General Conference 2018 – Sunday 22nd/Monday 23rd April 2018

Further to LTB 646/17 this is a reminder that the closing date for motions to General Conference 2018 is midnight Tuesday 6th February 2018. If sending Motions by post, Branches must ensure they use a signed for service which guarantees delivery by the closing date and time. Attached are motion forms and the motion guide for submitting motions to General Conference 2018.

Entitlements

In relation to the General Conference 2018, all Branches are entitled to submit three motions to General Conference. Regional Committees are entitled to submit three motions to the General Conference however one of the motions must be from the Regional Women’s Committee. Regional Health and Safety Forums are entitled to submit three motions on Health, Safety and Environmental matters.

In addition, branches and regional committees may also submit one rule amendment for the Rules Section of the agenda.

Branches/Regions/Health and Safety Forums/Minority Conferences and the NEC are reminded that the Standing Orders Committee will not alter or amend any of the motions submitted therefore it is important that motions are checked before they are submitted.

Please note that all correspondence must be sent by email to conferences@cwu.org and no other personal email address.

Any queries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to Angela Niven on 020 8971 7256 or by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB015 – General Conference

General Conference Motion Form 2018

General Motion Guide 2018

HS Form 2018

Rules 2018

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National Update on 4 Pillars

Today we were advised by the National Officers that substantial progress has been made on all the 4 Pillars Issues.

The progress is now sufficient enough to start drafting the worlds of a potential agreement. Anyone who has been involved in negotiations before will know that agreeing a set of words which both parties are content with is often more difficult than agreeing the principles of an agreement.

Additionally our National Officers are aware that Royal Mail have to also agree to resolve the problems of resourcing and changing the culture within the workplace.

This has been even more highlighted since Christmas where a combination of high vacancy levels , high sick leave and the limits of the working time Directive Agreement has led to an increase in the use of casuals , more managers on delivery , work rolling from one day to the next and an increase in unfair treatment of staff.

The CWU are meeting Royal Mail over the next 3 days to concentrate on getting a solution on Resourcing and culture. Further talks are planned for next week.

Real detail on the issues cannot be provided at this point as the union’s principle remains that nothing is agreed until we have an agreement on all the issues however we can confirm that on all the following substantial progress has been made and the following principles established :

One Pension Scheme and an agreed Wage in Retirement scheme will be in place and also if needed transitional arrangements.

Progress on pay which is based on a percentage increase flowing through to all pay and allowances. This will be for a two year period.

Talks on extending the legal guarantees are on-going but progress has been made.

SWW an hour off and a timeline for 35 still to be finalised.

Pipeline – Real progress has been made on the Pipeline. If you analyse Royal Mail’s original Pipeline proposals of a 9-5 duty than the current position of the negotiations is a world away from what Royal Mail originally proposed. .

In fact talks have progressed to such an extent where we believe if there is an agreement that members concerns over significant later finishes will be largely allayed.

We realise that members and reps are frustrated that they do not have the full details of all the issues , however we will endeavour to update you further when we get further information.

It is clear that progress has only been made because of your support.

Finally remember you will get the final say on any agreement by the way of an individual member vote.

In the meantime our National Officers need our continued support whilst in the negotiations.

Keep the faith !

Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training – Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.

Employers are legally required to ensure their First Aiders are competent and maintain their skills throughout the three years in which their FAW certificates are valid.

This refresher course provides First Aiders with an opportunity to practice and update their skills as a qualified First Aider, at any time while their First Aid certificate is valid.

The HSE strongly recommends that First Aiders attend a refresher session once every year during this three year period. This course is for people holding a current First Aid at work or Emergency First Aid at work certificate.

This session builds on the First Aiders expertise and confidence by involving them in realistic situations with simulated casualties. Candidates will practice First Aid in practical, hands-on scenario sessions.

The course does not renew First Aid certificates or extend the validity period of certificates.

The HSE strongly recommends that First Aiders undertake annual refresher training, over half a day, during any three-year certification period. Although not mandatory, this helps qualified First Aiders maintain their basic skills and keep up to date with any changes to First Aid procedures.

Royal Mail Group and CWU support this approach and the current policy is to offer annual refresher training.

It has been agreed with Royal Mail HRS that a standard letter will be created and sent out to all First Aiders annually stating that to keep your First Aid skills up to date it is recommended that you attend annual First Aid Refresher training.

All First Aid Refresher training courses are now available for self-registration on the Royal Mail online ‘SuccessFactors’ intranet site.

On receipt of a letter from Royal Mail Group HRS, First Aiders should proceed as follows:-

Those who have access to ‘SuccessFactors’ should log into ‘SucessFactors’ and book themselves onto a ‘First Aid Refresher Training Course’. Those booking themselves onto a course should inform their line manager as they will need to authorise this in the system.

Those who do not have access to ‘SuccessFactors’ should speak to their line manager to agree a suitable training course date for them to attend from those available on ‘SuccessFactors’.

If there are no suitable scheduled dates on offer then an e-mail should be sent to:- hrsctrainingdeliveryFirstAid@royalmail.com and HRS will add the First Aider concerned to a waiting list for a course in the First Aider’s area.

Attachment: Copy of the Royal Mail Group Human Resources Services Standard Letter to First Aiders due to attend a Refresher Training Course.

Would ASRs please check with all their offices to ensure that First Aiders have been booked on their Refresher Training and if not, ensure that an e-mail is sent to:- hrsctrainingdeliveryFirstAid@royalmail.com

Any problems, ASRs should initially raise it with the RMG Regional SHE Team and escalate via the escalation process should there be a failure to resolve the matter.

Royal Mail Group and the CWU at National level are keen to increase the number of First Aiders at those locations currently non-compliant and to also maintain the numbers once in place.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB013 Royal Mail Group First Aiders – Annual Refresher First Aid Training – Communication From RMG HR Services Training Delivery Team

First Aid Refresher Letter

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Royal Mail Group January 2018, Bi-Monthly Road Safety Campaign, Launch W/C 15 January – Slow Manoeuvring and Reversing Safety Campaign

– Managers Responsibilities

To: All Branches with Postal Members

Dear Colleagues,

The Royal Mail Group (RMG) Bi-Monthly Road Safety Campaign, commences next week,

week commencing 15 January 2018.

Further to the earlier communication to all Royal Mail Group CWU ASRs, this LTB is to provide the detailed information and documentation on the campaign, which CWU is fully supporting.

Following consideration of arrangements last year, there is now one National Road

Safety Week in November which is the UK National ‘BRAKE’ and ‘THINK, and ‘RoSPA’ supported Road Safety Week.

RMG working with the CWU supplement this with Bi-Monthly Road Safety Campaign and the first 2018 Campaign, launching next week (W/C Monday 15 January) is the first one that concentrates primarily on ‘Managers Responsibilities’. Previous campaigns were aimed more specifically at drivers.

The Campaign theme is ‘Slow Manoeuvring and Reversing Safety – Manager’s Responsibilities’.

The HSE state that a third of all road traffic accidents in the UK involve someone who is at work. Last year over 500 people workers were killed, 5,000 seriously injured and 40,000 slightly injured in vehicle collisions at work.

Managing road risk is also a fundamental part of an employer’s legal and moral duty of care towards its workforce and members of the public.

Nearly one quarter of all deaths involving vehicles at work occur at slow speed during

reversing. (Health & Safety Executive). Slow speed collisions are a particular issue for

Royal Mail Group accounting for 50% of all our Road Traffic Collisions (RTC). Many reversing accidents do not result in injury but low speed collisions may injure pedestrians, other vulnerable road users, cause third party collisions and cause costly damage to vehicles, equipment and premises. Most of these incidents can be avoided by taking simple precautions.

During this Road Safety Campaign RMG and CWU jointly aim to reduce these types of

RTCs with Royal Mail and CWU working together focusing on these types of collisions so that drivers can be coached, trained and supported.

Attached is a ‘Joint Statement’ signed by myself and Shaun Davis Royal Mail Group

Global Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Sustainability.

CWU is fully backing the Campaign based on our discussions on the campaign approach and attached documents.

The Road Safety Campaign documents attached are:-

• RMG/CWU Joint Statement.

• A Managers Letter signed by Shaun Davis, Steve Cameron UK Operations Director and Gary Simpson Managing Director Parcelforce Worldwide.

• Special Campaign Poster.

• Managers Guidance Note.

• Managers Checklist.

• Managers WTLL.

During this Road Safety Campaign the aim is to reduce these types of RTCs with

Royal Mail and CWU working together focusing on these types of collisions so that drivers can be coached, trained and supported.

We will be focusing on three key areas:

• Safe site

• Safe vehicle

• Safe driver

The Campaign:

Managers will be carrying out Driver and Vehicle Safety SMATs, Yard Safety SMATs and Yard Risk Assessments.

• Area Safety Reps will be asked to carry out Safety Inspections concentrating on Slow Manoeuvring, driver and vehicle safety and yard safety.

• A Special Poster, Guidance Note, Checklist and WTLL will be circulated to all Units (Copies are attached).

• Managers, SHE Advisors and Area and Workplace Safety Reps are encouraged to work together on the campaign.

• ASRs and WSRs will be fully involved, consulted and will input into the campaign locally. This will be referred to in the documentation and Joint Statement.

• There are two new training courses available to Drivers, who are encouraged to attend these courses. They are the ‘slow manoeuvring course’ and ‘one hour driver safety short course’. (Note: It has been agreed that ASRs can attend theses course to familiarise themselves with the content and promote the courses amongst driver members).

The Campaign is not tied to just one week and we want the focus on the campaign

to be sustainable so ASRs, SHE team and Operational Managers can focus on the issue and programme the WTLL, Poster distribution, Checklist Use, Yard Assessments, SMATs and safety Inspections with best effect to most suitable local timetable and arrangements.

• The Joint Statement states: “ASRs and WSRs will be fully involved, consulted and will input into the campaign locally.”

• The Managers Checklist states: “Consult and fully involve the CWU Area Safety Rep and Workplace Safety Rep on the above. Invite them to carry out a Safety Inspection when you carry out your SMATs.

• Work jointly on improving Driver and Yard Safety. ASRs/WSRs can attend the slow manoeuvring course to familiarise themselves with the course and encourage drivers to attend.

• The Managers Guidance states: “Fully involve, consult and work with CWU Area Safety Reps and Workplace Safety Reps, taking into account their valuable input and the findings of their Workplace Safety Inspections and Reports.” The WTLL states that Managers should work with the ASR and WSR and should request assistance with presenting the WTLL as well as jointly viewing the campaign film prior to the WTLL and prepare for the session and questions that may be received.

Royal Mail and the CWU agree that the safety of the workforce is paramount. Vehicle and driver safety, road risk, slow manoeuvring and reversing safely are top priorities for us all.

Please support this Road Safety Campaign – Would ASRs and WSRs pro-actively engage the SHE Team and Operational managers to get involved and lift the profile of the Campaign in line with the RMG/CWU Joint Statement. Thanks for your support.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

WTLL Slow Manoeuvring Parking and Reversing

Guidance for Completing a Slow Manouevre SMAT

Joint Statement RS Campaign Jan18

Slow Manouevre Poster

Managers Update Letter – Slow Man – Mgrs Resp- Jan 2018

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MALCOLM CRAPPER – Former NEC Member and CWU Policy Advisor

It is with great sadness that we inform Branches of the untimely death of Malcolm Crapper who passed away suddenly on Saturday 23rd December 2017.

Malcolm became a member of the Post Office Engineering Union in 1980 and became active almost immediately. He held a number of Branch positions before becoming a member of the NEC of the National Communications Union in 1993 and in 2000 a CWU Policy Advisor to the then Deputy General Secretary Jeannie Drake. Following retirement Malcolm was awarded both National Honorary membership and the Gold Badge. He continued to be active on behalf of the members of the South Yorkshire Branch and will be sorely missed by members, colleagues and friends within the union and wider labour movement.

The funeral arrangements are as follows:

Date: Monday 29th January 2018

Time: 12.30pm

Venue: The North Chapel, Grenoside Crematorium, Skew Hill Lane, Grenoside, Sheffield, S35 8RZ.

The funeral will be followed by a wake at Thorncliffe Cricket Club, 89 Lound Side, Chapeltown, Sheffield , S35 2US.

The family has requested that no flowers be sent but if you wish to make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society on the day please do so.

For those unable to attend donations can be made via the Alzheimer’s Society website or alternatively to John Fairest Funeral Directors, 10/56 Penistone Road North, Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield, S6 1LQ.

All our thoughts are with Malcolm’s wife Jen, family, close friends and colleagues at this very sad time.

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB please forward to gsoffice@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

18LTB006 MALCOLM CRAPPER

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General Conference 2018 – Obituary List

It is the practice to include in the General Conference Agenda a reference to those members who have served the Union in many different capacities and who have sadly died since the previous Conference. Please let us know the names of those members of your Branch whom you wish to have included in the Obituary List.

Following the decision of the National Executive Council, the Obituary list to be published in the General Conference Agenda shall include the names of all members who have died in the previous twelve months, as notified by branches.

To enable the list to be prepared for inclusion in the Agenda all names must be received no later than Tuesday 6th February 2018. Unfortunately, any names received after this date will not be able to be included. Notification should be either by letter addressed to Angela Niven at Headquarters or by email to conferences@cwu.org Information supplied should include initials, surname and branch.

Any queries on this paragraph should be addressed to Angela Niven, CWU Headquarters.

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB003 – Obituary List

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Health, Safety & Environment Department LTB’s Digest for 2017

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

As in previous years the Health, Safety & Environment Department is circulating, for the particular attention of Safety Representatives, a digest list of LTB’s issued by the Health, Safety & Environment Department during 2017.

I attach for your information a digest list of LTB’s issued by the Health, Safety & Environment Department during 2017 which the department issues annually as a reference document.

Copies of all back-number LTBs are available for downloading via the CWU Website or on request directly from the Health, Safety & Environment Department.

Copies of minutes of the NEC Health, Safety & Environment Committee are also available on request.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB001 Health Safety and Environment Department LTB Digest 2017

Health Safety and Environment LTB Digest 2017

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