LABOUR PARTY LEADERSHIP ELECTION – AFFILIATED SUPPORTER SIGN-UP 
Please find below clarification on who will be able to vote in the forthcoming Labour leadership election with regards to trade union members. 
CWU members who pay the political levy and have already registered as affiliated supporters are eligible to vote in the election and do not need to sign up again this time round.  

All other CWU members who pay the political levy and joined the union before 12th January 2016 can sign up as an affiliated supporter of the Labour Party in order to vote. The deadline for this is 12 noon on the 8th August. They can do so at http://support.labour.org.uk – there will also be a page on the CWU website which will link to this shortly. 

Any CWU members who joined after 12th January will not be eligible to vote as affiliated supporters. They will, however, be able to sign up to vote as a ‘registered supporter’ as an individual by paying a one-off fee of £25 to the Labour Party. The registration process for this will run from Monday 18th July to 5pm on Wednesday 20th July only.

Finally, it should be noted that in order to register as an affiliated supporter, individuals will need to sign up to the following statement (there is an equivalent statement for registered supporters):
I support the aims and values of the Labour Party, am not a supporter of any organisation opposed to it and pay a political subscription to my trade union from which affiliation fees are paid on my behalf. 
In the leadership election last year the Party did exclude some individuals who, for instance, were members of other political parties. Applications for a vote will therefore be subject to a vetting process by the Party. 
It is important that you bring this information to the attention of all your Political Fund levy paying members including your Retired Members. We will give greater publicity to this issue next week on the CWU website (including the new Retired Members and Youth websites) and all CWU social media. 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Ward

General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1: LTB 426/16 Labour Party Leadership – Affiliated Supporter Sign-up

Labour Party Developments 

The purpose of this LTB is to update Branches on recent political developments within the Labour Party and the position the CWU has taken on these.

 

The CWU response to the actions of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP)

 

As branches will be aware, following the vote to Leave the EU there were a series of resignations from the Shadow Cabinet and a no confidence vote in Jeremy Corbyn at the PLP designed to force him to resign and bring about a new leadership election. The union immediately made it clear that we condemned this infighting, and MPs abandoning their front bench posts, at a time when the opposition should have been united in holding the government to account.

 

In recent weeks, the union has also signed a number of joint statements with other affiliated unions which made it clear that we did not support the attempts to undermine the leadership election which took place less than a year ago and the union’s NEC published a statement to this effect on 1st July. This was circulated to branches with LTB 397/16.

 

Union brokered talks with PLP Representatives

 

Following the developments with the PLP, together with Unison and GMB, the CWU was involved in supporting and shaping the approach made by Len McCluskey General Secretary of Unite, to broker peace talks with a number of key Labour MPs.

 

It was agreed by all parties that these talks would commence formally on Sunday 10th July and it is important that all CWU Branches are aware that it was made clear to the senior representatives of the PLP from the outset that the question of Jeremy Corbyn resigning was not on the table.

 

Along with the other General Secretaries due to attend the talks, I was therefore surprised by the statement from Tom Watson, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party that was released to the media on Saturday morning without any prior consultation, claiming the talks had failed.

 

The truth is Tom Watson deliberately chose to abandon discussions before they had commenced in earnest. It would appear from subsequent events that the real motives behind this were that the representatives of the PLP had formed a view that the Labour NEC would support an interpretation of the Labour Party rules preventing Jeremy Corbyn being automatically put on the ballot paper as the incumbent leader.

 

Labour Party NEC meeting on 12th July

 

As Branches will be aware, after a long meeting on 12th July, the Labour NEC confirmed that as leader of the party Jeremy Corbyn would be on the ballot paper automatically. I want to place on record my thanks to Andy Kerr DGS (T) and CWU representative on the Labour Party NEC, for playing a leading role in ensuring they reached this position.

 

It has been clear that a significant number of MPs have opposed Jeremy Corbyn and the influx of new members in the party from the start and were determined to keep him off of the ballot paper. Jeremy Corbyn was elected less than a year ago with an overwhelming mandate and it would have been fundamentally wrong for the outrageous actions of the PLP to have succeeded. Thankfully, democracy and natural justice prevailed.

 

Media reports on Yougov poll of CWU members

 

Branches may also have seen reports this week claiming that trade unions, including from the CWU, had been polled on their support for Jeremy Corbyn. This was being used to suggest that he no longer had the support of trade union members.

 

While we were initially refused any information on this, we have now spoken to Yougov and have learned that the figures being used for our union were based on responses from just 57 people and nobody can yet verify whether they were actually CWU members. This falls well short of standard polling practices and we regard this information as little more than propaganda. We are aware that the individual behind it is a former Labour Party employee.

 

 

 

Next steps

 

Following the confirmation of the timetable for the leadership election this week, I will now be putting a document to the union’s NEC on the 28th July, to re-affirm our support and nomination for Jeremy Corbyn. This also reflects current Annual Conference policy.

 

CWU members who pay the political levy and who joined the union prior to 12th January 2016 will be eligible to vote in the election as affiliated supporters and further information will be sent out to branches today on the sign up process. We will be seeking to maximise the number of CWU members taking part in this.

 

Finally, we are giving consideration to holding a national political briefing/event in the near future and appropriate information on this will follow in due course.

 

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

 

Yours sincerely

 
 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

 

London Recruits 

We have been invited to support an independent film production under the working title of “London Recruits”. The film tells the story of how young, white Britons supported – and indeed kept alive – the anti-apartheid struggle being waged in South Africa by the then underground, outlawed and persecuted ANC.  

 

There is a direct connection between our union and this project. One of those featured in it, Steve Marsling, was a postal worker, during the period in question. The CWU’s predecessor unions all had strong links with the Anti-Apartheid Movement and we continue to support the work of its successor, ACTSA.

 

Remaining secret for decades their incredible story is now being made into a film that CWU members and branches can help bring to the big screen. The NEC has already made a donation to the project. Find out how you can be amongst the first to see the film.

 

Unions and the Anti-Apartheid Movement

 

By the 1960s, trade union, anti-apartheid and labour movements rallied behind the South African freedom struggle. The predecessor unions to the CWU all joined a number of campaigns and demonstrations, donated funds, boycotted South African goods, disrupted postal and telecoms services to and from South Africa and lobbied with employers to disinvest in South African companies.

 

The London Recruits selected for the missions were themselves young activists who came from the full spectrum of the labour and trade union movement and as such, the filmmakers behind London Recruits are working in collaboration with the unions to ensure that together we celebrate this important moment in our history.

 

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Why back London Recruits?

 

This is a movie that you can help make. The project is appealing to members, regions and branches to support the project in any way they can and help them reach their funding target by

 

August 1st. You can be amongst the first to see the film via one of our trade union packages available on our website.

 

The CWU have supported the film at a national level. I believe the main themes of the film – of international solidarity, resistance against oppression and imaginative, direct campaigning – are all those that are very much part of the CWU’s core values.

 

VIDEO LINKS

 

See trade union endorsements of the project here: https://vimeo.com/165129944

See video endorsement of the London Recruits here https://vimeo.com/174339384 

Watch the official London Recruits trailer here https://vimeo.com/151562047 

 

1) Donate either personally or as a branch/group/ committee and take advantage of some of the great rewards which are on offer.

 

2) Book a special Q&A screening for your group/union branch/committee and be among the first to see the London Recruits film.

 

3) Book a speaker to address your union/ branch committee meeting or solidarity/ campaign event.

4) Request a London Recruits resource pack for more information on the film and how your branch/committee can get involved.

 

5) Like the film on Facebook/ follow us on Twitter and help us reach a wider audience.

 

A CWUYouth podcast with one of the original London Recruits and former postal worker Steve Marsling is at http://cwuyouth.podbean.com/e/london-recruits-an-anti-apartheid-film/?token=a58915037fb64f72c2b45d061ae650be

Yours sincerely

 
 

Dave Ward

General Secretary

 

CWU Rule Book
The revised Rule Book including the amendments carried at Rules Revision Conference 2016 is now available as a pdf.file via the CWU website.
You can download a copy of the Rule Book from the following link:

Click to access rule-book-2016.pdf

A hard copy will be sent to all branches.
Any queries regarding this LTB please contact Angela Niven on 020 8971 7256 or by e-mail to aniven@cwu.org
Yours sincerely,
  
 
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 423/16 CWU Rule Book

CWU Rule Book

POST OFFICE: KEEP THE POST PUBLIC – THE FUTURE OF THE POST OFFICE – PEOPLE’S POST BUS TOUR 18TH-22ND JULY
Dear Colleagues
You will be aware from Emergency Motion E3, recent LTBs and National Briefings of the serious issues currently facing our members in the Post Office and indeed the bleak outlook for the future of this great British institution given the current management strategy of severe cost cutting. We would therefore urge all Branches and activists to provide as much assistance as possible in the next phase of the People’s Post campaign which is now focussed on the future of the Post Office.
We have been working alongside colleagues in the Communications Departments to organise a major event commencing next Monday 18th July called the People’s Post Bus Tour.
It is vital we gain widespread publicity in our campaign in order to highlight to the wider public that this Great British institution is being systematically dismantled. Our members in the Post Office are facing oblivion with management attacking jobs in all areas including the ongoing Privatisation of Crown Offices into WHSmith.
With all that is going on politically across the UK, we need to expose the fact that the Post Office is not safe in the hands of the Conservative Government. This is why we need to put pressure on Sajid Javid, the current Secretary of State for BIS, and the new Cabinet as a whole.
The destruction of the Post Office cannot continue with so many jobs at risk – the public need to know that this is potentially another British Steel. ‎So please do everything possible to support the People’s Post Bus Tour.
People’s Post Bus Tour – Key Highlights
The open-top bus will begin its journey in Edinburgh on Monday 18th July and then travel to Glasgow and Paisley later that day. On Tuesday 19th it will travel to Manchester and then St Helens, and on Wednesday 20th it will visit Bromsgrove. It will travel to Cardiff and Bristol on Thursday 21st and end the trip in London on Friday 22nd.

There will be a huge postcard on the side of the bus (copy attached to this LTB) with a strong message about the future of the Post Office which we will be encouraging our members, politicians and the public up and down the country to sign.
Members of the Postal Executive, National Officers and CWU Headquarters staff will be joining the bus at various places along the route. Regional Secretaries, Branch Secretaries, Political Officers and all Representatives are encouraged to participate in activities in their areas. We are involving the press, politicians from across the country, as well as Mayors and councillors – Regional Secretaries will be co-ordinating activities in their local areas and we would ask Branches to contact them to assist in ensuring local politicians are invited to sign the postcard. We will be publishing press releases tailored for local press where appropriate on each day.
The giant postcard, signed by as many people as possible will be handed in to BIS on the afternoon of Friday 22nd July. Prior to that, on the morning of Friday 22nd we will be taking the postcard off the bus, framing it and taking it onto the steps of City Hall (from around 11am). London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been invited to this (timings to be confirmed). The aim is to get as much publicity and political support as possible. Dave Ward and Andy Furey will also be in attendance. Branches in the London area are encouraged to join this event.
Attached to this LTB is a provisional timetable for the bus tour. The exact timings may alter slightly depending on traffic or parking restrictions. Also attached is a leaflet which will be distributed from the bus in each location.
We want to make this event a great success so please provide your support to ensure maximum publicity.  
If you have any queries in regard to the People’s Post Bus Tour, please contact your Regional Secretary or email Marcia Murray in the Communications Department mmurray@cwu.org.
Please ensure the content of this LTB is distributed to all members.
Finally, thank you in advance for your participation in this activity.
Yours sincerely
                                               
                                          
Dave Ward Ray Ellis Andy Furey                      
General Secretary Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
                                             General Secretary
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB422/16 Post Office: Keep The Post Public – The Future of The Post Office – People’s Post Bus Tour 18th-22nd July

Attachment 1 – Postcard

Attachment 2 – Bus Tour Itinerary

Attachment 3 – Leaflet

 
JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE DEPLOYMENT OF GRAVITY ROLLERS FOR LARGE PARCEL SORTING IN THE MAIL CENTRE NETWORK
Dear Colleagues
Branches and representatives will be aware that in line with the Agenda for Growth commitment to a more collaborative mutual interest working model, the department has been pursuing a standardised policy approach with the business in order to address operating/equipment issues across the Mail Centre network.
In line with the above commitment trial activity has been taking place in relation to Gravity Rollers for the sortation of large Tracked and Untracked Parcels at Peterborough Mail Centre, which has been overseen by the Joint Trial Coordination Working Group (JTCWG).
Gravity Rollers are not new equipment and have been in use in the Mail Centre and RDC environment for many years. The trial activity has utilised standard rollers and developed a new method for sorting large Tracked and Untracked parcels. The joint review activity undertaken by the JTCWG has highlighted that the method developed at Peterborough Mail Centre utilising Gravity Rollers as the best system for the sorting of Tracked and Untracked large parcels and has recommended that the process be adopted in other Mail Centres.
To facilitate the deployment of this equipment a Joint Statement has been concluded with the business which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached for information. Colleagues will note that in line with previous agreements the Joint Statement provides for continued full CWU involvement in the deployment activity.
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: 711.02
Yours sincerely
 
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – Joint Statement on Deployment of Gravity Rollers for Large Parcel Sorting in the Mail Centre Network

LTB 420/16 – Joint Statement between Royal Mail and the CWU Covering the Deployment of Gravity Rollers for Large Parcel Sorting in the Mail Centre Network

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE DEPLOYMENT OF INCLINE CONVEYORS FOR PARCEL SORTING IN THE MAIL CENTRE NETWORK
 
Dear Colleagues
Branches and representatives will be aware that in line with the Agenda for Growth commitment to a more collaborative mutual interest working model, the department has been pursuing a standardised policy approach with the business in order to address operating/equipment issues across the Mail Centre network.
In line with the above commitment trial activity has been taking place in relation to the use of Incline Conveyors for Parcel Sorting under an agreed Terms of Reference at Leeds, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Tyneside, Glasgow, Northern Ireland, Gatwick & Home Counties North Mail Centres.
Variations on methods were trialed at the respective sites and the outputs of the trial have been reviewed by the joint Trial Coordination Working Group. This review has highlighted the option developed at Edinburgh and Glasgow Mail Centres as the best method. Mail Centres using the standard conveyors for parcel sorting will be expected to move to the standard method. The list of affected Mail Centres is attached to the Joint Statement at Annex 2.
The only exception will be Home Counties North Mail Centre who will operate their current method, due to the length of the conveyor, but will migrate to the standard method once these conveyors reach their end of life and require replacement.
To facilitate the deployment of this equipment a Joint Statement has been concluded with the business and endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached for information. Colleagues will note that in line with previous agreements the Joint Statement provides for continued full CWU involvement in the deployment activity.
The appropriate safety documentation has also been finalised and agreed for the safe use of this piece of equipment and can be viewed by clicking the following link: http://www.cwu.org/media/7575/rm-parcels-sortation-with-conveyors.pdf.
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: 715.13
Yours sincerely
 
Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 418-16 Joint Statement Between Royal Mail and the CWU Covering the Deployment of Incline Conveyors

JS Incline Conveyors for Parcel Sorting 05.07.16

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE DEPLOYMENT OF MASS YORK MOVER IN GREENFORD MAIL CENTRE (GREENFORD YORKWAY)
Dear Colleagues
Branches and representatives will be aware that in line with the Agenda for Growth commitment to a more collaborative mutual interest working model, the department has been pursuing a standardised policy approach with the business in order to address operating/equipment issues across the Mail Centre network.
In line with the above commitment trial activity has been taking place at Greenford Mail Centre in relation to a site specific initiative.
The trial has been reviewed Nationally by the joint Trial Coordination Working Group. This review has endorsed the methods developed at Greenford Mail Centre but only as a bespoke Materials Handling Solution specific to Greenford Mail Centre.
Branches should note that this method will not be considered as a standard and any proposals for similar initiatives at any other site will be subject to further bespoke trial activity.
To facilitate the deployment of this method at Greenford Mail Centre a Joint Statement has been concluded with the business which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached for your information. Colleagues will note that in line with previous agreements the Joint Statement provides for continued full CWU involvement in the deployment activity.
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: 715.21
Yours sincerely
 
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 417/16 – Joint Statement between Royal Mail and the CWU Covering the Deployment of Mass York Mover in Greenford Mail Centre (Greenford Yorkway)

JS Deployment of Mass York Mover in Greenford MC 05.07.16

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND THE CWU COVERING THE DEPLOYMENT OF POWERED ROLLER MAIL PREPARATION STATIONS IN THE MAIL CENTRE NETWORK
Dear Colleagues
Branches and representatives will be aware that in line with the Agenda for Growth commitment to a more collaborative mutual interest working model, the department has been pursuing a standardised policy approach with the business in order to address operating/equipment issues across the Mail Centre network.
LTB 629/15 provided details of the agreed arrangements in relation to the deployment of Mechanical Mail Preparation Stations in the Mail Centre network.
Colleagues will recall that LTB 629/15 outlined that, as available space for the Mail Preparation Station equipment varied from site to site, it had been decided that it would be necessary to trial two variations, the Mechanical Mail Preparation Station where space constraints did not exist and a further configuration which could be utilised where space was an issue.
Further to the deployment of the Mechanical Mail Preparation Station, extensive trial activity has taken place on the second configuration which has now been successfully concluded and the ‘Powered Roller’ Mail Preparation Station is now considered suitable for deployment. 
To facilitate the deployment of this equipment a Joint Statement has been concluded with the business which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive and is attached for information. You will note that in line with previous agreements the Joint Statement provides for continued full CWU involvement in the deployment activity.
The appropriate safety documentation has also been finalised and agreed for the safe use of this piece of equipment and can be viewed by clicking the following link: http://www.cwu.org/media/7564/rm-safety-compliance-supporting-documentation.pdf.
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: 711.02.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 416-16 JS Powered Roller Mail Preparation Tables

JS Deployment of Powered Roller Mail Prep Stations 05.07.16

T&FS Officers’ Responsibilities
T&FS Officers’ responsibilities changed with effect from 4th July 2016 and as a consequence set out below are the CWU recognised companies that each Officer will have responsibility for. 
T&FS Committees and Teams 2016 – 2017
Please also see the attached list of T&FSE Committees and Teams for your information.
Sally Bridge
BT Estates (Accommodation, BT Property), BT Facility Services, Catering BTUK, Eurest (BT Account), Huawei, ISS Eaton (Telefonica 02 UK Account), Manpower UK (BT Account), Telefonica O2 UK, Telereal Trillium.
Davie Bowman
BT Ireland (Networks), BT Openreach, Equinix, Manx Telecom, Norland CBRE, TelecityGroup, William Hill.
Nigel Cotgrove
BT Group Finance & Billing, BT Consumer, BT Flex Centres, Hibu, iPSL, T&FS Occupational Pensions.
John East
Airwave, Fujitsu Birmingham and Northern Ireland, Santander (Geoban, Isban, Produban), SwissPost, EE, Virgin Media.
Allan Eldred
ANovo, BT Business & Public Sector, BT European Consultative Committee, BT Global Services, BT Supply Chain, Computacenter, Ericsson.
Dave Jukes
Accenture, BT Personnel & Equality issues, BT Group HR, BT Learning, BT Technology, Service and Operations, Damovo, Hewlett Packard, Steria, Tech Mahindra.
Brendan O’Brien
BT Wholesale & Ventures including BT Fleet, BT Managed Services Ltd and Directories & Enquiries, Capita (Telefonica O2 UK), Gather & Gather (Capita Account).
Yours sincerely,
 
Andy Kerr

Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 415-16 T&FS Officers’ Responsibilities

T&FSE Committees and Teams 2016-2017