serious questions in our minds as to whether the company is reputable enough for the CWU to deal with. In short, they appear, in our view, to be deliberately and knowingly misleading CWU Branches for the purpose of financial gain. We have asked them to cease with this approach and they have refused to confirm that they will.

Additionally CWU Headquarters Finance Department has begun to receive queries from a leasing company called Leasing Programmes Ltd seeking certain guarantees from us around contractual or Direct Debit payments. It appears that both Digital Automation Ltd and Leasing Programmes Ltd work together on these matters.

Photocopying contracts are an extremely difficult area to deal with as they quite often involve expensive and time commitment legally binding agreements. In the recent past CWU Headquarters has had to incur legal costs to secure release from such contracts on behalf of Branches. On another occasion a Debt Collector turned up at CWU Headquarters demanding to remove goods to the value of a contract they claimed a CWU Branch had failed to honour.

Both our experience in this area and what we view as the dishonest approach from Digital Automation Ltd lead us to take the position that Branches should, with immediate effect, refrain from doing any business with Digital Automation Ltd. Any contact from them should be referred directly to Tony Kearns, Senior Deputy General Secretary at CWU Headquarters. This step is being taken to protect Branch finances and is the only option we are left with following the failure of the company to address our concerns.

Digital Automation Ltd is a company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and we will be immediately taking the unusual step of raising a complaint with the FCA. This is over what we believe to be an approach that is dishonest as it attempts to secure contracts from Branches by misleading them into thinking that CWU Headquarters have cleared this company as a trusted body. We have done no such thing.

CWU Headquarters has a long standing arrangement with a photocopying supplier that works with the TUC as well as several other large TUC affiliated Trades Unions. Should any Branch require assistance or advice in this area please contact sdgs@cwu.org and we will arrange for them to contact you.

In order to protect the CWU from legal action and to protect Branch finances it is important that Branches act upon the advice contained in this LTB immediately.

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

18LTB096

View Online

Royal Mail Group Smoking Policy/Non-Smoking Guide For Employees

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

This guide was updated by Royal Mail Group in 2017 and outlines the expected behaviours and standards regarding smoking at work.

A copy is attached for your information and reference. This is a policy of the business and not an agreement with the Union.

• Smoking is not permitted in any Royal Mail Group building or vehicle.

• This guide explains the rules on smoking at work and applies to every Royal Mail Group workplace. It explains the concept of designated areas, where smoking is allowed. It also explains how breaches of the rules will be managed.

• This should be read in conjunction with the Group Health and Safety Policy and the Conduct Code.

Guiding principles

Royal Mail Group is committed to:

• Compliance with UK legal requirements

• Providing a healthy and safe work environment for all

• Reducing fire hazards and risks

Designated smoking areas

Designated areas, where smoking is allowed will be decided on by the appropriate manager following local consultation and assessment and input from appropriate experts. Designated areas must be outside buildings and other enclosed places and at least 4 metres from windows, doors, ventilation systems, air handling systems or any other openings.

Non-compliance

• Employees and agency workers who do not comply with the standards will be subject to investigation under the Conduct Policy.

• Customers, visitors and contractors smoking on Royal Mail Group premises should be informed about and reminded of the company’s smoking rules and asked to comply. Those who still wish to smoke should be asked to use designated smoking areas or leave the premises.

• Managers must intervene if an employee, visitor, contractor or customer fails to comply.

Electronic cigarettes

Royal Mail Group does not allow the use of electronic cigarettes in any Royal Mail Group building or vehicle. Electronic cigarettes are a type of electronic nicotine delivery system that is used by individuals to help them give up smoking. Using electronic cigarettes is not classified as smoking as they do not burn or emit smoke into the atmosphere. However, most electronic cigarettes look like real cigarettes and produce a vapour that is designed to look like smoke; this is called `vape’. The process of using an electronic cigarette is known as vaping or e-smoking.

Sources of help

The ‘Getting Help’ box on the front page tells you where to find further information. Guidance is also available on the Policy and Information Site on PSP.

QUIT line www.quit.org.uk

A charity that helps smokers to give up, and provides practical help, advice and support from trained counsellors. Helpline: 0800 00 22 00.

Smokefree www.nhs.uk/smokefree

An NHS free service providing advice to smokers who want to stop smoking. It includes information about local support services, networks and groups. Helpline: 0800 0224332.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB091 Royal Mail Group Smoking Policy Non-Smoking Guide For Employees

Non-Smoking Guide (2)

View Online

Man Jailed For Ten Years Over Fatal Dog Attack

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Irresponsible and arrogant, dangerous dog owner Aaron Joseph was jailed for 10 years this week after his out-of-control bull terrier attacked and killed his popular neighbour and school lollipop man David Ellam, as he tried to protect his own Yorkshire Terrier dog, Rollo. Mr. Ellam, 52, was attacked and savagely mauled, suffering fatal injuries during the ‘sustained attack’ by Aaron Joseph’s Bull Terrier dog Alex, outside his flat in Riddings Road, Sheepridge, Huddersfield on 15th August 2016. On the day in question David Ellam met his death in the most appalling manner. He came out of his own front door and on to his doorstep, where he was attacked and mauled to death by Joseph’s dog. Witnesses told the court that once the dog had hold of Mr. Ellam she would not let go. Alex was shaking her head from side to side as if trying to sever the leg she was holding in her mouth. They also described Mr. Ellam’s calls for help as heart-rending.

Joseph’s dog had been returned by Police a week before the attack took place because it was not classed as a dangerous banned breed.

At Leeds Crown Court, Joseph, 30, was convicted of owning a dog dangerously out of control in public, causing injury resulting in death and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. It took the jury just 39 minutes to unanimously find Joseph guilty. Joseph, who had previously been out on bail during the trial, was locked up immediately by the judge.

Judge Sally Cahill QC told the court that the circumstances of this offence were nothing short of horrendous and sentenced Joseph to 10 years’ imprisonment, of which he will serve half the sentence before he can be considered for release on license. He was also banned from owning a dog for life. The court heard aggravating factors which made the offence very serious. These included the fact that Joseph had been served with a legally binding (Dog) Community Protection Order which he completely ignored. Mr. Ellam’s death could have been prevented if the dog Alex had been wearing a muzzle as it should have been, as stipulated by the (Dog) Community Protection Order.

The Judge told Joseph it was a case of ‘high culpability’ saying he (Joseph) knew his bull terrier Alex was dangerous which was demonstrated by the fact that the dog had bitten people on FOUR separate previous occasions and not least because he did not let her off the lead during walks, unlike his other dog. She told Joseph that there were many failings which led to a conclusion that he must bear complete responsibility for the events that fatal morning. The attack, and Mr. Ellam’s death, the judge concluded, happened because of Joseph’s arrogant and stubborn disregard for the welfare and safety of others in the community where this dog, should have been carefully and strictly controlled but was kept in circumstances whereby she was able to escape and attack Mr. Ellam. Had a muzzle been properly used, Mr. Elam would still be alive today. The Judge concluded that Joseph’s failings all led to a conclusion that he bore complete responsibility for the events of that fateful morning.

In a statement the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that this was an appalling case in which a man lost his life in the most shocking way in a horrific, brutal and sustained dog attack. The CPS were able to present evidence to the court to show that Joseph had failed to comply with a previous control order, which stated that the dog must be muzzled, kept on a lead, insured, neutered and micro-chipped. In addition he chose to place a dog which he knew to have a history of attacking neighbours in a pen in the communal garden of the flats where he lived. Aaron Joseph’s failure to comply with the control order together with his failure to take adequate steps to secure his dog led directly the tragic death of Mr. Ellam. The gravity of this crime is reflected in the severity of the sentence imposed today.

David Ellam’s family paid tribute to the popular likable man. In a statement they said his loss was like someone turned out the light their lives. Dave was one of those people that once you had met was hard to forget, once he was part of your life it was hard to imagine life without him and he will forever and always be in their world. Dave was loved and adored by his nephews, niece, partner, wife, brothers, extended family and friends and all those that knew him. David’s girlfriend Claire Josling said she was ‘haunted by the memories’ of how David suffered and said she still remembered getting the phone call saying Dave had been attacked by a dog and then rushing to the hospital. She added that it is simply unthinkable that anyone would die in these circumstances.

The CWU welcomes the sentence. With 3000 Postal workers attacked by irresponsible owners’ dogs every year and with a recent spate of very serious injuries following attacks on Postmen and Women, we are calling on the Courts to be more consistent and to use the full range of their sentencing powers to hand down effective sentences along with ownership bans and destruction orders as in the Aaron Joseph case.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB090 Man Jailed For Ten Years Over Fatal Dog Attack

View Online

 

CWU HUMANITARIAN AID APPEAL – HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME

As part of the CWU Humanitarian Aid’s ongoing commitment to enhance the lives of disadvantaged children wherever they live, the Trustees have decided to give 18 children from vulnerable families in Moldova a “holiday of a lifetime” and bring them to the UK for a week in March 2018.

The week will consist of travel excursions to many of the main attractions such as the London Eye and Thorpe Park and many others. This would, of course, take a considerable amount of finance, and therefore we have launched an appeal and would respectfully request that Branches and Regions give some thought to donating to it.

If you wish to make a donation, you can either send a cheque to:

Eric Parker

CWUHA Financial Officer

20 Great Cob

Springfield

Chelmsford

Essex

CM1 6LA

Making all cheques payable to ‘CWUHA’ writing ‘Moldova Appeal’ on the back of the cheque.

Alternatively, you can make a BACs transfer:

Bank: Unity Trust

Sort Code: 608301

Acc no: 20031169

For more information, please contact CWUHA Trustee, Eric Parker on 07904 009 342 or email eric.parker@cwuessex.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

18LTB092 CWUHA APPEAL

View Online

2018 Branch Young Workers Reps/Officers Forum

This is to advise branches that the 2018 Branch Young Workers Reps/Officers Forum will take place on Wednesday, 13th June 2018 at CWU Head Office. It will commence at 11:30 and should conclude no later than 16:00.

Branches are asked to register their young worker rep to attend as soon as possible as places are limited.

All attendees’ costs to attend would have to be met by the branch.

A timetable for the forum will be issued nearer the time, but we will be introducing the new online training course for young workers reps which is now live on LeftClick and is being tested.

I attach a small form that I ask branches to fill in and return to Jo Thair (jthair@CWU.org) to register your attendee please.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 93.18 – 2018 CWU Young Workers Reps Forum Notification

Young Workers Reps Forum Registration Form

View Online

Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy – Mental Health Ambassadors Pilot Launch Event 6th February 2018 Report To Branches:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

This Report is further to earlier Reports and updates in LTBs 533/17, 543/17 and 649/17.

In October 2017 Royal Mail Group launched a new 5-Year Mental Health Strategy with the full involvement and support of the CWU and the strategy has been making good progress with another milestone reached in the mental-health plan earlier this month with a major event at the Mount Pleasant Phoenix Centre.

The event, with well over a hundred people present, was told that to date the Royal Mail Mental Health Strategy has progressed as follows:

• Completed senior leadership mental-health engagement sessions across the business;

• Engaged with the CWU and Unite CMA, securing Union support and commitment;

• Launched a multi-media communication campaign including Work Time Listening and Learning (WTLL), Courier, Intranet, RMtv;

• Launched new mandatory e-learning to all managers (7,000 have completed the course to date);

• Rolled out new mental health support ‘z-cards’ or pocket cards to all of the Royal Mail Group’s workforce and all offices;

• Increased the promotion of Royal Mail’s Feeling First Class and Employee Assistance Services;

• Designed the mental health ambassador programme pilot, launched this month;

• Planned the upskilling of physical first aiders, in mental health first aid; and

• Launched a new ‘Everyday People’ mental health video.

On 6th February 2018 Royal Mail, supported by the CWU and Unite/CMA, launched their mental-health ambassador programme pilot with 80 pilot ambassadors nominated from across the business in attendance. This peer to peer awareness and signposting pilot will be reviewed in July 2018. At that stage the benefits and learning points from the pilot will be shared and discussed with stakeholders including the Unions and together will agree the next steps for the programme. The 80 individuals comprised of a wide range of people consisting of CWU grade front line workers, managers, CWU health and safety reps, first aiders etc.

The pilot aims are to:

• Create a network of local mental-health ambassadors;

• Provide peer to peer awareness raising and signposting support;

• Contribute to working towards normalising mental health conversations; and

• Help improve internal education and signposting to support services, increasing usage.

The Ambassadors role will be to:

• Advocate – Promote guidance and information;

• Support – Work with colleagues and managers locally to signpost colleagues to support and tools;

• External knowledge – Signpost people to external local mental-health support, groups and organisations;

• Promote – Share information on agreed noticeboards and with local agreement via WTLL and team meetings; and

• Role model – Be a role model and champion mental-health support locally.

Ambassadors will encourage workers to follow the synonym ‘ACT’:

• Acknowledge – If you or someone close to you is not their usual self;

• Communicate – If you are not feeling okay, speak to someone. If you’re worried about someone, ask them if they are okay and encourage them to talk. Take the time to listen;

• Take action – Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same.

CWU National Health, Safety and Environment Officer Dave Joyce delivered a key-note speech and said:

“The CWU has been concerned for some time that the government was ignoring the Mental Health issue and that employers were failing to make adequate changes in the workplace to provide support and to enable people with mental illnesses, anxiety or depression to stay in work and get better.

Mental health problems can often be ‘invisible’ to others, so a lack of mental health awareness amongst employers, managers and colleagues is also likely to be a factor.

Medical retirement is not a solution – not only is there a loss of skills and talents these workers have, but having to leave your job can worsen your mental health not make it better.

So the CWU has been saying for a long time that the government and employers must do more to support people with mental health conditions. Simple steps like giving an employee paid time off to get professional help and counselling appointments can make a huge difference.

The CWU Strategy in short is to work with Royal Mail and the mental health charities and experts to raise awareness of the problems and issues faced by those with mental ill health. This includes opposing stigma, getting Union Reps trained in mental health awareness and Mental Health First Aid so they can identify, help and work with our members and others to help working people who have mental health conditions, assisting and supporting those in crisis, signposting people to professional help and to work with Royal Mail to provide support for workers who become ill or disabled and to make reasonable adjustments, so that people can stay in work and get better.

CWU has recently published a “CWU Guide to Work and Suicide” (copies of which were distributed to meeting delegates) and last week the CWU supported “Time To Talk Day” (and copies of the CWU Letter To Branches and Posters were distributed also) demonstrating the work the CWU is doing.

All you people present today have an important role to play as Mental Health Ambassadors and I want to thank each and every one of you for putting yourself forward for this new role and being here today – It’s one of the many reasons why everyone should get together with their workmates and join in the combined effort led by Dr. Shaun Davis and Rachel Boon on behalf of Royal Mail. I very much support and endorse the Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy launched last October which sets out a clear commitment to improve the lives of employees and their families with mental health conditions. Today marks an important milestone in the progress of that strategy.”

Dr. Shaun Davis, Royal Mail Group Global Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Sustainability said:

“I am proud to sponsor Royal Mail Group’s mental health strategy ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’. I was delighted to attend the launch event where 80 ambassadors joined together with us and the Unions for a fantastic day learning about the ambassador pilot and the local role they will play in increasing awareness and signposting to support”.

Rachel Boon Royal Mail Group Head of Health said:

“Our five-year mental health strategy ‘Because Healthy Minds Matter’ and plan continues at pace. Through awareness raising and support options we are working with the CWU and Unite/CMA, towards the further improvement of our mental-health culture and the reduction of sickness absence that results from these debilitating conditions. We are clear that ambassadors are not intended to be counsellors and nor should they act as such or involve themselves in individual cases with managers or others. They should act to signpost employees to specialist support if and when required.”

The Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy is summarised through a “mental health compass” and campaign logo:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB088 Royal Mail Group 5-Year Mental Health Strategy – Mental Health Ambassadors Pilot Launch Event 6th February 2018 Report To Branches

Mental Health Ambassadors Presentation – Dave Joyce CWU (2)

Mental Health Compass and Campaign Logo

View Online

CWU CONFERENCE – BOURNEMOUTH – 22ND – 26TH APRIL 2018

Crèche Facilities

We shall be making arrangements for the provision of crèche facilities at this year’s Annual Conference in Bournemouth.

If any member of your delegation would like to use these facilities they should contact Angela Niven on conferences@cwu.org for a crèche registration form as soon as possible and no later than Thursday 22nd March 2018.

We require this information as early as possible to ensure that arrangements can be made to provide the correct number of staff to look after the children.

Prayer Room

Please email conferences@cwu.org as soon as possible if a delegate requires a prayer room so that arrangements can be made for a quiet room to be made available. Please state the conference that the facility will be required.

Signer Requests

If anyone needs a signer please email conferences@cwu.org as soon as possible and no later than Thursday 22nd March 2018 stating the conference the delegate(s) will be attending.

Online Registration

Further information will be issued regarding online registration in due course.

Procedures for Considering Bucket Collections

1 All requests for bucket collections to be taken during Annual Conference shall normally be submitted in writing to the General Secretary. Such written requests should include background Material/information/full details on the organization for which the collection is to be made. The Officer of the General Conference SOC will be advised accordingly and will then make arrangements for the Union’s stewards to take such collections. The monies so collected will be counted by the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department and a cheque made out to the appropriate body.

2 The number of bucket collections to be taken during Annual Conference will only exceptionally exceed two.

Distribution of Documents at General Conference

1 All requests for the distribution of documents on delegates’ seats shall, in the first instance, be referred in writing to the General Conference SOC, together with a copy of the document(s) concerned, for consideration. Please send any requests to conferences@cwu.org

2 Any documents that have been agreed for distribution on delegates’ seats at General Conference shall be delivered to the General Conference Administration office by no later than 5.00 pm on the day prior to distribution.

3 Branches are reminded of the facility of the conference guide to publicise meetings and other events.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Chris Tapper in the Senior Deputy General Secretary Department on telephone number 020 8971 7331 or email ctapper@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

 

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

17LTB085

View Online

TUC Fire Safety Guide For Trade Union Safety Reps and Activists:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The TUC has published new fire safety advice for trade union representatives following the Grenfell Tower fire in London last June and after consideration by the TUC Union Health and Safety Specialists Committee.

There are between 15,000 and 20,000 fires in non-residential buildings every year in the UK. Last year 2,000 of these fires were in industrial premises, more than 5,000 were in shops or similar commercial sites, while almost 2,000 were in schools or hospitals.

Union Health and Safety Reps have a key role to play in fire safety and should challenge employers and managers to take all aspects of fire safety, including prevention, as more than just a ‘tick-box exercise’ and one that looks at all aspects of fire safety, including prevention.

The new guidance sets out the law around fire safety, explains what is required from a thorough fire safety assessment, and looks at how to implement fire safety policies that will prevent and protect workers.

There’s also a useful checklist for Safety Reps on what to look out for in terms of fire safety when they carry out their workplace inspections.

Workers in high-rise office blocks will have particular concerns about fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire. If not managed properly, high-rise buildings pose additional risks in terms of their construction and escape routes. The guide argues that fire procedures must be reviewed to reflect this.

Union Safety Reps can check managers are receiving information and advice on the company fire policies. And if the building has any form of cladding, Reps can press employers to ensure that both the materials, and also the way they are installed, are independently tested and checked.

The guide will help Reps familiarise themselves with the latest law on fire safety, help them carry out better workplace inspections, and work with managers to devise policies that will genuinely prevent and protect workers from fires.

Fires in the workplace are, like any other risk, preventable, yet every year there are thousands of fires and, in the last year 21 people died in these fires. Another 71 died in the Grenfell Tower Fire disaster.

Fire safety has two main parts. The first is ensuring that fires are prevented and the second is to ensure that if a fire happens there are procedures in place to enable it to be quickly identified and dealt with and, at the same time, ensure that all workers and members of the public are not put at risk.

Employers often see fire safety just in terms of having the procedures in place in the event of a fire and forget about the first part, which is taking action to prevent fires.

As we saw from the Grenfell Fire disaster in June 2017, fire safety is not just about ensuring the proper fire drills are in place and having enough fire extinguishers, it can be about how we design, construct and maintain the buildings in which we live and work.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB087 TUC Fire Safety Guide For Trade Union Safety Reps and Activists

TUC Fire Safety Guide 2017

View Online