CAPITA TVL: PAY DISPUTE 2026 – ACAS TALKS MONDAY 9^TH NOVEMBER

Further to LTB 281/26 dated 21^st October. Branches are advised that following the declaration of the Industrial Action ballots results, delivered by our Capita TVL members, informal discussions have been held by Acas, with both the Union and Capita.  As a result, we have agreed to meet for a full day next Monday 9^th November.

The Postal Executive has met to consider our position in regard to the dispute and has determined that we will endeavour to reach a wider Agreement than just 2026. Essentially, our objective within the Acas talks will be to deliver a two-year Agreement to encompass 2027, bearing in mind that the pay review date is 1^st April, and the proximity to this.  The Postal Executive considers that our members have been very patient this year in waiting for a Pay Agreement, and therefore we should seek to get some certainty for 2027, rather than narrowing down the Acas talks to just 2026.  Hopefully Capita will see the logic of this approach, and Acas will be able to assist in facilitating a way forward that enables us to reach a two-year Pay Agreement. On Monday 2^ndNovember, we met with our Senior TVL Representatives and they were supportive of this strategy.

We will obviously have to see how the Acas talks go prior to instigating any action. However, if the Acas talks were to break down without a way forward, we would quickly have to review this situation and determine what an appropriate response would be,  Therefore, at this stage, we will monitor how productive the negotiations are and determine whether Capita are serious in wanting to avoid a dispute.  This is an approach our members would expect in the circumstances.

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB303.26 Capita TVL – Pay Dispute 2026 – Acas

View Online

Royal Mail: PFSL Pay Negotiations – Consultative Ballot Timetable

Further to LTB282/26 dated 23^rd October.  Branches will be aware we recently held two negotiating meetings with PFSL/Royal Mail, which concluded without an Agreement.  As a consequence, we registered a Dispute Resolution Procedure (DRP) in line with the PFSL IR Framework Agreement.  As a result, the Postal Executive has decided to undertake the Consultative Ballot (previously paused), with the following timetable:

• Ballot papers despatched – Thursday 12^thNovember
• Ballot closes and results declared – Friday 27^thNovember

The two questions on the ballot paper are:

• Do you support CWU’s rejection of PFSL’s inadequate pay offer?
• Do you support the CWU’s policy for all PFSL members to be able to join the Royal Mail Collective Plan pension scheme?

The Ballot will be undertaken on the basis of a mix between postal and online ballot papers (we have 75% of members’ private email addresses).  The two ballot questions are necessary due to our policy of seeking pension reform and fairness with PFSL members being able to join the Collective Plan.  Royal Mail’s continued resistance to this position is detrimental to our PFSL members, who deserve to be treated with more respect.  Equally, the failure of Royal Mail to at least match the Real Living Wage (RLW) is a retrograde position, bearing in mind that the Living Wage Foundation announced last month that the new RLW hourly pay rate is £14.10.

We will now renew our campaign to engage directly with the PFSL members, urging them to vote Yes & Yes and Branches are encouraged to do everything possible to rally the PFSL members behind our strategy.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary 

Attachment: LTB304.26 RM PFSL Pay Negotiations – Consultative Ballot Timetable

View Online

Royal Mail Fleet Maintenance – Midlands & Anglia Representative – Vacancy

Due to the retirement of Mick Nicholson, we are seeking nominations for the following area:

• Midlands & Anglia

For ease of reference please see below the workshops covered by the area and corresponding CWU branches.  The position is advertised until the Biennial Elections which are due in October 2027.Area BranchesMidlands & Anglia

Boston, Bury St Edmunds, Corby, Coventry Hub, Crick, Derby, Grimsby, Lincoln, Midland, Midland Super Hub, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Peterborough, Huntingdon, Ipswich, Leicester, Rugby, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent, Woodbridge, Worcester

Midlands MT, South Central MT, South Yorkshire & District Amal

Nomination forms for this position is attached to this LTB. All candidates must have the nomination of their own Branch and completed nomination forms must be signed by the Branch Secretary and Branch Chair (or accredited deputies) and the nominee.

The timetable for the submission of nominations is as follows:

Nominations Open: –          4^th November 2026

Nominations Close: –          18^th November 2026 (14.00)

In the event that a ballot is required, a timetable will be notified in due course with all ballots being run in accordance with the CWU guidelines for Fleet Maintenance Territorial Representation which is attached for your information.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to Andy Furey’s department to the following email address: snicholas@cwu.org

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

Attachment 1: LTB302.26 RM Fleet Maintenance – Midlands & Anglia Rep – Vacancy

Attachment 2: Nomination Form

Attachment 3: Guidelines 2026

View Online

DM26 Peak/Christmas Operations – Joint Guidance

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the Joint Statement which was cascaded via LTB 285/26 – Update on DM26 Talks – Government Intervention and the Future of the Company on Monday as a result of the outcome of intense talks between RM and CWU.

The Joint Statement committed both parties to the following regarding DM26 and Peak operations:

Detailed discussions will commence this week, with the aim of finalising Peak 2026 arrangements no later than 30 October 2026. Should these arrangements not be finalised by that date, the matter will be escalated to the signatories of this agreement.

As a result of the above, discussions took place last week on seeking to agree and finalise an overall approach to the design of DM26 through the Peak / Christmas period via Joint Guidance. We have now agreed the attached Joint Guidance, which confirms that all Delivery Offices will need to review their current DM26 operation against the wider guiding principles:

• Review all resourcing / manpower, vehicles and PDAs planning to ensure sufficient staffing and equipment to meet increased delivery volumes during the Peak / Christmas period;
• Review the current DM26 model / design plans alongside all options to accommodate additional workload across all walks / routes – this can be a 4th OPG / Duty to support the POD design in line with the workload demand;
• Review all DOs and ensure that all units have built night opening and / or early morning duties – utilising annual leave reserves, PT to FT and underpinned by SA resource where required;
• Plan parcel deliveries via PDA through pre-starts and deliver from 7-10am, review all DPR operations and ensure supplementary Parcel Deliveries to guarantee that each unit has a plan and align resource to ensure Premium Products are delivered on the same day.

In relation to the POD Design, 50/50 duties and Singleton Duties, the joint guidance confirms that the overarching design principle is that a 4th OPG is added to the POD / PODs aligned to indoor and outdoor workload demand. Shared route pairs continue to operate as a Heavy Call rate/Light Call Rate pairing rather than taking the additional workload in the POD design.

All singleton duties would remain 50/50 and the full duty content reviewed. Where a deployed 50:50 duty currently takes additional outdoor workload across Monday to Friday, consideration must be given to returning resource to the core route and ensuring it is fully resourced/covered.

The joint guidance also gives units the full autonomy to plan when that introduction takes place and how plans are adapted and resourced during w/c 9th November, consider the introduction of a 4^th full duty between two PODs to support the delivery operation and then from w/c 23rd November when Annual Leave ceases and support from reserves becomes available.

Where there are insufficient annual leave reserves to provide a 4^th person to a POD, it has been agreed that all units can look to cover both indoor and outdoor workload through allocation of overtime, SA via day off cover volunteers or seasonal agency resource.

The joint guidance also seeks to promote that attention needs to be given to Saturday operations via DM26 and that the units which have not deployed DM26 review implementation of the DtS algorithm ahead of the deployment of DM26 structural changes in January 2027 to support the delivery of a successful peak. Likewise, where it has been switched on and is causing operational issues and / or is not already switched on (circa 28 units), RSGs are asked to review how the application of the algorithm can support peak operations.

Finally, the governance process makes it clear every office will need to create a revised operational plan with input and support from ADRs and OPLs as necessary, is signed off by the RPMs / RODs and Divisional Reps and where there are units unable to reach an agreed plan, then this should be escalated to the RSG in the first instance to resolve or if needed the National Delivery JWG to support resolution.

Therefore, the attached Joint Guidance document ensures that CWU Reps will be able to actively review the whole DM26 operations for their offices and adapt the current design to ensure that the units can operate effectively during the peak period and put in place the correct resource needed against the workload both via duties and underpinned by SA/overtime resource as required.

Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: pharacz@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 300/26 – DM26 Peak Christmas Operations – Joint Guidance

DM26 Guidance for Peak_Christmas 2026 final

View Online

Royal Mail – Peak / Christmas Arrangements 2026

Branches are advised that discussions have been ongoing with Royal Mail for some time with regards to a Peak/Christmas Arrangements document for 2026. As you will be aware this year Boxing Day falls on the Saturday and in line with the precedent set in 2004, the 26^th December is declared an additional non USO day across the whole of the UK.  The arrangements for this day mirror those agreed for similar instances since 2009.

In Scotland as part of the standard Bank Holiday allocation there is a second New Year Bank holiday, normally the 2^nd January, which moves to Monday 4th January. In 2009 Postcom, declined to authorise an additional non service day in Scotland for the 2^ndJanuary though did give Royal Mail the option to move the non-service day associated to the Bank Holiday from the Monday to the Saturday, which following consultation with the Scottish Branches did happen in January 2010, 2016 & 2021.   This means that Royal Mail do not operate USO collections or deliveries on the 2^nd January, which is a normal working day in the rest of the UK, but are required to operate a full USO service on Monday 4^th Januarywhich remains the designated Bank Holiday.

Royal Mail intend to do so again this year, however an issue has arisen over the attendance and remuneration arrangements for the 2^nd and 4^thJanuary and following consultation with the Scottish Branches this issue will be the subject of separate national discussions, to allow the wider arrangements to be released which we believe is in the best interests of our Representatives and members including those in Scotland.  Para 3.10 of the agreed arrangements covers this point and arrangements are being made to meet on this point as a matter of urgency.

Attached for the information of Branches and Representatives are the agreed Peak/ Christmas arrangements for 2026.   The document follows the tried and tested format of previous years with only minor updates, which do not change the substance of the content.

Regarding the Attendance and Resourcing arrangements, section 3 covers the arrangements for the Bank Holidays and non-service days and retains all of the established principles and protections.

The document confirms the Christmas Supplement and the additional £100 ex Colleague Share payment will be made as usual and are unaffected by the Peak Incentive Scheme. The traditional paragraphs on Scheduled Attendance, SA Holiday Pay and Temporary Variation to Contract have been retained unaltered in the final draft.

Branches should note the clear guidance on the timing of Supplementary Tracked Parcel Deliveries may be planned and takes place between 07:00 and 10:00 in order to maximise the opportunities to deliver as many items as possible and likewise for the PM operation parcel deliveries should be planned to be delivered by 19:00, with a variation to 21:00during weeks 35 -39, only where the relevant risk assessments have taken place. Equally Mail Centres should ensure that measures are in place to ensure that traffic is available to meet these constraints.

As in previous years cross functional Local Joint Working Groups (LJWG) will oversee this aspect.

We believe that the publication of the attached arrangements much earlier than in previous years will be welcomed and will provide guidance to Reps and Branches.   Agreed measures to amend DM26 during peak have also been agreed and will be circulated separately.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:

Processing/Distribution: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: jrodrigues@cwu.org; quoting reference LTB 298/26.

Deliveries/Collections: Tony Bouch, Assistant Secretary, email: pharacz@cwu.org; quoting reference LTB 298/26.

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 298/26 – Royal Mail – Peak Christmas Arrangements 2026

Peak RM and CWU Arrangements 2026

View Online

Royal Mail Delivery / Collection Torches and Provision of Personal Attack Alarms 2026-27

Dear Colleagues,

Following on from previous LTBs issued, we wanted to remind the Branches, Representatives and members of the availability of outdoor torches and about the provision of Personal Attack Alarms to all members who work on Deliveries and Collections.

Attached are pictures of the torch (can be attached to the uniform), headtorch and the RM-branded personal attack alarm, all of which have been available for several years.

These items are available to any individual who would like to request one and can be ordered via the RMG Uniform portal as part of the personal uniform allocation.

Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: Pharacz@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 299/26 – Delivery and Collection Torches and Personal Attack Alarms 2026-27

Attachment: Royal Mail Torches and Alarms

View Online

CWU response to government consultation on workplace monitoring technologies

The CWU has made the attached submission to the government’s Make Work Pay consultation on workplace monitoring technologies (WMT).[1]

The CWU’s response highlights examples of WMT used in the postal, telecoms, tech and financial services sectors.  It argues that our members are at the sharp end of monitoring technologies that undermine trust, damage physical and mental wellbeing, increase stress and sickness absence, and contribute to lower job satisfaction and staff retention.   These outcomes carry significant costs for employers. Workers who feel trusted and empowered are generally more motivated and productive than those subjected to continuous electronic surveillance.

The consultation seeks views on proposals to support the fair, transparent and responsible use of WMT.   It asks whether there should be:

• A statutory code of practice on employers’ use of WMT (Option A);
• Primary legislation to impose a duty to consult with trade unions or elected representatives where monitoring is introduced or significantly changed (Option B); or
• A non-statutory code of practice on employers’ use of WMT (Option C).

The CWU’s response strongly supports Option B which would place a legal duty on employers to consult trade unions before introducing or significantly changing workplace monitoring technologies.  We argue that consultation should take place before procurement or deployment decisions are finalised and employers should be required to provide relevant information including Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIAs), equality impact assessments and details of any automated decision making.

The response argues that a statutory code as set out in Option A would help, but only as a supplement to the legal rights established through primary legislation.  Option C, based on non-statutory guidance alone, would not provide sufficient safeguards to support responsible adoption.

Beyond making the case for primary legislation under Option B, the CWU’s response calls for:

• Workers to have a clear legal right to information about what data is collected from WMT, why it is collected, whether automated decisions are involved and how decisions are made, among other requirements.
• Workers to have meaningful rights and ownership interests in the data collected about them at work. This would allow workers and their representatives to understand how systems affect them and would support informed collective bargaining on pay, working time, privacy, workload and reasonable productivity expectations. Greater worker access to data would help identify emerging risks, prevent stress and burnout and create more balanced employment relationships.
• Workers to benefit from productivity gains arising from new technology, for example through better pay and conditions of employment and shorter working hours.
• Safeguards to apply where WMT is used, including mandatory impact assessments, equality and discrimination testing, human oversight of significant decisions and clear routes for challenge and redress.

The CWU recognises that WMT can deliver genuine benefits in areas such as health and safety, security, training, quality assurance and fraud prevention.  However, positive examples such as location-based alerts warning of workplace hazards are the exception, not the norm.  Our experience of workplace surveillance has been overwhelmingly negative.  WMT is frequently deployed primarily to intensify work, scrutinise performance and increase managerial control. The claimed productivity benefits often fail to materialise, while the harmful impacts on workforce wellbeing, trust and morale are substantial.

Workplace monitoring and surveillance is an issue the CWU raised at the Labour National Policy Forum ahead of the 2024 general election, and Labour committed to consulting on this in its Next Steps to Make Work Pay policy paper in November 2024.[2]

The government’s proposals offer an important opportunity to secure a new legal right for workers and trade unions to be consulted and negotiated with over the introduction of workplace monitoring technologies. However, the government has yet to indicate its preferred approach, and there is no guarantee it will proceed with Option B in the face of likely business opposition. Continued pressure from the trade union movement will therefore be essential to secure a legal right to consultation and negotiation, along with stronger regulation of WMT more broadly.

If you have any questions or comments on the above, please email btaylor@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Bill Taylor

Head of Research

[1] Make Work Pay: workplace monitoring technologies – GOV.UK

[2] Next Steps to Make Work Pay (web accessible version) – GOV.UK

LTB 297-26 CWU response to government on workplace monitoring technologies

LTB 297-26 Attachment A – CWU Workplace Monitoring Technologies Consultation Response 30.09.26

View Online

Employment Rights Act (ERA): New Rights for Equality Representatives

The CWU welcomes the introduction of new statutory rights for Equality Representatives under the Employment Rights Act, which comes into effect on 30 October 2026.

This is a significant milestone for workplace equality and reflects many years of campaigning by the CWU and the wider trade union movement to secure formal recognition of the vital role Equality Representatives play in supporting members, challenging discrimination and promoting fair and inclusive workplaces.

The new rights provide an important opportunity for the CWU to strengthen its equality agenda with employers and across all constituencies, ensuring that equality considerations are embedded throughout our workplace, industrial and organisational structures

In preparation, the CWU’s Central Services Departments and Industrial Departments have held initial discussions and are now working together to develop a coordinated national approach. This work will focus on engaging with our employers with the aim of securing appropriate collective bargaining arrangements for Equality Representatives, including recognition, training, facility time and the support necessary for them to carry out their role effectively.

The Equality, Education and Development department is currently developing guidance, resources, training and supporting documentation to assist Equality Representatives in the role.

Further updates will be provided as discussions progress.

Any queries on this LTB should be directed to equality&education@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 293/26 – Employment Rights Act (ERA) New Rights for Equality Representatives

View Online

Sheffield University report on work and employment in last mile parcel delivery

The purpose of this LTB is to inform Postal Branches of a Sheffield University report on work and employment in last mile parcel delivery, which is available at the following link: Work and Employment in UK Last Mile Parcel Delivery Oct 2026.pdf – Google Drive

The report was launched at an event in Parliament on 20^th October where Kate Dearden, Minister of State for the Future of Work, expressed support for its findings and recommendations on tackling insecure work and unfair competition in the parcel delivery sector. The CWU also joined the panel of speakers, along with representatives from the TUC who are helping us to push for the introduction of sectoral collective bargaining in parcel delivery, and the GMB who represent self-employed drivers in Evri.

The CWU has strongly welcomed the report, which finds that parcel delivery drivers face significant challenges in the workplace on a range of issues from pay and working time, to surveillance, demanding performance targets and health and safety concerns.

Background on the report

Sheffield University Centre for Decent Work’s report on work and employment in last mile parcel delivery is based on around 1500 survey responses and 85 interviews with workers, union officials and union representatives in two major operators in the sector: Company A and Company B. The operators and the trade unions are not named in the report to avoid the risk of litigation against the university from companies like Evri, which is suing the BBC over claims its couriers earn under the minimum wage.[1] In Company A drivers are mostly direct employees and there are established union structures, whereas Company B utilises a self-employed model, including “Self Employed Plus”.

Key findings

• The report finds that Company A is better than Company B for:
  • pay
  • working time
  • employment protections e.g minimum wage and sick pay entitlement
  • maintaining health and safety standards through collective bargaining
• However Company A workers face similar challenges to Company B workers from:
  • Extensive surveillance
  • Demanding performance expectations and targets
  • Stress
  • Work related bullying

• Pay – While drivers at both companies reported average earnings of £13 an hour, this hides sharp differences in take home pay. In particular:
  • 35% of self-employed driversestimated that they earn less than the National Minimum Wage vs 6% at Company A.[2]
  • Self-employed drivers described significant costs, including fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance and mobile phones, and successive rate reductions that cut their earnings.
  • Working time – Most Company A drivers worked a conventional five-day week, whereas 80% of Company B drivers reported working six days a week.
  • Sick pay – 81% of Company A drivers received sick pay, while 99% of Company B drivers did not receive sick pay.
  • Holiday pay – 99% of Company A drivers received holiday pay against 85% of Company B drivers, but Company B drivers holiday pay was financed through rate reductions associated with “Self Employed Plus” status.
• Breaks – More than half (56%) of self-employed drivers said they take no breaks during the working day, compared with 13% of directly employed drivers.
• Surveillance – Electronic monitoring was almost universal, affecting 99% of directly employed and 89% of self-employed drivers.
• Delivery targets – Around two thirds of directly employed drivers (65%) and more than half of self-employed drivers (58%) reported “very high” or “a lot of” pressure to meet delivery targets.
• Bullying and harassment – Nearly half (47%) of all respondents said they had experienced bullying or harassment at work. This was higher for self-employed drivers at Company B (53%) compared with directly employed drivers at Company A (43%).

Report Recommendations

The report recommends:

• A special investigation by the Fair Work Agency into working conditions in the sector, and into compliance with National Minimum Wage legislation.
• Consideration of sector-specific minimum earnings floors, with transparent rate-setting and measures against unpaid labour.
• Mandatory minimum health and safety standards for all depots, including those run by subcontractors.
• Ofcom regulation to stop competition being won through exploitative labour practices.
• A clear statutory test of employment status, with stronger enforcement against bogus self-employment.
• An “Employment Charter for Parcel Delivery Drivers” developed jointly by the unions in the sector.

Sheffield University’s report comes at a time of growing recognition of the need to tackle bogus self-employment in both the parcel sector and the wider labour market. It adds to an increasing body of evidence and a growing number of calls for government action. For example, it reinforces the recommendations made by Citizens Advice in its report on parcel delivery pay and conditions, circulated in LTB 263/26, which called for the introduction of a single worker status to help level the playing field and reduce pressures on parcel delivery workers.

The findings also strengthen the CWU’s own call for action to address bogus self-employment, insecure work and low pay, as set out in the motion passed at this year’s Labour Party Conference and reported in LTB 256/26.

The publication of the report coincides with the Government’s recent consultation Make Work Pay: Employment Status Reform and Protections for the Self-Employed, reported in LTB 279/26, which sets out proposals aimed at tackling bogus self-employment. The CWU will be responding to the consultation and will continue to press the Government to deliver the fundamental reforms needed to improve security, pay and protections for our members.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary        

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                                    

LTB 291/26 – SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY REPORT ON WORK AND EMPLOYMENT IN LAST MILE PARCEL DELIVERY

[1] Evri suing BBC for £1.2m over Panorama programme | Money News | Sky News

[2] The report says “this small proportion is likely to reflect under-estimation of pay, as the negotiated pay rates for Company A are set above NMW levels”.

View Online

Election of CWU Delegates to the TUC Women’s Conferences 2027

Please find attached the Regulations, Nomination Forms, and Candidate Consent and Biographical Details Form for the TUC Women’s Conference. The provisional details of which are as follows:

TUC Women’s Conference 

Date:               10^th – 12^th March 2027

Venue:            TBC – Telford

The Timetable for the elections is as follows:

Nominations open:                     29 October 2026    

Nominations close:                     12 November 2026 (14:00)

Dispatch ballot papers:               17 November 2026

Ballot closes:                              26 November 2026 (14:00)

Reminders: 

When considering nominations, Branches must note the TUC ‘Conference arrangements for the Women’s Conference that is attached to this LTB and reflected in the nomination forms.

All candidates require the nomination of their own Branch and candidates should also note and comply with the requirements of the TUC Conference arrangements for the Women’s Conference.

2027 TUC Black Workers Conference, Disabled Workers Conference & LGBT+ Conferences 

Provisional dates for these Equality Conferences have still to be provided. As the deadlines for delegations to these Conferences are in 2027 exceptionally the elections for the delegations to each will be conducted at a later date once the NEC have agreed the timetable at their November meeting. 

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed by email to equality&education@cwu.org .

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson

Head of Equality, Education                                

& Development

Dave Ward

General Secretary     

LTB 290/26 – ELECTION OF CWU DELEGATES TO THE TUC WOMEN’S CONFERENCES 2027

Attachment: 2027 TUC Women’s Nomination Forms (Word download)

Attachment: Regulations & Appendices (Word download)

Attachment: TUC Insert (PDF)

Attachment: TUC Womens Conference Candidates-and-Bio-Form-2027 (Word download)

View Online