Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains. Karl Marx.
Further to LTB 036/19 dated 1st February 2019, at the close of nominations on the 15th February 2019 the following have been received
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Launches New Best-Practice Workplace Guidance For Employers on How To Implement MHFA in the Workplace and New Strengthened Guidance on the Role of the Person Trained in Mental Health First Aid Skills
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has this week launched new best-practice guidance for employers on how to implement Mental Health First Aid in the workplace. This follows the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent enhancement of its First Aid guidance to clarify the existing need to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a ‘needs assessment’.
To date over 15,000 organisations across the country have already trained staff in MHFA England courses but that figure could rise substantially if the HSE’s updated guidance is adopted by employers. According to the regulator, 15.4 million working days are lost due to mental ill health every year, and with its updated guidance, there’s now a need for employers across all sectors to understand how Mental Health First Aid training should be implemented in the workplace.
MHFA England state that their new guidance provides clear information to support employers in implementing Mental Health First Aid training in the workplace – ensuring that their first aid provision can effectively protect both the mental and physical health of their employees.
Mental Health First Aid training should always be one part of a ‘whole organisation’ approach to mental health – helping thousands of employers to implement the core standards for a mentally healthy workplace, as set out in the Government’s ‘Thriving at Work’ review, including improving mental health awareness and encouraging conversation about the support available.
Developed in consultation with leading employers PwC, Royal Mail, Thames Water and Three UK, the new guidance provides information on strategically embedding MHFA England training. It includes advice on how to recruit, promote and support staff trained in Mental Health First Aid as part of a whole organisation approach to workplace mental health.
By offering this guidance, MHFA England is providing a clear set of considerations for employers looking at how to implement Mental Health First Aid training – whilst also respecting that organisations of different shapes and sizes will need to take different approaches.
Alongside this new Employers Guide is a new strengthened guidance for employees on the role of being a Mental Health First Aider and being a person trained in MHFA skills. This second guide has also been published to support the role of the Mental Health First Aider. This covers the boundaries and responsibilities of those qualified at different levels; as Mental Health First Aiders, Mental Health First Aid Champions and Mental Health Aware.
To date over 15,000 employers and organisations across the country have already trained staff in MHFA courses and that figure is expected to rise substantially following the recent publication by the HSE of new mental health guidance for employers. According to the HSE, 15.4 million working days are lost due to mental ill health every year, and with updated HSE guidance, there is now a need for employers across all sectors to understand how Mental Health First Aid training should be implemented in the workplace.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
PROCESSING RESOURCE REALIGNMENT ACTIVITY
Branches and representatives are informed that the department has been made aware of documentation that has emanated from Cardiff Mail Centre that relates to a managerial proposal regarding Resource Realignment activity.
The contents of the documentation have raised concern as they could be construed as suggesting that an aspirational efficiency saving had been agreed for the coming year, or that realignment activity should seek to achieve predetermined outcomes based on what the business see as budgetary challenges.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Four Pillars agreement and the subsequently agreed Realignment and Resourcing documents establish that resourcing activity should be based on the effective alignment of resource to workload and not on budget or business plan savings.
In addition, reference is made in the documentation to throughput figures, WIPGH, productivity and recruitment practices. Again Branches and representatives will be aware that these issues are the subject of specific commitments in the Four Pillars agreement and discussions are currently taking place at National level.
For information the department has raised the issues associated with the documentation with the business at National level and are awaiting a response.
For clarity however the agreed principles and processes associated to Resource Realignment activity within Mail Centres, RDC’s and WBC’s continue to hold the field (LTB’s 374/18 and 720/18 refer). Colleagues will be aware that for ease of reference the department has also circulated Resourcing Booklets to all Branches, Divisional and Processing/RDC/WBC Representatives which include all of the relevant agreements associated to Resourcing and Realignment activity.
The CWU remain fully committed to the Four Pillars agreement and as such colleagues are requested to utilise these agreed resources to ensure that any realignment activity adheres fully to the Nationally agreed principles and processes.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 733.02
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
FOUR PILLARS AGREEMENT/PARCELFORCE CULTURE VISITS
Branches and representatives are informed that discussions have been taking place at National level with Parcelforce management in relation to a Joint Statement to enable the commitment to the culture activity in the ‘Four Pillars’ agreement to be progressed.
Attached for your information is the Joint Statement which has been agreed and endorsed by the Postal Executive. Colleagues will note that the agreed arrangements broadly mirror those that have been adopted in Royal Mail (LTB 695/18 refers) and will enable us to gain a current ‘temperature’ check of what the culture is like across PFW units.
Where sites contact the union or management team specifically requesting a visit, this will be jointly discussed and accommodated if possible.
As with the activity in Royal Mail, the RMG culture engagement team who are compiling the feedback for the Post and Parcels visits, have confirmed that they can do the same for PFW. Discussions are currently taking place with the business to finalise arrangements for the culture visits to commence.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 111.17
Yours sincerely
Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary
LTB 101-19 – Four Pillars Culture Visits – 15.02.19
Joint Statement Between PFW and CWU – Four Pillars Culture Visits
If you are a member of the CWU and a fully paid up member of the Labour Party before 1st August 2018, and live in the Peterborough Constituency Labour Party area don’t forget to attend the hustings meeting on Wednesday 20th February 1930 start in the Gallery Suite at the Cresset, Rightwell East, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 8DX. You will need your Labour Party Membership Card to gain entry.
This will be your chance to select the next Labour Party, Perspective Parliamentary Candidate.
The Eastern Number Five Branch supports Lisa Forbes
Andy Beeby
Branch Secretary
CWU Eastern Number Five Branch
Workers Memorial Day 2019 – Sunday 28 April 2019 “Dangerous Substances – Get Them Out Of The Workplace”
The ITUC have now confirmed the theme for the 2019 International Workers Memorial Day which is held on 28th April each year. The theme is “dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace”.
The focus will mainly be on carcinogens but Unions, Regions, Branches and Reps can adapt the theme to whatever is most relevant in the workplace or areas where members work and hazardous substances they may face, as many substances can also cause illnesses such as asthma or dermatitis.
Two important issues are of course Asbestos and Diesel Exhaust Fumes, and the TUC has useful guides on both of them and there is also a TUC guide on Workplace Cancers. (Copies are attached).
Other ideas suggested may be dust, cleaning fluids or other chemicals.
As Branches, Health and Safety Reps and Regional Health and Safety Forums will know, the Union has, in four of the last five years, commemorated Workers Memorial Day (WMD) at Annual Conference as WMD fell during Conference Week after the move of Conference to the end of April. This will occur again this year.
This year WMD occurs on the Sunday of the week, on General Conference day and arrangements are being made to commemorate WMD at Conference. Those Branch Reps and Officers not attending CWU Conference will be able to participate and support WMD events around the UK and will need to note this and make local arrangements to attend the many events taking place across the UK.
Once again the CWU will continue its support of this important commemorative day in the calendar and would urge CWU Branches, Reps and Regions to give their support to local and regional WMD events as above.
The purpose behind Workers’ Memorial Day has always been to “Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living” and the TUC, the Hazards Campaign, FACK and all the nation’s Unions will be focusing on both areas, by considering memorial and health and safety events to commemorate the day and remember all those killed at work or through work but at the same time ensuring that we continue to do all we can to make sure such tragedies are not repeated.
That can best be done by building trade union organisation, recruiting members, pressing employers to invoke better health and safety standards and risk controls and campaigning for stricter enforcement by the HSE and Local Authorities with higher court penalties for those employers and bosses breaching health and safety laws.
Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.
In 2019 the theme for the day is “dangerous substances – get them out of the workplace” and will focus on the risks to workers and the toll of occupational illnesses caused by exposure to toxic substances, fumes, dusts etc., inequalities in occupational health and the role Unions play in narrowing the gap.
The TUC is compiling a list of WMD events taking place across the country and the list will be updated over the coming weeks and circulated in due course. Some of these events will also feature a minute’s silence at noon, or a suitable time. Most will be on Sunday 28th April and some will take place on the weekend of 27th/28th April.
What CWU Reps can do:-
Attachments:
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Asbestos – time to get rid of it – Guide for reps May 2016 pdf_0
Pat O’Hara – Former President, NEC Member and Postal Executive Chair
It is with great sadness that we let Branches, Representatives and members know that Pat O’Hara, former President, NEC member and Postal Executive Chair, passed away yesterday after a lengthy illness.
Pat was a great comrade, Trade Unionist and Activist of our union in every sense of the word.
He was a proud member of the Merseyside Amal Branch and served our members with great distinction at all levels of our organisation.
In the most difficult times we have faced we could not have had a better President/Chair of the union. It was during these moments, in our big dispute, that his real inner strength and wonderful sense of humour set him apart from others and kept the union moving forward.
Pat was also well known for his strong belief in family values and we will pass on the sincere condolences of the whole of the CWU to his wife Patsy and family.
We will notify Branches of the funeral arrangements in due course.
Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to gsoffice@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Pat O’Hara – Former President, NEC Member and Postal Executive Chair
It is with great sadness that we let Branches, Representatives and members know that Pat O’Hara, former President, NEC member and Postal Executive Chair, passed away yesterday after a lengthy illness.
Pat was a great comrade, Trade Unionist and Activist of our union in every sense of the word.
He was a proud member of the Merseyside Amal Branch and served our members with great distinction at all levels of our organisation.
In the most difficult times we have faced we could not have had a better President/Chair of the union. It was during these moments, in our big dispute, that his real inner strength and wonderful sense of humour set him apart from others and kept the union moving forward.
Pat was also well known for his strong belief in family values and we will pass on the sincere condolences of the whole of the CWU to his wife Patsy and family.
We will notify Branches of the funeral arrangements in due course.
Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed togsoffice@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Dave Ward
General Secretary
The Communication Workers Union Eastern Number 5 Branch are proud to offer our full support and backing to Lisa Forbes for Peterborough. Lisa is an experienced PPC in Peterborough who we have had the pleasure of working closely with as a trade union. Lisa is a proud working-class women who has the interest of all communities at the heart of all she does in Peterborough. She continues to work tirelessly for the people she has lived with and worked alongside in Peterborough therefore we believe she can hit the ground running. As a trade union we believe that we need more people in Parliament with real life experienced like Lisa and the communities at their core values. We offer Lisa Forbes all our support and backing for Peterborough PPC.
Andy Beeby Branch Secretary CWU Eastern 5 Branch
RETIRED MEMBERS AGM REPORT & FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
Dear Colleagues
This report and newsletter reflects on what has happened in the past 12 months, and possibly what we have to look forward to in the coming months.
Firstly, my thanks must go to all who have supported me during the past months, right through from the Branch Officers and Committee, to the Retired Members who have assisted with the circulation of our newsletters. Also to all Retired Members who have given their input on how we can improve on Retired Membership and pensioner issues.
My personal thanks also to Dick Hewlett for his support and input, and finally, on behalf of the Branch, our best wishes to Pat Friskey and Mick Shill and thanks for all the hard work put in on our behalf.
The following items are for information, but will be open for debate and discussion at the Branch AGM on the 24th of February if you are coming.
BREXIT
Whatever personal preferences people made on Brexit, I don’t think it has portrayed democracy, politics or politicians in a very good light. I’ll leave it there, for as we speak, March the 29th has yet to arrive, and I suspect there are still many stop and start miles to go. Only then will we some idea of what the future holds.
UNIVERSAL PENSIONER BENEFITS
Although we are still in receipt of these benefits, there is pressure being brought to bear by some local authorities relating to the bus pass taking into account central government grants reducing year on year. We will continue the campaign to protect allthese benefits.
W.A.S.P.I.
Women against state pension inequality. This is a voluntary UK based organisation, working to achieve fair transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s, affected by the changes to the state pension laws.
There is an ongoing judicial review, but it is an issue we should support, and continue to support until its conclusion.
SOCIAL CARE FUNDING
This is a quotation from an NPC (National Pensioners Convention) circular.
‘The Unfairness of Social Care Funding’ ‘Everyone accepts that the social care system is in crisis, yet the government has delayed a Green Paper on the subject a staggering 6 times. Meanwhile, many older people and their families are struggling with a complicated and unfair means-tested system which treats them all differently’
As always, the argument will continue to be made around the ‘ageing population’ scenario, but as the quotation states, older people and their families are struggling with this issue. Perhaps there should be a call for an integrated NHS/Social care system to be introduced?
TV LICENSES FOR THE OVER 75s
This will still be a debatable subject until the conclusions of the BBC’s consultation exercise have been completed in February 2019. You can help as a Retired Member, or as a relative of an over 75 to enter the debate by going online to https://bbcconsultation.traverse.org.uk/ which will guide you to the questionnaire page giving you opportunity to have a say.
Or you can complete the enclosed letter, which details the arguments for the retention of the free license for the over 75’s, and then post it to your local MP.
HELPFUL ORGANISATIONS
Again there are many organisations that are a vital link to pensioners and highlight many of the problems being faced, such as avoiding scams, personal home security, how to access benefit claims for O.A.P’s, how we can tackle loneliness and many more. Age UK, the Salvation Army, and local Citizens Advice Bureaux’s has much of this information, and are well worth investigating. The CWU has information via their website on the Retired Members page, and also via the Retired Members supplementary issued with the Voice, this will include information on your pension, and how you can contact Union line for some legal advice.
CWU. NATIONAL. REGION. BRANCH
The Re-design conference last November has now concluded the financial and organisational framework for the Union which will be completed by way of the necessary rule changes which will be made at Annual Conference in April.
CWU/cont
Hopefully, the Eastern Region will endorse a proposed motion from the Regional Retired Members Committee to go forward to Annual Conference which will enable the Retired Members at the national level to be properly and equally represented at Region and National level.
At the Branch level, Chris Hunt has proposed two motions to go forward to Annual Conference, one which could allow the widow/widower/partner of a former Retired Member to retain a form of membership with the union which currently isn’t possible. The second relates to a continuation of being a Retired Member without having to re-apply on retirement. Hopefully, both will be supported, butunfortunately, we cannot accept postal or proxy votes, you will have to attend the AGM if you would like to support them.
SUMMARY
Although we are Retired Members, we cannot vote tostrike on all of the problems in the outside world we face up to. What we can do is to continue to protest where and when we can in order to get our points across. I think we will have to strengthen our partnerships with the Labour party, the TUC and all other like–minded organisations sympathetic to OAP’s, so that we can be treated with dignity and respect, remembering the full working life financial investments we have made through our NI and Income Tax contributions.
We shall organising a future Retired Members meeting soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me through the Branch office if you think I can be of assistance.
Kind regards
Mick Goldsmith
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 