CWU AWARENESS OF RECALLED PRODUCTS DUE TO ASBESTOS HAZARD RISKS

In the last week, the UK office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) updated its recalled list of products due to asbestos related risks. In total, 127 toy items and play items have now been recalled since January 2026. Several major retailers including Tesco, Matalan, Asda, Hobbycraft, B&M, Argos, and Aldi have been involved in product recalls from August 2023 through to May 2026.

Asbestos in consumer products – GOV.UK

Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls – GOV.UK

In December 2025, urgent recalls were issued in Australia & New Zealand after tremolite, and chrysotile asbestos contamination had been found in toys imported from China. The affected products were sensory play sand, craft sand and kinetic sand. In 2026 in the UK and other European countries product recalls included colored sand, sand pictures, sand playsets products, and stretchy figurines.

The CWU understands that the UK’s Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have little or no testing capacity – recalls are based on self-reports from importing companies or manufacturers. There is currently no publicly available information about the percentage level of contamination in the products recalled in the UK. 

The latest ‘multiple items’ OPSS recall from 7^th May includes Novelty Doorstops

The latest OPSS product safety recall alert issued on the 7^th of May indicated a list of thirty-five products presenting a risk to health, as the sand inside the doorstops may be contaminated with a quantity of asbestos. Corrective action being, that these products have now been withdrawn from the market and recalled from end users by Dunelm. Even though this latest recall is classified as ‘Decorative articles/Homeware/Garden ware – Ornaments’ it has been noted that some of these items clearly do resemble toys in appearance and may attract child play activity.

The latest product recall sheet is attached with images alongside this LTB, with the aim being to assist CWU members in familiarising themselves with the latest recalled items. There are five other OPSS recalls for this month alone just for toy products.

CWU guidance going forward.

• It is advisable to check purchased items for CE/UKCA marking, manufacturer details and safety information.
• Be cautious of products with no traceability.
• Buy from reputable suppliers.
• Choose suppliers with clear safety information, established quality assurance processes, and transparent sourcing.
• Familiarise yourself with the latest OPSS product safety alerts (website link above)

If you have concerns about a product that you think might contain asbestos but has not been recalled:

In England and Wales: contact the Citizens Advice consumer service.

In Scotland:                  contact the Advice Direct Scotland consumer helpline.

In Northern Ireland:     Contact Us | Advice NI

Guidance on how situations should be managed is available here; GOV.UK.

OPSS also provides information on testing for asbestos in sand

This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact:

Jamie McGovern FRSPH MIIAI 

CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant at jmcgovern@cwu.org

LTB 168/26 – ASBESTOS RISKS- UK RECALLED PRODUCTS JUNE 2026

Att: OPSS 2603-0019-product-recall-dunelm-novelty-doorstops

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World Environment Day 5^th June 2026

World Environment Day 2026 will be celebrated on Friday, 5 June, focusing on climate action under the theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”

World Environment Day, established by the United Nations, is observed annually on 5 June to raise global awareness about environmental issues and encourage proactive steps toward conservation and sustainability. It serves as a platform for individuals, communities, and organisations to take responsibility for protecting the environment and promoting sustainable practices.

Theme and focus for 2026

The 2026 theme emphasizes urgent climate action, highlighting the interconnected crises of climate change and ecosystem degradation. The campaign encourages global citizens to rethink economic systems, reduce carbon emissions, and restore the balance between humans and nature. The slogan for the year is “Climate Crisis and Solutions”, reflecting the need for both awareness and actionable solutions.

How to Participate

Individuals and communities can engage in World Environment Day 2026 by:

• Organising or joining local environmental initiatives, such as clean-ups, tree planting, or educational seminars.
• Adopting sustainable practices like reducing waste, conserving water and energy, and choosing eco-friendly products.
• Supporting sustainable food choices, including locally sourced and organic options.
• Raising awareness through social media campaigns, discussions, and community outreach.

World Environment Day 2026 is a global call to action, uniting people worldwide to protect the environment, mitigate climate change, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

For more information, support and ways to get involved, visit the World Environment Day website at:  2026 Theme and Host

Round Our Way Media Organisation – sharing your stories

Round our way is a media that looks to share stories about the impact climate change has on our communities and the people working in those communities Round Our Way.  They look for new and innovative ways to raise awareness on climate change impacts across the UK using solidly data-led stories on workplace heat. For example, Climate change doubles the number of pregnancy heat-risk days in the UKClimate change doubles the number of pregnancy heat-risk days in the UK | Round Our Way

New Climate Change Committee Report

The Climate Change Committee has just published a new report about the consequences of a 2% rise in global temperatures and what the UK needs to do about it. The Climate Change Committee, which reports to UK government on adapting to climate change, was established under the Climate Change Act of 2008. The report cites that on the current climate impact trajectory by 2050, 92% of homes are likely to overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher, and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day.  It points out that the cost of doing nothing is far greater than acting now, and it proposes investment of around £11 billion a year, split evenly between public and private funding.  British way of life under threat from heat, flooding and drought – Climate Change Committee.

TUC Climate action week event

As part of the Year of Trade Union Climate Action and London Climate Action Week, the TUC are holding a one-day conference at Congress House, 09:30-17:00 on the 26th of June.

This event will examine-

• Why climate action faces an existential threat.
• Why support for climate action is falling.
• How trade unions can help change the current direction of travel.
• Why a climate-safe future must protect workers with good jobs at its heart.
• Why does climate transition need to be anchored in people’s lives.

Find out more and sign-up click on the link below

On Fire and Under Fire: Climate, backlash, and winning with working class communities – Home

This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact: 

Jamie McGovern FRSPH MIIAI 

CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant at jmcgovern@cwu.org

LTB 167/26 – World Environment Day 5th June 2026

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ROYAL MAIL: PENSIONS – THE COLLECTIVE PLAN – REGISTERING OF DEPENDANTS VIA MEMBER SELF SERVICE (MSS)

Branches and members are reminded of the importance of registering dependants via the Member Self Service (MSS).  To put this matter into perspective, it has been reported that since the launch of the Collective Plan in October 2024 unfortunately there have been 307 deaths in service, and it takes longer for bereaved dependants to receive their payments when the Trustee has not been told in advance who the potential dependants are. Also, only 12,800 scheme members have completed Dependant Nominations out of a total of 121,000 (both active and deferred members).

The Collective Plan current scheme rules define a “dependant” as follows:

a) a member’s spouse (of any gender) or Civil Partner (of any gender), or Qualifying Child

b) any person who was not married to, or a Civil Partner of, the member at the date of the member’s death and is not a Qualifying Child of the member and, in the opinion of the Trustee, was at the date of the member’s death:

i. financially dependent on the member;

ii. in a financial relationship with the member of mutual dependence; or

iii. dependent on the member because of physical or mental impairment.

A child must be either: Under 18, under 23 and in full-time education, or any age and assessed to be dependent because of physical or mental impairment.

You can reach the login page of the MSS portal via the following link and clicking on “Login/Register”:  www.securermcollectiveplan.com

Branches and Representatives are urged to encourage all members to register their dependants on the Collective Plan MSS portal at their earliest convenience.

Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme (RMSPS) and Royal Mail Pension Plan (RMPP) 

Members of these schemes are also urged to ensure they have registered their dependants.  Please contact:

www.royalmailpensionplan.co.uk  www.royalmailsps.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 165/26 RM Pensions The Collective Plan Registering Dependants

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ELECTION OF NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS 2026 – CWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE

• CWU Young Workers Committee

The NEC has agreed the 2026 election arrangements for the National Positions listed above. Accordingly, please find attached the Regulations, Nomination Forms and Candidate Consent/Biographical detail form.

Branches are asked to print the attached forms, complete and sign them and send the forms back electronically to elections@cwu.org by no later than the advertised deadline of 14.00 hrs on 24 June 2026

Nominations are on the basis of one member coming from the TFS Constituency and one member coming from the Postal Constituency for each of the 10 CWU Regional Young Workers Sub-Committee areas as of June 2025, and two lay members elected by and from the UTAW Branch.  Additionally, all candidates must be aged 29 or under at the time of the election

Branches can only nominate candidates at a properly constituted branch meeting, where the Branch has members in the relevant Region.

The term of office for the CWU Young Workers Committee will be from 24^th July 2026 for a two-year period.

Branches will also wish to note that:

• Each candidate needs the nomination of their own branch
• The election is by means of a branch ballot within each respective constituency, i.e branches with members in the Postal Constituency will vote for the Postal member of the Committee within their Region and branches with members in the TFS Constituency will vote for the one TFS member and 2 lay members elected by & from the UTAW Branch.

The timetable for the elections is as follows:-

                Nominations Open:         3^rdJune 2026

                Nominations Close:        24^thJune 2026 (14.00)

                Ballot Opens:                    2^ndJuly 2026

                Ballot Closes:                    23^rdJuly 2026 (14.00)

Any enquiries regarding this letter to Branches should be addressed by email to lparrett@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward
General Secretary

LTB 164.26 – ELECTION OF NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS 2026 – CWU YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTEE

Attachment 1 -Young Workers Regulations 2026

Attachment 2 – YW-Candidate-Biographical-and-Consent-Form

Attachment 3 – YW-Postal-Nomination-Form

Attachment 4 – YW-TFS-Nomination-Form

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Royal Mail: Equalisation of New Entrants Pay, Terms & Conditions – Engineering, Fleet & HR Services

Within Section 3.1 of the National Agreement, there is a commitment that further negotiations would be held with the aim of concluding an agreement for our New Entrant members within Engineering, Fleet and HR Services by 1^st June 2026. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best endeavours to meet this date, due to the complexities surrounding these areas it has not been possible to conclude an Agreement at this stage.  Further below is a Joint Statement confirming this position with Royal Mail.

Additionally, the JS confirms that a 3% pay rise for New Entrants in Engineering, Fleet and HRS will be made with July salaries and backdated to 1^st April (for legacy grades in these areas employed before 1^stDecember 2022, the 3% and arrears is being paid with June salaries).

The plan going forward is to prioritise further negotiations to establish an agreed way forward in respect of the first step towards equalisation for these members.

Joint Statement by Royal Mail and CWU on Equalisation in Engineering, Fleet and HR Services 

 In line with the commitment set out in the USO Reform and Equalisation of New Entrants Agreement, over recent weeks we have held a number of constructive and productive discussions on arrangements for New Entrants in Engineering, Fleet and HR Services.

 These conversations have helped build a stronger shared understanding of the position across each area. It is clear, however, that we cannot simply replicate the arrangements for OPGs, given the different starting points and the specific complexities within Engineering, Fleet and HR Services. As a result, there is no single solution, and further detailed work is needed to ensure the right outcomes are achieved in each area.

 While we had jointly aimed to reach agreement by 1st June 2026, more time is needed to work through the detail and land a fair solution. Both Royal Mail and the CWU remain fully committed to reaching an agreement at the earliest opportunity, and any agreement reached will apply from 1st April 2026.

 Further talks are already planned over the coming weeks as we continue to build on the progress made and work towards a mutually agreed outcome. In recognition of the additional time required, and to ensure CWU-represented employees are not disadvantaged, it has been agreed that a 3% pay uplift, in line with the 2025 pay deal, will be applied. This will be paid in July salaries and backdated to 1st April.

 We would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and engagement. Both parties remain focused on securing a positive and workable agreement in these key areas, and we will provide further updates as discussions progress.

 Kieran Judd, Interim Chief People Officer

 Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary 

 Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary

Further developments will be reported.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey      

Assistant Secretary                                                                                     

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary               

LTB 163/26 – Royal Mail Equalisation of New Entrants Pay, Terms & Conditions – Engineering, Fleet & HR Services                  

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Ballot Result – RMG/CWU Dispute Resolution Processes – Deployment of USO Reform & Equalisation of New Entrants’ Pay, Terms and Conditions

Please find attached the independent Scrutineer’s report confirming the result for the above ballots.

The results are as follows.

On the agreement between CWU and Royal Mail, which includes a resolution on USO deployment and the principle of equalisation:RESULTNo. votes% of valid voteYes19,34865.4%No10,24234.6%

Turnout for this ballot was 32.9%.

On the additional 1.75% pay increase for new entrants:RESULTNo. votes% of valid voteYes3,67272.2%No1,41527.8%

Turnout for this ballot was 32.3%

As this agreement has now been confirmed, the 3% pay rise for old contracts will be paid on the 5^th of June for weekly paid workers and by 30^th of June for monthly paid workers. For new entrants, the 4.75% pay rise will be paid on the 30^th of June. Both pay rises will be backdated to April 1^st.

This yes vote now puts us in a much better position to secure our members’ jobs and ensure that the company is sustainable and can grow in the future. The result also demonstrates that there was no significant appetite within the membership to reject the agreements and end up without a position on both USO reform and equalisation for new entrants.

However, while we welcome the sizeable yes vote, we recognise that the turnout is disappointing. It reflects the reality of how difficult things are locally and that many of our members are struggling to see any positive future for Royal Mail or how things will improve.

Though we understand that change is challenging and some members are disillusioned about the future, we can be confident that the circumstances in which this agreement will be deployed are different. This is because the union has now gained significant leverage, due to our campaigning for government scrutiny and the powerful recommendations from the recent Select Committee report.

This scrutiny has helped expose Royal Mail’s bad practices and has left them no choice but to publicly commit to a quality-of-service improvement plan and to stabilise resourcing, through the measures laid out in our agreement.

We know we have to engage more, at all levels of the union, to convince our members that this agreement can improve things in the workplace and this must be the focus of all CWU representatives in the coming weeks.

We will support our members through this change and ensure that all protections, safeguards and benefits within our agreement are deployed at local level and in every unit in the UK.

Next steps

 In the coming weeks, the CWU will be pursuing the following as a priority:

• Meeting all CWU representatives to develop and implement the union’s plan to ensure that no workplace is left behind.

• Publicising the actions that will fundamentally reset employee and industrial relations.

• Developing the new growth strategy that goes beyond just parcels and incorporates wider products and other streams of revenue, utilising our unique network and workforce.

• Campaigning to ensure the Government implement the recommendations made by the Business and Trade Select Committee regarding reform of Ofcom and the wider regulation in the sector, including establishing a USO network support fund.

• Launching the joint campaign for a level playing field.

Finally, the union will be engaging further with branches, reps and members on all the above issues.

Any enquiries relating to the content of this LTB should be referred to the Postal Department at hford@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh                                
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                                                                    

Dave Ward
General Secretary

Andy Furey                   
Assistant Secretary                                                     

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary                                                         

LTB 162/26 – Ballot Result – RMG-CWU Dispute Resolution Processes Deployment of USO Reform Equalisation of New Entrants Pay Terms and Conditions

CWU RMG Consultation Ballot 2026                                                              

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USO DEPLOYMENT AGREEMENT – PART-TIME EMPLOYEE SCOPING EXERCISE – EXTENDED

Further to LTB 147/26 regarding the USO Delivery Scoping Exercise.

The business have confirmed that to date circa 7,000 employees have completed the exercise but to ensure further requests can be made, both parties have agreed that the exercise will be extended to Friday 5^thJune.

Taking part simply means expressing an interest in one or more options to support the wider planning for USO deployment.  Likewise, it is not a binding commitment for colleagues or Royal Mail, it is to understand employees’ preferences.

All CWU members in Delivery can participate via the People App/Robin to express their interest in the following options:

1. Increasing part-time (PT) contracted hours where available at your current office.
2. Increasing part-time (PT) contracted hours and voluntarily moving to another office where there is a vacancy.
3. Moving to another office on a voluntary basis where there is a vacancy.

If colleagues do not have access to the People/Robin App, they have been directed to their manager in the first instance to provide support to register and resolve any issues in completing the exercise.

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

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh                                                                           Tony Bouch
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                         Assistant Secretary

LTB 160-26 – USO DEPLOYMENT AGREEMENT – PART-TIME EMPLOYEE SCOPING EXERCISE – EXTENDED

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REVISED CWU RULE BOOK – MAY 2026

Please find attached the revised 2026 CWU Rule Book.

The revised rule book contains the amendments carried at the Rules section of General Conference on Monday 11 May 2026, which for ease of reference are shown in red.

Any enquiries should be addressed to dwilshire@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary

26LTB159 REVISED CWU RULE BOOK MAY 2026

RULE BOOK – UPDATED MAY 2026

BUSINESS & TRADE SELECT COMMITTEE – RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT REGARDING OFCOM

As you will be aware, the CWU recently gave evidence to the Business and Trade Select Committee regarding the service quality crisis at Royal Mail and Ofcom’s failure to properly regulate the wider sector.

The CWU particularly emphasised the lack of regulation for parcel courier companies like Amazon and Evri, who use bogus self-employment models to undercut Royal Mail and hive off profits from our network, inhibiting the growth of the company.

The Committee was not satisfied by either Royal Mail or Ofcom’s responses to their investigation into service quality issues and had committed to ongoing scrutiny.

We are therefore pleased to receive the Committee’s recommendations on the regulation of postal services as a result of their investigation. Please see the attached document.

The report starkly acknowledges Ofcom’s failure to regulate the sector, stating “we conclude Ofcom is failing as the statutory regulator of the postal service to deliver on the task it has been set by Parliament”.

The Committee has therefore recommended a reset and an improvement plan for Ofcom to ensure they have a regulatory regime fit for the 21st century postal service. This involves Ofcom setting out a concrete plan for how they will improve their regulatory regime in a timely manner.

The Committee have also stated that if the improvement plan fails to deliver meaningful change from Ofcom within six months, they recommend that the Secretary of State takes steps towards changes on Ofcom’s duties and powers. They have also specifically recommended that the government take measures to ensure that “competitors are not able to free-ride on Royal Mail’s infrastructure, nor undercut employment conditions through gig economy models.”

In addition, the Committee has recommended that the government also consider a network levy on competitors – this is a key demand from the CWU that we have pushed for several years. 

The Committee has also stated that they “have not heard persuasive evidence to refute the previous Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s finding that Royal Mail has deprioritised delivery of letters” and have recommended that Ofcom undertake an enhanced investigation to identify and root out this practice.

This is a significant step in the right direction towards levelling the playing field for Royal Mail, among a market full of gig-economy competitors with poor pay and conditions. Our members’ evidence has helped secure this set of far-reaching recommendations and forces Ofcom to properly regulate the sector. Royal Mail must now also ensure that they resolve the chaos in workplaces and stamp out the practice of prioritising parcels over letters, lest they face harsher sanctions.

We will now continue campaigning for the government to accept these recommendations and go further to secure the future of our postal service. Our postal service and our members’ jobs will not survive unless the sector is properly regulated and parcel giants like Amazon are made to pay their fair share.

Please ensure branches and members have access to this report. We will keep you updated as to any further developments.

Any enquiries relating to the content of this LTB should be referred to the General Secretary’s department dlynch@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary                                                  

Martin Walsh                                        

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

Reissue – LTB 158/26 – BUSINESS AND TRADE SELECT COMMITTEE – RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT REGARDING OFCOM

LTB 158/26 – Att 1

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