CWU REGIONAL STRUCTURE – ELECTION OF 5 REGIONAL OFFICIALS

Further to LTB 172/25 dated 14^thAugust 2025 at the close of nominations at 14.00 on the 4^thSeptember the following had been received:EASTERN & MIDLANDSBallot RequiredMark HarperNottingham & District AmalPaul MoffatEssex & Central CountiesLONDON & SOUTH EASTBallot RequiredEdward BaldwinKent InvictaWinston RichardsGreater London CombinedNORTH EAST & NORTH WESTBallot RequiredMark HugallNewcastle AmalTrish VollansWest YorkshireCarl WebbNorth Lancs & CumbriaNORTHERN IRELAND & SCOTLAND     Craig AndersonScotland No 1*ELECTEDSOUTH WEST & WALES & MARCHES     Kevin BeazerBristol & District Amal*ELECTED

Branches should note that the timetable for these branch ballots is as follows:-

Branch ballot papers despatched:            10^th September 2025

Ballots Close:                                                    24^th September 2025 (14.00)

Branches should note that the branch ballot papers should be returned to the following email address: branchballots@cwu.org  any ballot papers not sent to this email address or received after the closing time and date will not be included in the count.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to David Wilshire, Senior Policy Advisor – email dwilshire@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

D Ward

General Secretary

LTB 192/25 – CWU REGIONAL STRUCTURE – ELECTION OF 5 REGIONAL OFFICIALS

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Terms of Reference for the Trial and Deployment of AGV’s

 The department has been in discussions with the business concerning the building and deployment of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV’s) within the Midlands Super Hub (MSH) to aid with the X-Dock operation.

It was recognised through discussions that specific operational challenges at the MSH necessitated an innovative solution to resolve the X-Docking situation which currently utilises hundreds of agency workers to pass York containers up and down the hall. The AGV is considered the optimum solution due to the size and layout of the operation, though previous AGV trials and deployments involving precured AGV’s have had mixed results. The business has designed and manufactured the AGV covered with the TOR in-house at a manufacturing site in what was previously Gloucester Mail Centre, with a design specification that aligns to the specific requirements of the operation.

The trial will be conducted in a live operational environment, within a specified testing area to enable effective evaluation and assessment on a sustained basis. Operator Involvement is essential, and feedback is sought jointly in respect of ergonomics, the performance characteristics, and interaction with the AGV system throughout the trial.

The business has confirmed the introduction of AGV’s will not impact employee earnings or permanently amend SAs, duties, or times of attendance (outside of any BAU realignment activity). Where a need for flexibility of attendance times or duty content is identified during the trail phase, this will be achieved on a voluntary basis in the first instance.

The aim of this trail is to determine if the AGVs can safely and reliably move a York through the X-Dock area, ensuring the Yorks are X-Docked to the correct vehicles.

• To gather robust data on ergonomics of the roles interfacing with the AGV system to ensure the on-going Health & Safety of the operators.
• To evaluate how the AGVs can best be used to enhance the operation.
• To start the trial in the X-Dock area and then expand across all shifts through discussions, once the AGV system has met the prescribed standards.

Any employees & WPCs, and Engineers who take part in the trial will be fully trained on the operation and skills required, they will be expected to operate the equipment within the standard operating procedures and Safe Systems of Work which will be reviewed jointly as more is learned about the system in a practical operation. Any resourcing decisions can be taken in the normal way via local discussion at joint weekly resourcing meetings, recognising the need for flexibility to support the trial learning.

Health and Safety is of paramount importance. Therefore, all responsibilities under relevant Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations, will be followed and it is confirmed all relevant safety compliance documentation in relation to this activity will be fully developed by RM in consultation with the CWU Health and Safety SMEs.

To comply with the commitments above, for all RM Manufactured AGV trials and deployment:

1. There will be Go / No Go Gateways at each stage.
2. All the required Safe Systems of Work and Standard Operating Procedures will be in place prior to full deployment.3.
3. Each AGV will be tested and commissioned against a set test criterion before being released to the Midlands Hub.
4. Each AGV will be UKCA marked and compliant with ISO standard BS EN ISO 3691-4:2023.
5. There will be designated safe walkways and fire exit routes for people to follow and there will be safe crossing solutions in place where there is a need to cross the AGV lanes. All solutions will have full safety sign-off.
6. Each AGV will have a safety scanner fitted on the front and rear which will be active at all times. These scanners have a warning field and a safety field. If the scanners detect an obstacle or a person in the warning field, the AGV will slow down to a minimum speed until the safety field is triggered and at this point the AGV will stop. The obstacle will need to be removed before the AGV can resume its journey.
7. All AGVs will have two Emergency Stop Push buttons that are easily identified and located in a prominent position.
8. AGV’s will be programmed to stop should the fire alarm be activated. This is a function of the Fleet Manager.
9. The maximum speed the AGV can achieve is 3.2 metres/second.
10. There will be banks of chargers placed at pertinent points around the processing unit. The chargers will be wireless chargers, a very safe charging solution.
11. When not required, the AGV’s will either be on charge or parked up in a designated safe zone.
12. These systems and procedures will be reviewed and updated as necessary during the trial and be classified as fit for purpose once they have been evaluated by the appropriate Royal Mail and CWU safety experts.

We are still in discussions on an outstanding issue concerning the SSOW regarding the movement of York’s. The current process states that Yorks must be pushed, not pulled, however as part of this activity the Yorks will be stored in rows between metal barriers, which will mean an individual having to pull a York to move it onto the vehicle. We are aware the business are currently reviewing and trialing an automated system which hopefully should resolve this outstanding issue.

The business has indicated should the deployment be successful they would like to review if these could be deployed in other locations. We have not agreed with this position and have insisted that the attached TOR relates only to the Midland Hub trial. We have agreed we are open to a discussion on any future deployment of the AGV’s; however, we have reiterated our position concerning any future proposals in that it should not be used just to reduce headcount on site.

The trial should have no impact on current employees, with regard to headcount. There however may be duty impacts as the deployment will reduce or remove LLOP duties currently used to convey Yorks, therefore, some redeployment activity within the site may be required.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Katrina Quirke, Acting Assistant Secretary, email: jrodrigues@cwu.org quoting reference LTB 190/25.

Yours sincerely,

Katrina Quirke
Acting Assistant Secretary

LTB 190/25 – Terms of Reference for the Trial and Deployment of AGVs

Att: AGREED_AGV TOR 2025

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ELECTION OF CWU NATIONAL OFFICER 2025 – ASSISTANT SECRETARY (POSTAL) 

The NEC is required to determine and publish to branches the procedures and regulations for the election of any CWU National Officer positions that are subject to the 5-year election criteria.

Accordingly, please find below the proposed timetable and regulations for the above election which is due to be held in September – November 2025.

• Assistant Secretary (Postal)

 The above position is currently responsible for dealing with Royal Mail and Post Office Pensions, Technical Services Grades including Fleet and PFSL. HR Procedures, CBRE, Capita TVL, Post Office Limited all grades including Supply Chain & Administration) and Royal Mail Administration grades (including Customer Experience, Finance Services, HR Services, LA grades, Legal Services, National Returns Centre and Stamps & Collectables). (NOTE: The responsibilities of all Assistant Secretaries shall be to carry out and discharge under the direction of the General Secretary such Union duties as they may be required to perform.)

 The timetable for the National Officer election is as follows:

Nominations Open:                                     17 September 2025

Nominations Close:                                     15 October 2025 (14:00 hours)                         

Dispatch ballot material from:                 29 October 2025  

Close of ballot:                                              26 November 2025 (first post)

Result:                                                            27 November 2025

The election regulations stipulate that a copy of the regulations for these elections must be distributed to all branches in advance of the nomination process.  A copy of these is therefore attached and I would be grateful if you could ensure that the election timetable and regulations are brought to the attention of the members of your branch.

The regulations will also be published on the CWU website and a copy will be issued to all candidates nominated to stand in the Elections.

Further information regarding the election, including the Nomination forms will be sent to all relevant branches during w/c 15th September 2025.  However, branches are reminded that in order for nominations for the above positions to be valid, then they will need to be submitted on the appropriate CWU HQ issued nomination form(s).

Elections Prize Draws 

Branches are reminded that in order to protect the integrity of these very important national elections and more importantly, ensure that the union is legally compliant with the relevant legislation covering such elections, that election prize draws should not be conducted under any circumstances unless written authorisation has been given by the General Secretary.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to, CWU HQ, for the attention of David Wilshire, telephone: 0208 971 7368, or email: dwilshire@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 191/25 – Formal Notice – Election of Assistant Secretary Postal

Regulations and Election Guidelines

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Rebuilding Royal Mail Parts 1 and 2 – Branch Breakdown Analysis

Please see attached the Branch breakdown for Rebuilding Royal Mail Parts 1 and 2.

The headline is that every Branch in the CWU achieved a Yes vote.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department hford@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

LTB 188-25 – Rebuilding Royal Mail Parts 1 and 2 – Branch Breakdown Analysis

Copy of V1707_1 CWU RMG Pay Ballot – Analysis

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BIENNIAL CONFERENCE 2026 

Branches and Representatives will recall the decision relating to Biennial Conference agreed at the Special Restructuring Conference on 28 June 2025, which stated “the first General and Industrial Conferences under the new process will be held in 2026”.

This decision superseded the plan to hold an online conference this year as referenced in the “CWU Restructuring – The Next Steps” booklet from December 2024. Given the industrial issues that are currently ongoing in each of the major businesses, at the meeting on 13/14 August 2025 the NEC agreed to hold a face-to-face conference in 2026 as the first biennial event. This will include the half-day equality and rules revision sessions.

Enquiries were made with various venues to hold Biennial Conference 2026 but proved to be problematic despite the reduction in delegation sizes. This was due to the shorter timescale for booking the conference, the costs involved, a lack of availability even though there has been a reduction in delegation sizes, the costs and an absence of venues with the provision to accommodate both Industrial Conferences at shorter notice.

Given the information above Branches will now be able to make the necessary arrangements to start booking accommodation.

Colleagues will be aware the Union has held numerous conferences over the years at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). As a regular client we have managed to secure the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) from Sunday 10^th – Thursday 14^th May 2026. The decreased delegation sizes meant we will only need to use the Solent Hall and Tregonwell Hall and will not need the main Windsor Hall. This has resulted in securing the site at a reduced cost making it the cheapest venue by some distance. This reduction in cost is in line with our drive to reduce expenditure and our programme of restructuring.

Any further enquiries with regards this please contact conferences@cwu.org or Angela Niven on 020 8971 7237.

Dave Ward
General Secretary

25LTB187 – Biennial Conference 2026

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EP GROUP/CWU AGREEMENT – REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL – IMPORTANT UPDATE

The purpose of this LTB is to advise CWU Branches, Representatives and Members of some important developments on the above agreement, which has now been ratified by our members, alongside the 3 year pay settlement.

Following a meeting last week between the respective senior teams of RMG and CWU, the Union has written to the CEO of IDS Martin Seidenberg and the interim CEO of RMG Alistair Cochrane, expressing our major disappointment at the company’s failure to communicate and socialise with their managers at all levels, on the substance, content and radical nature of the EP Group/CWU agreement.

It is also noticeable that Royal Mail communicate extensively with employees on Ofcom and the USO but have yet to say anything of substance to their employees on what the EP Group agreement is all about.

To substantiate our concerns the Union has presented the leaders of the company with a comprehensive audit of the agreement, breaking it down section by section and providing overwhelming evidence that Royal Mail are not deploying the overall content and spirit of the agreement. This includes, not bringing to an end their deeply entrenched “It’s our business to run” managerial culture, which inflicted the ongoing resourcing and customer quality crisis that continues to do untold damage to staff morale and the company’s future prospects.

As a result of our concerns, we have formally advised RM that in addition to the need to resolve the outstanding issues on the USO, as reported in LTB 182/25 last week, we cannot reach an agreement on the USO until the following steps are agreed:

1. EP Group/CWU agreement – Deployment of a plan to reset employee and industrial relations at all levels of the business, with a particular focus on specific actions that can be implemented in every office to improve the working environment and end the chaos that continues to take place as a result of a crisis in resourcing and quality of service.
2. EP Group/CWU agreement – Agreement and deployment of a comprehensive communication plan from EP and Royal Mail that explains all sections of the agreement so that no manager, employee or CWU representative is in any doubt that the managerial ethos will change and that Royal Mail now support every part of the agreement.
3. EP Group/CWU agreement – The resolution of all outstanding issues in section 5 to the timescales that were agreed under the EP Group/CWU agreement.
4. USO – Acceptance from Royal Mail that the ODM model does not work and that agreement on USO deployment must be based on the alternative approach our teams have been discussing, alongside deployment of the EP/CWU agreement. 

In taking this decision, we wish to make it clear this is not about deliberately delaying deployment of the USO or not abiding by the commitments we have made in recent agreements. The Union completely recognises why USO reform is necessary and how it is one of the key enablers to turn the fortunes of the company around. However, we cannot move forward when managers at all levels are not visibly and actively embracing the EP Group/CWU agreement, including all the commitments relating directly to the USO.

We understand that in making these valid criticisms of Royal Mail management, our reps and members will rightly question why the new owners have not intervened? Also, whether EP Group are fully committed to the agreement they reached with the Union?

At this stage, in our dealings with EP group, we have not yet had any cause to question their commitment to the agreement and we recognise that it was ultimately their intervention that saw the USO being separated from the pay deal. Furthermore, it is not the job of EP Group to run the business on a day-to-day basis. Nevertheless, we welcome the opportunity to discuss these matters directly with EP either before or at the inaugural Advisory Board meeting, which has now been scheduled for the 11^th September.

We believe the real problem is that there remains deep resentment amongst managers across the business that the EP Group agreement gives postal workers and their Union a greater and more powerful say over how we jointly shape the future direction of the company. Moreover, that managers who supported the previous regime, cannot and will not come to terms with how virtually every section of the agreement reverses the approach the previous Board were taking.

Nobody who reads the agreement could doubt its clarity in every section and just how much it represents a departure from what CWU members have experienced in the last three or four years. Neither could anybody doubt that the agreement is meant to be the foundation for what we all hope is a very different and more positive future, as we navigate necessary change. This is why we cannot allow the current situation to continue.

We will keep Branches updated on the developing situation. In the meantime, we ask that all CWU representatives engage directly with our members on both the content of this LTB and last week’s detailed update setting out our position on the USO.Additionally, we want all reps to meet the managers you interface with and explain the position the Union has taken.

In conclusion, in the coming weeks we will continue to increase communications on a strategy to ensure managers, representatives and our members fully understand the importance of every aspect of the EP Group/CWU agreement, including the elements that were negotiated with the direct involvement of the UK Government.

Finally, the key message every single representative needs to take from this LTB is that we cannot view the USO or any other issue as separate from the EP Group/CWU agreement – the Unions position is clear – we can only move these matters forward together.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward                                                    Martin Walsh
General Secretary                                      Deputy General Secretary (Postal)  

25LTB186 EP GROUP CWU AGREEMENT REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL IMPORTANT UPDATE

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REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL GROUP PARTS ONE AND TWO – MEMBERS BALLOT RESULT

 Please find attached the scrutineers’ report for the Rebuilding Royal Mail Group Parts One and Two ballots.

Yes 79.5%

No 20.5%

This is a very strong yes vote of around 4 to 1.  It is an emphatic endorsement of the union’s position and the agreements we have reached.

The turnout was 43.5%.  This is comparable with most pay ballots of this nature.

The backpay due as a result of this agreement will be paid to weekly paid employees on 26^th September.  It will be paid to monthly paid employees on 30^th September.  This will include backpay on overtime, scheduled attendance and all elements of pay.

We will be issuing wider communications tomorrow on the EP Group/CWU agreement.  We are also in the process of arranging an online briefing for all CWU local representatives and a live session for members.

 Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the SDGS Department (lparrett@cwu.org)

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh                                                                        Dave Ward

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                               General Secretary

LTB 185-25 – REBUILDING ROYAL MAIL GROUP PARTS ONE AND TWO – MEMBERS BALLOT RESULT

Attachment to LTB 185-25 – V1707_1 260825 ROV CWU RMG Pay Ballot 2025

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New Posting Peg Trial (Revised Version) Within Royal Mail

Dear Colleagues,

Branches and members may recall LTB 005/25, issued on 15^thJanuary, which reported on a new prototype Posting Peg that had been developed and was being trialled at the Derby, Swindon, Chippenham, Dore and Rye Delivery units.

Whilst taking longer than planned, the trial has now concluded. Although there was some positive response to the new design of the Posting Peg, the overall feedback from this trial was clear that it could be further improved, particularly, by making it smaller and slimmer.

Accordingly, a revised design has now been developed to reflect this feedback and a diagram of this new Posting Peg, compared to the former prototype, is attached.

The trial will commence w/c 1^st September and is planned to run for approximately four weeks. Each participating unit will be issued 20 of the newly designed Posting Pegs to be tested in the live operational environment. These units are:

• Ary (KA);
• Ashford (TN);
• Boole & Seaforth (L);
• Bury (BL);
• Plymouth (PL).

As a means of further information on this new trial, please find attached a SHE Huddle briefing due to be issued at each of the trial sites.

In advance of this activity being launched in each unit, a remote meeting call has been held to outline the details and aims of the trial, which has involved the relevant unit COMs, SHE advisors, and CWU ASRs.

On completion of the trial, feedback will be sought directly from those involved via a QR code, with the feedback then being reviewed by the RM / CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group in terms of the next steps.

From the CWU perspective, this new trial of a revised version of the Posting Peg is welcomed, as based on the latest figures shared by Royal Mail, circa 403 dog bite incidents through the letterbox were reported last year, which is an increase on the year before. Accordingly, I have no hesitation in encouraging our Safety and IR Reps, alongside members in the listed units, to fully support and engage in the trial and equally provide feedback.

Finally, in setting out the above, it is relevant to remind Branches that letterbox bites are reportable as an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act (Section 3), which followed the Court of Appeal decision in 2022 whereby postal workers do have applied access rights at letterboxes and as such, are protected by the Act. Sadly, there remains some confusion in this regard and over trespassing laws, with even some Police Officers offering wrong advice on this issue, if hands / fingers accidentally enter the letterbox aperture. The full details of the Court of Appeal ruling were set out in LTB 220/22.

Further updates in terms of this trial output will be issued in due course. In the meantime, 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 184-25 – New Posting Peg Trial – Revised Version

Diagram New Posting Peg Trial – Revised Version

SHE Huddle – Posting Peg Revised Version Aug25

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• Royal Mail Divisional Representative (Substitute) – Midland 

Further to LTB 160/25 dated 1^st August 2025 in regard to the above vacancy

At the close of nominations on 22 August 2025 (14.00), the following nominations have been received.*Ballot RequiredJason CornwallNorth Staffordshire PostalDarren JonesLeicestershireStuart McLeanNottingham & District AmalSajid ShaikhBirmingham & District AmalJason SteathamWolverhampton & District Amal

The timetable for the above ballot will be advised to branches in due course.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 0208 971 7237 or email address sdgs@cwu.org .

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

25LTB183 – Election of RM Divisional Representative Substitute – Midland

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Update on USO Negotiations 

The purpose of this communication is to give Branches, representatives, and members a full update on the ongoing negotiations with Royal Mail on the future of the USO and a detailed breakdown of the status of each pilot office so we are as open and transparent as possible.

The CWU remain fully committed to agreeing USO reform. Our position is one that has been consistent throughout the negotiations – any agreement must restore confidence in the workplace, quality of service and deliver the platform to rebuild Royal Mail.

In December 2024, Royal Mail and the CWU agreed to deploy 37 pilot sites using Royal Mail’s preferred USO option – the Optimised Delivery Model (ODM). The design of the Optimised Delivery Model was based on removing one person from every four duties which were in scope.

35 pilots were deployed commencing from February 2025, with the last pilot going live in early June. We are currently in August, traditionally the lightest traffic period of the year, and the majority of pilot units are not clearing or working successfully with ODM.

We have seen significant numbers of duties and hours being reinstated for some pilots and units. For example, Stockton on Tees DO have had over 50 duties reinstated but the office is still not clearing daily. Far too often it has taken too long to implement fixes, and the vast majority of PIRs are still ongoing.

Attached to this LTB is a report from the reps on the ground for each pilot site. Apart from some small units that are working better, far too many are failing during the lightest period of the year. This is despite the unit having surplus staff and staff from neighbouring units being used.

We understand that it has been a challenging time and would like to thank all our members and representatives at the pilot sites for their hard work thus far. Please be assured that resolving and fixing the pilots remains our top priority.

The evidence from the pilots is crystal clear – the CWU does not believe that the Optimised Delivery Model and its design of four into three duties is an acceptable or realistic proposal, and we have no confidence that it could be deployed successfully in the remaining 1,250 Delivery Units.

We have therefore been engaging with Royal Mail over an alternative model, that is based on a heavy and light option which we expect the pilot units to introduce when we reach an agreement.

The CWU option enables individuals to stay on their duty, helps to resolve non-driver issues, and mitigates fatigue issues associated with the Optimised Delivery Model.

Within the negotiations, we have also been discussing the possibility of a shorter Saturday attendance option of 5 hours and 45 minutes, as well as an alternative option for every other Saturday off with slightly longer attendance.

Additionally, we are in discussions about how the CWU model can assist in moving start and finish times earlier, as 50% of the manual prep workload is in the unit before wave one arrives.

The principle of the heavy and light model is that 50% of your duty each day has all the mail, and 50% is just first class and parcels. This rotates daily, Monday through to Friday. You would also take part of a further duty set at heavy as part of your daily workload Monday to Friday.

We have been discussing an 8 into 7 model for town duties with the seventh duty being reviewed against strict criteria linked to achieving quality and having fair and manageable workload. The impasse on this issue is the CWU want the seventh duty to be designed an actual duty within the 8 walks, whereas Royal Mail want it to be more ad hoc.

The CWU cannot reach an agreement which has the potential to worsen the quality of service under a new USO model.  We do not believe that the £300 million saving was ever realistic, especially given the state some units have been in since Royal Mail decided to impose revisions in 2022 and 2023.

Our members across Royal Mail have seen unprecedented growth in tracked products alongside unusually high levels of letters so far this year and which has continued through the normal lighter summer period.

We realise many units are seeing frame changes and colour coding and may believe this is the start of the units being deployed. It is not.

Whilst this activity maybe unsettling for some members we want to be absolutely clear – there will be no introduction or deployment of any changes to the USO in your units until there is a full national agreement in place and subsequently your local rep and office have signed off and voted on how this will impact your office. Given the sheer scale of this change and the political sensitivities around the USO, Royal Mail cannot implement this without agreement. We need you to take confidence from that.

Ahead of any agreement being reached, the agreed reset of and employee and industrial relations will be crucial to ensuring that it creates a platform for genuine engagement and respect in the workplace. We will also require the commitments within the EP / CWU agreement to be agreed and honoured within the timescales set out.

We will keep Divisions and Branches updated on negotiations over the coming days. The role of our Divisions and Branches now is to cascade this information into every office in the UK and we ask that meetings commence with immediate effect to build support for the unions position which we have outlined in this communication.

Finally, we will be issuing further communications early next week following the members ballot result on areas we believe Royal Mail are acting outside of the spirit and intention of the EP Group / CWU agreement and how we plan to handle this.

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

Martin Walsh
Deputy General Secretary Postal

Dave Ward
General Secretary

25LTB182 Update on USO Negotiations 

Pilot unit update

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