Further to LTB 178/18 dated 27^th March 2018.

Following the publication of the above LTB I need to advise Branches that we have recently experienced a critical failure with the Sage Instant Accounts server which resulted in the server having to be rebuilt.

I can now confirm that this problem has now been fixed and branches should now be able to access their Sage Accounts.

As previously advised the new url is https://netscaler.cwu.org/vpn/index.html. The user name remains the same i.e. branch code, however branches will be prompted to enter a unique password of their choice before they can gain access into their accounts.

Please ensure that you remember your password for future use.

For your further assistance I have attached the instructions to cover the majority of the various messages you may come across if you have to install Citrix Receiver.

If you have any further enquiries relating to the Sage Accounts package then please contact Linda McNamara on 0208 971 7337 or via email lmcnamara@cwu.org.

If the problem relates to issues regarding the logging on process to Sage then please contact the IT Helpdesk on 0208 971 7229 or via email ithelpdesk@cwu.org.

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

18LTB237

Installation Instructions for access to Sage Branch Accounts

CWU Consolidated Accounts 2017

Further to LTB 195/18 dated 5^th April 2018 which invited questions to the 2017 CWU Accounts, at the closing time the following questions had been submitted by Harrow and District Amalgamated Branch, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall Branch and Greater Mersey Amalgamated Branch.

The following questions were received from the Harrow and District Amalgamated Branch:

Q1. Has there been any income from Unionline and if so where is this shown in the accounts.

No income has been received from Unionline.

Q2. Notes to accounts 17 Related Party Transactions it states that the CWU made an unsecured loan of £273.250 (other debtors note 8) was the same unsecured loan also made in 2016?

The CWU has loaned a total of £273,250.00p to Unionline.

Q3. In addition there is accumulated interest of £61,140. It is also noted that the CWU recharged for staff and admin costs relating to activities of Unionline. What is the total amount of unsecured loans to Unionline since its set up and what is the total owed by Unionline to the CWU; Where is this shown within the accounts?

The CWU has loaned a total of £273,250.00p to Unionline. This has accrued interest of £61,140. The total owed by Unionline to the CWU is the total of these two figures i.e. £334,389.54p. This figure is included in note 8 “OtherDebtors”.

Q4. Finally is there a financial risk to the Union should Unionline fail?

The financial risk to the CWU should Unionline “fail” would be the total of the loan detailed in answers 2 and 3 above i.e. £273,250.00p.

The following questions were received from the Somerset Devon & Cornwall Branch:

Q1. The compensation referred to in the document, what are the CWU compensating the key management personnel for? Page 22, paragraph 16 Key Management Personnel “Key management compensation of £260,256 (2016: £253,477) was paid in the year. A key management personnel is defined as the roles of General Secretary and Senior Deputy General Secretary”.

The reason we disclose Key Management Personnel is to comply with Financial Reporting Standards, FRS 102. Key Management Personnel comes under a section called “Related Party Disclosures” within FRS 102. The extract from FRS 102 reads as follows.

Disclosure of key management personnel compensation 33.6 Key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the entity, directly or indirectly, including any director (whether executive or otherwise) of that entity. Compensation includes all employee benefits (as defined in Section 28 Employee Benefits) including those in the form of share-based payments (see Section 26 Share-based Payment). Employee benefits include all forms of consideration paid, payable or provided by the entity, or on behalf of the entity (e.g. by its parent or by a shareholder), in exchange for services rendered to the entity. It also includes such consideration paid on behalf of a parent of the entity in respect of goods or services provided to the entity.

33.7 An entity shall disclose key management personnel compensation in total.

Accordingly the sum referred to contains the total of all employment costs (salaries, employers National Insurance Contributions, employers pension contributions) for those roles.

Q2. Why do the CWU only spend just over £86K onorganising & recruitment whereby on international activities, it is in the region of £404k, the opening statement made by Tony Kearns in regard to the financial situation the CWU finds itself in is highlighted and reliant on recruiting new members!!!

The CWU does not “only” spend just over £86K on Organising & Recruitment. That section of the accounts refers only to one portion of the spend in this area. The majority of the sum referred to (£75K) is for expenditure on Travel & Subsistence for undertaking recruitment and organising activity by the employed Organisers and for bought in merchandise (£9.8K).

Within the Salaries section of the accounts (Section T page 30) is included an amount of £725,303 for the 13 Organisers we employ.

Within the TFS Constituency there are a number of Regional Organising Committees. The cost of these forms a part of the overall Telecom and Financial Services Budget. Accordingly CWU HQ expenditure on this issue across all budget areas is not “only” £86K but is in excess of £800K per annum. This is separate to the money spent by the union at Branch level.

The following question was received from the Greater Mersey Amalgamated Branch:

Q1. Please could you give a separate breakdown of expenditure of the following committees: NEC, T&FS Industrial Executive and Postal Industrial Executive toinclude any substitution costs, subsistence, travel costs and central billing.

The information requested is stored on a number of different finance systems at CWU Headquarters. To be able to produce the information as requested will take a number of days as it requires input from a number of different staffmembers within the Finance dept. As a result it will not be possible to answer this question in full prior to General Conference 2018.

Work on compiling the information requested will take place during conference week and the full detailed answer will be circulated to Branches via LTB week commencing 30^th April 2018.

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

18LTB236

Further to LTB 225/18 please find attached the following:

• Telecom and Financial Services SOC Report Supplementary No.1

Branches are reminded that credentials and voting cards and any further Standing Orders Reports will be available to pick up from the registration desk in the Windsor Hall Foyer in the Bournemouth International Centre from 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm on Saturday 21^st April 2018.Branches are also reminded that speakers cards need to be completed and returned prior to conference to enable the information to be input onto the system.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Chris Tapper or sent to ctapper@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB235

TFSE 2018 – SOR No.1

“Beware Dog Behind Letter Box” Warning Cards:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Following an increasing number of dog bites and finger amputations through letterboxes, Royal Mail has agreed to make the attached “Beware Dog Behind Letter Box” Warning/Hazard Cards available nationally, for ordering by Delivery Offices Via Royal Mail Assets.

The Warning (Red) Card, with a Dog peering menacingly through the letterbox and an address box on its front, was designed locally in the South West with the involvement of Steve Beale ASR(TA) and until now used locally in only a small number of Delivery Offices. The Preparation Sorting Frame (RM 2000) hazard cards are put into the vertical prep frame slots where dog hazards are logged to ensure the mail for that address is either marked or the card is bundled with the mail for the address to warn the duty holder as he/she arrives at the said address, and then the card is returned for re-use at the end of the round.

The reverse side of the “Beware Dog Behind Letterbox” card, reminds Postmen and Women, with pictures – ‘Don’t put fingers through the letterbox’, ‘Use a Posting Peg to post mail through the letterbox’.

These cards are being added as a new product to the ‘Ariba catalogue’ with the product info as follows:-

• Code: DBLBOX-10k English
• Minimum Order Qty 10k
• Price £703.26

The cards are to a standard catalogue item on ‘Ariba’ and the process to order will be the same as it is for posting pegs (as below):

• Delivery Office submits request for dog behind letterbox warning cards via the Ops Support,
• Ops Support raises request for minimum order quantity using the Ops Manager’s high level Cost Centre (as they do currently for the posting pegs),
• Ops Support forwards request to the Demand Challenge Team,
• DCT review / challenge / place order,
• Order is dispatched to the Ops Support,
• Ops Support distributes as and when required,
• Ops Support places new order once stock becomes depleted.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB233 Beware Dog Behind Letter Box Warning Cards

SP11554_Dog Behind Letterbox

CWU MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – MANDATORY OLS UPDATE OF CWU OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVE’S DETAILS REQUIRED

The CWU is required to hold accurate records of all CWU Officers and Representatives on our database.

Following local elections and the reporting of results at the Annual General Meeting the branch should have updated their membership database using OLS.

It is clear that a number of branches have not made any changes to their listed branch officers or representatives during this period and therefore branches are immediately instructed to input any such changes to the system and to keep their representative records updated at all times.

We attach the OLS User guide explaining the process to Branch Secretaries for amending branch officer and representatives details and should branches require any further assistance or guidance in the completion of this mandatory task then please contact Matt Edwards at medwards@cwu.org or 0208 971 7260.

If branches have any changes to be made to their official CWU listed branch office details including address, contact numbers and email addresses they should immediately send these to gsoffice@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

18LTB228 CWU MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – MANDATORY OLS UPDATE OF CWU OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVE’S DETAILS REQUIRED

OLS3 – Branch Secretary – Users Guide

CWU Conference – Royal Mail Assets Team and Dimensions Stand – Launch of New Royal Mail/CWU Clothing/Footwear ‘Z-Card/Pocket Card’ on Clothing/Footwear Ordering & Re-Ordering:

Dear Colleagues,

The Royal Mail Asset Supply Chain Team and Dimensions, the Royal Mail Group uniform supplier will be available to answer uniform, protective clothing, footwear, safety footwear, ordering and re-ordering related questions on aStand at CWU Conference this year and Conference Delegates, in particular Health and Safety Reps who have been raising issues at FFG and Regional Health and Safety Forum Meetings are invited to visit the stand to meet and discuss issues with Sam Dixon, Royal Mail National Uniform & Print Manager and Emily Doherty Dimensions Accounts Administrator.

The Stand will be showcasing a number of new product initiatives and trial items, providing guidance on any uniform/clothing/footwear related issues and demonstrating the brand new uniform ordering website.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome and on the stand there will be “feedback/suggestion forms” for Conference Delegates to complete if they wish to do so.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has been working with Royal Mail Assets to improve Safety through improvements to the footwear and clothing range and in doing so want to continue to get more members wearing officially supplied footwear in particular, through a new improved footwear range in order to help reduce slips, trips and falls accidents.

As Area Health and Safety Reps will know from previous update reports, the Health, Safety & Environment Department proposed the introduction of a new Members ‘Pocket Card/Z-Card’ simple guide on how to order, re-order and replace items. I’m pleased to report that Royal Mail Assets accepted our proposal and worked jointly on the design of the Z-Card which will be launched at CWU Conference on the Stand. Please see attached pdf file ‘proof’ copy of the new Z-Card for your information. The Z-Card design follows previous Z-Cards designed jointly between Royal Mail and the Health, Safety & Environment Department on Sun Safety, Time To Talk, Feeling First Class/Healthy Minds Matter etc.

The content of the new Z-Card covers the following sections:

• How much uniform/clothing/footwear can be ordered.
• How to place an order.
• How to return items no longer required.

There will be 2000 Z-Cards available to hand out from the stand at CWU Conference, and again feedback is invited on the Cards which will be reviewed along with comments from the Health, Safety & Environment Department and PostalDepartment which deals with standard uniform clothing items and the Uniform Agreement and any further suggested changes or improvements can be considered, regarding design and the text. However it’s designed to be pretty straightforward and follows the existing processes. Both ourselves and Royal Mail Assets and Dimensions are hopeful the front line CWU members will like the Z-Card and find it useful, and it will encourage them to self-serve themselves with orders and understand the system and process. Following Conference, the plan is for Royal Mail to order a bulk print run of the Z-Cards to send out to all front line Royal Mail staff after any final changes.

Royal Mail uniform policies and processes can be found on the Assets intranet pages at the following link:-

https://intranet.royalmailgroup.com/OperationsModernisation/Pages/uniformoverview.aspx

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB226 CWU Conference – Royal Mail Assets Team and Dimensions Stand – Launch of New Royal MailCWU ClothingFootwear ‘Z-CardPocket Card’ on ClothingFootwear Ordering & Re-Ordering

MOCK UP – Royal Mail – PTN 044241

CWU Conference 2018 – Standing Order Reports

Please find attached the following:

• General Conference SOC Report Supplementary No.1
• General Conference SOC Report Supplementary No.2
• Telecom and Financial Services SOC Report Supplementary No.2
• Postal Group Conference SOR No.3

Branches are reminded that credentials and voting cards and any further Standing Orders Reports will be available to pick up from the registration desk in the Windsor Hall Foyer in the Bournemouth International Centre from 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm on Saturday 21^st April 2018.

Branches are also reminded that speakers cards need to be completed and returned prior to conference to enable the information to be input onto the system.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Chris Tapper or sent to ctapper@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB225

GC 2018 SOR No.1

GC 2018 SOR No.2

TFSE 2018 – SOR No.2

SOR NO.3 2018

CWU Reps Guide to Work And Suicide Booklet 2018

Please see attached pdf copy of the new CWU Reps Guide to Work And Suicide Booklet 2018

Introduction

Every year in the UK around 6,000 people end their own lives – well over three times the number of people who die on the UK’s roads. Unions and Union Reps can have a role to play in helping prevent suicides and supporting those who are in distress and may have suicidal thoughts. There can be few more tragic issues that a union representative has to deal with than the suicide of a fellow worker. Fortunately, this is something that most union representatives will never encounter but the issue of suicide is an important one and can often be linked to issues such as workplace stress, bullying or harassment.

There are two main areas where union representatives can help make it less likely that someone in their workplace will end their lives. These are:

Prevention

Union Reps can try to ensure that the workplace is not contributing to a person’s mental health problems by tackling issues such as stress, bullying and harassment. They can also ensure that the employer’s processes and policies, which are there to help identify individuals stressed and at risk, and to help and support them, are deployed and made available to those in need.

Supporting individuals

Union Reps and Health and Safety Representatives are not be expected to be qualified counsellors or clinicians. But often they are the person that a Union member trusts and they will contact when they have a problem and Union Representatives can support these people and ensure that they know the Union is there for them and will ensure they know where they can get help. Also, by knowing what warning signs to look out for, sometimes Reps can make sure that they know where to get help.

Finally, let’s not forget the great work that trade unions do to help prevent stress, long hours, low pay, bullying, harassment and job insecurity which already goes a long way towards helping prevent workers from feeling depressed and that is a major part of the TUC ‘Great Jobs Agenda’ which CWU fully supports.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank ‘Rethink Mental Illness’, ‘Mind’, ‘CALM’, ‘SANE’, ‘Papyrus’, ‘Samaritans’ and Dan Shears for their input and assistance with this Guidance Booklet.

Hard Copy Orders of the Guide Booklet

Branches and Regions can either download and print their own copies of the booklet or order bulk copies from CWU/HQ as follows:-

Contact:

Debby Ackerman
Print Services Manager
E: dakerman@cwu.org
T: 0208 971 7218

Cost Per Booklet: £1.06

Postage:

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

FOOTNOTE:

Don’t be afraid to approach someone you think isn’t coping or if you’re worried about them. Try to get them to talk. Just listening and showing that you care and take it seriously will be a positive step towards supporting and helping them.

18LTB224 CWU Reps Guide to Work And Suicide Booklet 2018

CWU GUIDE WORK AND SUICIDE v2 January 2018 (3)