UPDATE ON CWU ANTI-RACISM WORK

The purpose of this LTB is to update branches on the progress with the CWU Anti-Racism Statement and set out our next steps.

As set out in LTB 213/21, we produced this initiative in response to the TUC and Stand Up to Racism’s call for a one-off demonstration of taking the knee in workplaces.  We decided instead to produce a statement that called out racism and set out our values as an organisation to build a foundation upon which we could further engage members on our anti-racism work.

To date, we have had an excellent response from across the union to the statement, with over 12,000 CWU members voluntarily signing up.

The CWU Anti-Racism Statement is one of several important interventions that the union has made in recent years. These include:

• Achieving by far our biggest ever turnout at any national Anti-Racism demo
• Selling over 1500 CWU Anti-Racism football shirts in conjunction with Show Racism the Red Card and Fairshare
• Holding a very successful first ever live Facebook session directly with members

The above actions, in addition to the work of our Branches and the union’s historical activity in this area, has put CWU in the forefront of the trade union movement when it comes to anti-racism activities.

The NEC has now agreed to build on this foundation by developing a more robust day-to-day strategy, taking it out into the regions and branches. This will include educational and engagement activities, as well as further events and communications – all aimed at expanding direct engagement in a way that builds on the values of the union.

A further paper will be brought to the next NEC meeting with more detailed plans for this approach, linking back to the commitments made in the original Anti-Racism statement that has received widespread support from across the union.

Finally, a further copy of the CWU Anti-Racism Statement is attached to this LTB and we would ask Branches to continue to work on increasing membership sign up to this.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be sent to the General Secretary’s office – jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward – General Secretary                                                           

Kate Hudson – Head of Equality, Education & Development
21LTB281 UPDATE ON CWU ANTI-RACISM WORK


CWU ANTI-RACIST STATEMENT

The values of a trade union bridge every divide and the CWU is a strong anti-racist organisation.

We deliver change together, we win ballots together, we take on employers together, and we will confront racism together.

Our priority is to unite working people by recognising that we share far more in common with one another than we do with those who seek to exploit and divide us.

The signatories of this statement commit to:
 

–  Calling out and challenging racism wherever we see it, in wider society or the workplace
 

–  Uniting working people, by being open to new effective approaches, including practical steps that tackle racism and all forms of injustice through the power of our collective strength

–  Promoting this statement to colleagues, friends and family – urging them to show their support.

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RMG Menopause Guide – Supporting Women Through The Menopause – Updated Guide For Managers

Updated Guide Background

LTB 149/18 announced that agreement had been reached between the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department and the Royal Mail Group Head of Health on the introduction of the first ever Royal Mail Group Menopause Guide for Managers in 2018, entitled “Supporting Women At Work Through The Menopause.” The guide has recently been updated and published in the Royal Mail Group standard format.

This guide outlines the symptoms that some women suffer when going through the menopause, how these symptoms can affect them at work, and practical advice and guidance for managers to give help and support to these women.

Expert Input To The RMG Guide

In the build-up and in preparation for the introduction of the guidance in 2018, meetings involving Royal Mail Group and the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department took place with Professor Amanda Griffiths of the Nottingham University School Of Medicine, who is an expert in the field of the menopause and author of many research studies and guidance on the issue. Professor Griffiths was also involved in the production of the 2016 “Faculty of Occupational Medicine” guidance on menopause and the workplace.  Professor Griffiths concluded that it’s good to see that menopause is increasingly being widely recognised as a potential problem and is no longer ‘taboo’.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department also met with Jeremy Bevan HSE Head of the HSE Vulnerable Workers Team in 2018. He advised that more awareness and some simple changes, many that women themselves have recommended, can make their working lives during this time much easier.

Both experts endorsed the RMG/CWU approach. 

Main Topic Areas In The Guidance:

• Overview
• What is the menopause?
• How does it affect women?
• How might it affect work?
• What do I need to do as a manager?
• Where to go for further information
• Forms

The Guidance has been placed on the Royal Mail Group Health & Wellbeing pages of the Royal Mail Group intranet with publicity through the normal Royal Mail and Parcelforce media and communication channels.

Managing An Employee’s Return To Work And Menopause

In 2018, the CWU Health Safety and Environment Department pointed out that line managers need to be trained and informed in order to be aware of how the menopause can affect work and what adjustments may be necessary to support women who are experiencing the menopause. Royal Mail Group responded positively by adding a new paragraph to their “Managing Short Term Absence & Informal Absence Review Guide” to help managers deal with absences relating to the menopause. The paragraph headed “Managing an employee’s return to work” states – “Employees may find it difficult to discuss their health concerns particularly for conditions that are of a personal nature, such as irritable bowel syndrome, the menopause or gender related health issues.

Managers should allow time and listen to the employee when having these conversations.” The emphasis is on the manager to listen and understand that this is a health condition affecting a certain age group of women where they may not be able to perform elements of their duty on a particular day but may be able to perform some other work within the office for example. This is a small but positive step, coupled with the fact that members can ask to be interviewed by someone of the same sex, and combined with the ‘Menopause at Work’ Guidance was a positive move in the right direction.

Research Reports

A 2018 ‘ComRes’ study looking at how the menopause affects women at work and in their relationships, and the treatments they found effective found:

• 70% of working women didn’t want to make their employers aware of their menopause symptoms.
• 48% felt that their mental health had suffered as a result of the menopause.
• 25% said that the menopause made them want to stay at home.

A 2018 ‘King’s College London’ study looked at how symptoms of menopause affect women’s work and careers and found women struggling with menopause symptoms. The study concluded that a simple self-help cognitive behavioural therapy programme, provided in short practical and accessible guidance on the subject and coping at work, would have a positive effect, helping to reduce the degree to which women felt their symptoms were causing them problems and improving the way in which they felt they could discuss menopause in the work place, thus challenging the stereotypical belief that women in menopause are ‘past it’. The study found many women suffering from these debilitating symptoms and feeling unsupported during the menopause with some dropping out of the work force. This natural process has been overlooked and considered a taboo for too long it concluded. Findings from the study:

• In the UK there are 4.3 million women aged 50 and over in employment. By 2020 1 in 3 UK workers will be over 50. All female workers will go through the menopause. The average age of menopause for women in the UK is 51. Some begin in their early 40’s and for others it can go on into their late 50’s and beyond.
• 3 in 4 women experience menopause symptoms and 1 in 4 of these women experience severe physical or psychological symptoms.
• 4 out of 10 women haven’t ever consulted their GP about symptoms of menopause.
• Employers should do more to provide support and better protect these women.

Websites with good Menopause advice and guidance are:

• NHS guidance on the menopause: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
• Women’s health concerns: https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/menopause/
• Menopause matters: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
• Menopause exchange: https://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk/
• Manage my menopause: https://www.managemymenopause.co.uk/

A copy of the RMG updated Menopause Managers Guide is attached.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 283/21 – RMG Menopause Guide – Supporting Women Through The Menopause – Updated Guide For Managers

Menopause Guidance

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PHASE 2 – 2021 NATIONAL RECRUITMENT EXERCISE OF LGV DRIVERS

Branches and representatives will be aware that LTB 159/21 communicated the Joint Statement Between Royal Mail National Distribution And The CWU On The 2021 National Recruitment Exercise Of LGV Drivers.  Phase 2 of the recruitment campaign had been due to commence on 14 June 2021 however unfortunately a slight delay has been experienced while the numbers and locations of vacancies were finalised by the business.

The department can inform you however that the Phase 2 activity will now commence on Monday 5^th July 2021.  The recruitment will be open to C+E licence holders (Class 1 HGV) who also hold a valid DCPC.

All applications will need to be submitted via the Royal Mail SuccessFactors platform (Annex A).

Following a number of enquiries received by the department during the Phase 1 recruitment activity we would ask that anyone interested in progressing to one of the advertised roles ensures that they have the ‘CE’ (Class 1 HGV) category on their licence.  Individuals with C, C1 or ‘C1E’ licence categories only do not hold the required qualification and will not be eligible to apply for these roles. 

We would also advise members that Royal Mail will only consider applications for the site that has been applied for during the process via SuccessFactors.  Therefore, in order to maximise the potential of progressing to a professional driving role, members are encouraged to submit applications separately for each site that that they would be interested in within the geographical area required. 

There will be c395 vacancies available for application from the 5^th July 2021 (full and part time roles).  Details of the location of the vacancies and requisition numbers for the roles are included as Annex B.  Internal candidates are requested to use these requisition numbers for applications.

Closing date for applications will be Sunday 18^th July 2021.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference: 211.07

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 282/21 – Phase 2 LGV Driver Recruitment (C+E Licence Holders) – 05.07.21

Annex A – SuccessFactors

Annex B – LGV Recruitment 5th July

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UPDATE ON CWU POLITICAL WORK: BUILDING COLLECTIVISM

The purpose of this LTB is to update branches on a very important policy discussion held recently at the NEC on the topic of building collectivism in society.  It is also to inform branches of our intention to engage the entire union on a major consultation regarding the union’s political work and the direction we will take going forward.

As branches know, the current political, economic, and social environment is one of the most difficult in the history of the Labour movement and the CWU is committed to facing these challenges with an equal level of ambition to deliver for our members.

As we grapple with the major challenge of building a post Covid and Brexit future, we do so knowing that there is already a deep structural imbalance of power and wealth in the world of work, how the economy operates and in the inequalities that permeate wider society.  Furthermore, the fundamental issues of how society addresses climate change and the fourth industrial revolution will also increasingly impact on the growing sense of insecurity and anxiety that people are feeling over the future.

Regrettably, at a time when the country needs transformative change, the Labour Party are arguably further away than ever from delivering this.  Although polling consistently shows that people are rightly dissatisfied with the Government’s handling of the pandemic, the Tories remain significantly ahead of Labour in the opinion polls – whilst Labour remain trapped in its “forever” factional war. Whilst we welcome Labour holding the Batley & Spen constituency, and congratulate Kim Leadbetter on her election, we must remember that this was already a Labour-held seat and that Labour lost 7.5% of its vote.  If such a result were to be replicated across the country, the Labour Party could lose a further 50 seats on top of the 2019 General Election result.

We have yet to see anybody step forward with the leadership or vision to unite the Labour movement and to chart a different course.  This is the reality of Labour’s disconnect with working people that has been decades in the making, exactly as we pointed out in the intervention we made in advance of the Hartlepool by-election.

Another crucial Labour failing has been to allow Boris Johnson and the Tories to get in front of them on their so-called levelling up agenda, confirming to the electorate not only that Labour cannot articulate what it stands for – but also that it had lost its emotional connection with its traditional supporters.

There is of course a lot of interesting analysis as to why this has happened and debates about Metropolitan elites, red wall seats, identity politics, values and culture wars are taking place across the political spectrum.

In considering the political context set out above and the divisive and polarised nature of political debate today, it’s clear that the key question facing the trade union and Labour movement is how do we unite working people and build a coalition of support across class, gender and race to deliver the changes we aspire to.

In answering this question, we believe that it’s time for trade unions to come together and set out our own distinct agenda that can lead the way forward for the whole labour movement.  This must focus on how we build collectivism to influence and shape the future that we want for our members, our families and society.  It’s about reinforcing and going further on the direction we have already taken in connecting our industrial and political work and calling for the movement to seriously get behind the New Deal for Workers campaign.  It’s also about linking up with groups and communities that have emerged from the pandemic with a strong sense of what can be achieved through collective power. 

The positive news is that this direction is gaining traction both within other trade unions and more recently within the Labour Party.  In leading on this, the CWU IS forging a route that others can follow and we have made it clear to the Labour leadership that they must focus on changing the world of work and how the economy operates.

In terms of our relationship with the Labour Party, this must now be about strengthening our support for local and regional Labour leaders who are delivering change on the ground in a way that supports our members, working people and the communities they live in.  The NEC endorsed this approach in a previous document, and it is now time to build on this in a more structured way with a deeper understanding across the union of how these developments are beginning to change things on the ground and what our role is in supporting them.

It is our intention to now engage the whole union in the debate about the way forward for our movement. The NEC will meet for an away day in July to develop this thinking, to set out the next steps for our New Deal for Workers Campaign and to look at how we build collectivism in our society.  This engagement will also be taken out into the union and we are developing a major consultation programme with members, Branches and Regions on the important issues that have been covered in this letter.

Any enquiries of the above LTB should be sent to the General Secretary’s office – jdunn@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

LTB 280/21 – UPDATE ON CWU POLITICAL WORK BUILDING COLLECTIVISM

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JOINT STATEMENT – CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (CEV) ABSENCE AND POLICY TALKS BETWEEN RMG AND CWU ARISING OUT OF THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT

Branches will be aware we consistently questioned Royal Mail’s policy throughout the pandemic regarding absence for our members who had to shield due to being in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) category. Royal Mail have counted shielding during the pandemic as sickness absence which we have continued to challenge strongly.

This was a huge concern as this would mean these members would face up to 3 years going forward on half or nil sick pay should they need to take further time off due to illness, their disability or their health condition.

Since our members in the CEV category returned to work in April 2021 we have been in negotiations with Royal Mail in order to remove these absences from the sick pay entitlement.

The negotiations have been long and protracted, however we are pleased to inform you we concluded talks on Wednesday 30th June with the attached agreed Joint Statement which has been endorsed by the Postal Executive at its meeting today. Whilst we acknowledge the decisions taken during the pandemic were at a moment in time, we are pleased, having reflected on the policy decisions taken, Royal Mail want to work with us on mutual interest solutions. Royal Mail have confirmed any sickness absence due to shielding during the pandemic will be removed from the sick pay entitlement for our CEV members.

This will be done in two stages:

Stage 1
For shielding absences incurred since November 2020, this will be managed through the PSP system and member’s records will be updated automatically by September 2021. This can be done as from November 2020 there was a specific absence shielding code which was used for PSP.

Stage 2
For all previous shielding absences, this will be done manually as all absences will have to be checked and anyone who was in the CEV category and absent due to shielding will have the absence credited back to them. This will be completed by December 2021.

Any member who is in the CEV category and is unfortunate enough to need to take sickness absence prior to the completion of the stages above, will have their record amended immediately and therefore will continue to receive the sick pay they would have received without the shielding absences included. This means no member in the CEV category should lose out on sick pay entitlement due to having had to shield during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To confirm the changes, all members in the CEV category will also receive a letter, informing them of the changes to their sick pay entitlement.

Update on Policy Negotiations

As part of this joint statement we are able to update Branches on the progress of the policy negotiations as part of the Pathway to Change Agreement.

The discussions have predominantly focused on the attendance agreement, however we have also touched on other policies. Our main priority has been to ensure Royal Mail adhere to our agreed processes and agreements.

Within the joint statement RMG and CWU re-commit to our existing policies, processes and agreements. To build trust, it is really important for all employees to feel that they have been treated fairly and consistently.

We believe the recommitment in this joint statement presents an ideal opportunity for Reps at all levels to ensure all of our policies and agreements are being implemented correctly. It is imperative we do everything we can locally to ensure this commitment is carried out. If misapplication of any of our agreements does occur, this should be challenged locally and if necessary followed up through the dispute resolution procedure (DRP) process.

Branches will know due to the pandemic, appeals have been performed virtually. We have received many enquiries about how appeals will be performed going forward. We have been discussing this issue and negotiations are continuing. We will provide an update as soon as we have information on the next lockdown review. We appreciate there are different dates for reviews in the devolved governments and we will be monitoring the advice from all.

My thanks go to our representatives and members in all grades for your outstanding effort during the pandemic.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 415 Email address: khay@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,
Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary (Elect)

LTB 277/21 – JOINT STATEMENT – CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE (CEV) ABSENCE AND POLICY TALKS BETWEEN RMG AND CWU ARISING OUT OF THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT

Joint Statement

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Parcelforce Worldwide – Joint Communication – Pathway to Change Update

Attached for the information of Branches, Representatives and Parcelforce members is a Joint Communication agreed with Parcelforce to provide an update on agreed initiatives to address current issues associated to the REX technology.

In recent weeks, senior members of the Royal Mail/ Parcelforce Management Teams and the department have visited a number of Depots and sought direct feedback from our members on the prevailing issues associated to Auto REX.

A number of common themes were explored relating to continued routing issues and the perception that adherence to the delivery sequence has restricted the ability of Drivers to use their experience to resolve routing problems and manage their day which has undoubtedly adversely affected morale. This direct, detailed feedback has been invaluable and has greatly assisted in informing talks to agree steps to resolve the issues.

The attached Joint Statement details agreed phased trial activity designed to address the common themes and restore to the Driver more control over their load plan, start point and route schedule, while retaining the ability for PFW to offer the 1-hour ETA which is essential in the premium market sector that Parcelforce operate. Trial activity will be closely monitored by the Joint Working Group.

In addition, arrangements have been made to enable the JWG and the Regional Organisers to meet Geoplan and directly address the many issues raised by our members relating to the REX routing performance. Arrangements are also being confirmed to create a monthly forum to allow a number of Representatives to engage directly with the JWG.

In recognition of the efforts of our members it has been agreed that the trial activity will not delay the deployment of the SWW in Depots. Arrangements are being made to fast track local discussions on the arrangements with a view to concluding agreements by Friday, 9th July 2021. 

The department believes that there is now an opportunity to address some of the current REX issues and updates will be provided as the trial activity progresses. The department would be grateful if Branches could ensure that the contents are brought to the attention of our Parcelforce members.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.orgquoting reference 054.06.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 276/21

Parcelforce Pathway to Change Update Document 01.07.21

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ROYAL MAIL: PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT: DELIVERING THE SHORTER WORKING WEEK IN DOWNSTREAM ACCESS (DSACC)

I am pleased to advise Branches and our DSACC members that following discussions with management, an agreement has been reached with regards to delivering the Shorter Working Week from Monday 12^thJuly.  The following Joint Statement which outlines our agreement has been published today:

Royal Mail: Pathway to Change Agreement: Delivering the Shorter Working Week For Downstream Access

 We are pleased to advise that an agreement has now been reached with regards to delivering the Shorter Working Week for Downstream Access. 

Constructive dialogue between both parties has continued over recent weeks and we can now confirm that to achieve the 1 hour reduction in weekly working hours we will be reducing each shift by 12 minutes a day at the start of the shift. There will be an hourly rate pay increase to part time employees in lieu of the SWW.

The Shorter Working Week changes will be implemented from Monday 12th July, allowing time for the necessary changes to be made on PSP. 

Both Royal Mail and the CWU acknowledge the way in which colleagues have responded to the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and wish to thank you for your continued hard work. 

Andy Furey                                             Surekha Khuttan

CWU Assistant Secretary                          Network Access Operations Manager

The above is a positive outcome which I’m certain will be well received by our members working in the DSACC unit in Whitechapel.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 279/21 – Royal Mail Pathway to Change Agreement – Delivering the Shorter Working Week in Downstream Access (DSACC)

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ROYAL MAIL: PATHWAY TO CHANGE AGREEMENT: DELIVERING THE SHORTER WORKING WEEK IN THE NATIONAL RETURNS CENTRE (NRC)

I am pleased to advise Branches and our members working in the NRC in Belfast that following discussions with management, an agreement has been reached with regards to delivering the Shorter Working Week from Monday 19^th July.  The following Joint Statement outlines our agreed position:

Royal Mail: Pathway to Change Agreement: Delivering the Shorter Working Week in the National Returns Centre

We are pleased to advise that an agreement has now been reached with regards to delivering the Shorter Working Week in the National Returns Centre.

Constructive dialogue between both parties has continued over recent weeks and we can now confirm that joint targets have been agreed to enable the Shorter Working Week, which will be implemented from the 19th July 2021, with a 15 minute reduction at the end of the day Monday to Thursday.

Both Royal Mail and the CWU acknowledge the way in which colleagues have responded to the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and wish to thank you for your continued hard work.

I wish to extend my thanks to our Area Admin Representative, Gerry Loughran, for his support in helping to bring this matter to a positive conclusion and I’m certain the agreement will be well received by our NRC members.

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 278/21 – Royal Mail – Pathway to Change Agreement – Delivering the Shorter Working Week in the National Returns Centre (NRC)

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NEC & Industrial Executive Elections 2021 – Despatch of Ballot Papers

In accordance with respective election regulations the ballots papers for the above national and regional elections are due to be posted to members from 6^th July 2021.

The purpose of this LTB is to advise branches that we have received notification from Civica that the ballot papers will be despatched from 6^th July 2021.

I would also take this opportunity to advise that the method of posting is Economy or 2^nd class Postage.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed Peter Metcalfe, Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7368, or email address pmetcalfe@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 275/21

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NEC & Industrial Executive Elections 2021

Further to LTBs 234/21 and 240/21 please find attached the booklets containing the candidate details for the respective NEC and Industrial Executive elections.

These are being provided in order to assist Branches in making their recommendations.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed Peter Metcalfe, Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7368, or email address pmetcalfe@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 274/21

R0465_1_P7 CWU_ESs Postal

R0465_1_P8 CWU_ESs Postal

R0465_1_P10 CWU_ESs T&FS

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