Royal Mail Group Delivery/Collection Torches And Provision of Personal Attack Alarms

The purpose of this LTB is to advise and remind Branches, Representatives and members alike of the availability of outdoor torches and the provision of personal attack alarms to all members who work on Deliveries and Collections.

The issuing of torches for members, which can be attached to the uniform, has been in place for several years, and a few years back, Royal Mail added the option of a headtorch to the range. The availability of a personal attack alarm was established back in 2021, following representation by the then CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department, following concerns regarding the possible risk of physical and verbal threats towards members when out on Delivery and Collection.

These items of equipment are available to any individual who would like to request one and can be ordered via the RMG Uniform Portal as part of the personal uniform allocation.

Any enquiries to the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: lpietrzykowska@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

LTB 271/25 – Delivery Collection Torches And Provision of Personal Attack Alarms

Attachment: Royal Mail Torches and Alarms

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TUC BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE VISITORS – 24^TH – 26^TH APRIL 2026

The TUC Black Workers Conference 2026 is being held from Friday 24th – Sunday 26^th April 2026 at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), Bournemouth.  The Conference sessions will be as follows:

• Friday 24^th April                  14.00 – 17.30
• Saturday 25^th April             09.30 – 17.30
• Sunday 26^th April               09.30 – 15.00 with the possibility of finishing early

The CWU are allowed a limited number of visitors to attend the above Conference and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  Due to the need for extra security at all TUC Conferences, names and addresses of those wanting visitor tickets must be supplied and tickets are not transferable.

Anyone interested in attending will need to contact their Branch initially for funding, to include a £15 visitor ticket fee. The easiest way to pay the £15 fee will be for us to transfer it directly from your Branch’s account through the rebate system, therefore please contact Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org with details of which Branch the individual belongs to on application.    This needs to be done by no later than midday on Monday 12^th January 2026.

Branches will be required to arrange accommodation for the visitors they wish to send along with travel expenses and subsistence.

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

Kate Hudson

Head of Equality, Education and Development

LTB 270/25

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Royal Mail Fleet Maintenance – Territorial Reps Elections (South West / South Wales)

Further to LTB 224/25 dated 11^thNovember, Branches are advised that the ballot for the Fleet Territorial Rep in South West / South Wales closed today, and the result is as follows:Name               BranchNo. of VotesMalcolm David CrowtherSouth East Wales Amal41*ElectedIan GrayBournemouth & Dorset Amal18

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Samantha Nicholas snicholas@cwu.org or Heidi Maughan – hmaughan@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

LTB268-25 RM Fleet Maintenance – Territorial Reps Elections (South West South Wales)

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NATIONAL POSTAL WORKERS DAY – MONDAY 15th DECEMBER

National Postal Workers Day will take place on Monday 15th December this year and we want to use this date to maximise recognition for the role that postal workers play in communities across the UK and to highlight the challenges faced by our members.

Accordingly, we have secured media covered in the lead up to and on the day which will give the union the opportunity to set out exactly what is happening in the postal sector.

To build on over 16,000 individual letters sent by our members to MPs we will also be providing a full brief to all MPs setting out our concerns on Royal Mails USO plans, the current quality of service issues across the UK, unfair regulation and how they can assist in holding Royal Mail and EP Group to account.

We will also shortly be announcing details of a parliamentary event in the New Year where we will be seeking a major turnout of CWU branches, representatives and members to engage local MPs.

Additionally, work is underway to gain public support for our members via social media. The hashtag will once again be #PostalWorkersDay

We are using this LTB to share a suite of materials with you as Branches. We want you to use the posters and graphics attached to ensure meetings and photoshoots take place in every workplace. You will note the materials recognise national postal workers day but also call for the end of two-tier working conditions and oppose Royal Mail’s ODM model.

All materials can be downloaded here www.cwu.org/npwd

As branches know, the main purpose of the above activities is to ensure we apply as much pressure as possible to assist us in reaching agreement on the equalisation of new entrants’ terms and conditions and a USO that ends chaos in the workplaces and restores service to the public and businesses.

In due course we will also provide an update on talks with the employer which are due to take place next week on all key issues. In the meantime, it is vital branches immediately begin undertaking the work outlined in this LTB.

Yours sincerely,

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

25LTB267 NATIONAL POSTAL WORKERS DAY – MONDAY 15th DECEMBER

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UPDATE ON EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL

Branches will be aware of the recent media reports that the government has amended the Employment Rights Bill so that protection from unfair dismissal will commence from six months of employment, rather than the first day of employment.

The purpose of this LTB is to inform branches of the circumstances surrounding this decision and the discussions between trade unions, business and the government on this matter.

As branches may be aware, the Employment Rights Bill has been moving between the House of Lords and the House of Commons, in a process that is known as ‘ping pong’. This is due to Labour having a significant majority in the Commons but other political parties constituting a majority in the Lords. Liberal Democrat, Conservative and crossbench peers have been putting amendments to the Employment Rights Bill that would significantly alter or weaken the Bill, which have passed through the Lords before returning the Bill to the Commons, which has rejected those amendments.

To avoid the issue of ‘double insistence’ (a Parliamentary process whereby the same amendments are passed and rejected multiple times through both Houses, causing the Bill to automatically fall), the Government made very minor amendments to the Bill but this did not move the position of the Lords. Additionally, many peers are ignoring the standard protocol that usually means the Lords do not oppose legislation that was in the governing party’s manifesto, perhaps due to their indignation over Labour’s plans to reform the unelected chamber.

The government and trade unions want to ensure the Bill is passed before Christmas recess, so that the implementation of key parts of the Bill are not significantly delayed. In particular, if the Bill was debated into the early new year, it would delay new regulations, including regarding Statutory Sick Pay, being applied for a further six months and likely displace other aspects of the Bill that were due to take place in Spring 2026.

The government was not able to move the Lords on this position so an impasse became apparent. It was communicated that the issue of introducing protection against unfair dismissal on day one of employment was the cornerstone of their objection.

The government then invited trade union general secretaries and the TUC to discuss the policy and how the Bill could be quickly moved through Parliament. They also spoke to business representatives concurrently. As part of this process, the Government presented two options; a nine-month statutory probationary period where workers, according to the letter of the law, would have protection from unfair dismissal from day one but employers would have to meet a lower threshold to prove that the dismissal was fair or moving the commitment from protection at day one of employment to six months of employment.

After several rounds of discussion, which the CWU were involved in, it became clear that the nine-month probationary period proposal was unworkable and would essentially act as protection from unfair dismissal at nine months, compared to six. There were also concerns at this proposal potentially unpicking the actual process required to demonstrate a dismissal has been fair. Subsequently, the overwhelming majority of trade unions agreed that protection from unfair dismissal at six months of employment was the best option to move forward. Trade unions were also able to secure a lifting of the cap on compensation for unfair dismissal. However, all unions were disappointed to see that the news was leaked before the announcement was formally made.

With this compromise, the government is now firmly of the view that business representatives have assured their allies in the Lords that their opposition to other elements of the Bill should be dropped. We wanted to inform branches of the context behind this decision and reiterate our commitment to the Bill being passed and implemented in a meaningful and effective way. TULO General Secretaries have met with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and will continue to seek assurances that the Bill will be protected in its next stages of implementation.

Once the Bill has received Royal Assent, we will be making every representation possible to ensure the secondary legislation creates a robust framework for implementing these new workplace rights in a timely and effective manner. We need to be clear that the overwhelming majority of unions are assured that the Employment Rights Bill still represents the greatest shift in favour of working people in decades and this must be protected throughout the entire implementation process. The CWU is also committed to developing a strategy, alongside TULO and the TUC, to combat any weakening in the secondary legislation and use this legislation as a platform to expand collective rights further across different sectors of the economy.

We will keep branches informed of any updates related to this legislation. If you have any questions, please contact the General Secretary’s office at politics@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
General Secretary

25LTB266 UPDATE ON EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL

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Election of CWU Delegates to the TUC Equality Conferences – 2026

Further to LTB 253/25 dated 18^th November 2025, please find detailed below the results of the ballot.

TUC DISABLED WORKERS CONFERENCE

Postal

4 Lay Members (1 Woman)Adam Alarakhia39445*ElectedEsther Robertson27396*ElectedTony Sneddon38689*ElectedLaura Snell37915*ElectedLee Starr-Elliott23782

TUC BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE

Postal

3 Lay MembersSouleiman Adam22737Adam Alarakhia35131*ElectedPrince Kingsley-Faborode35700*ElectedSamuel Micah27009*Elected

The branch analysis for the above elections are attached to this LTB.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed by email to lparrett@cwu.org or telephone number 0208 971 7222

Yours sincerely,

Kate Hudson
Head of Equality, Education & Development

LTB 265.25 – Election of CWU Delegates to the TUC Equality Conferences – 2026

Ballot Returns

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POSTAL DEPARTMENT: NEWLY COMBINED OFFICER’S ROLE – RMG CENTRAL SERVICES, HR POLICIES & PROCEDURES, PENSIONS, POST OFFICE, CAPITA TVL

Branches are advised that following the announcement of Andy Furey’s election to the combined PTCS and C&CH Officer role (refer to LTB 222/25), which commenced from 1^stDecember 2025, the two Departments, including Postal Executive members and staff have held a number of meetings to discuss the smooth integration to ensure our members are supported seamlessly wherever possible.

The Department will now be called RMG Central Services, HR Policies & Procedures, Pensions, Post Office, Capita TVL, which we realise is a lengthy name, but we wanted to make sure we covered off all of the areas and businesses, including minority grades.

For full clarity, Andy Furey will have responsibility for the following:Royal Mail Group HR Policies

Royal Mail & Post Office Pensions

Post Office 

·         Admin

·         Supply Chain

Capita TVL

·         Contact and Admin Centres (Darwen and Bristol)

·         Field

Kings SecuritiesRoyal Mail Grades / Business Units:

·         Admin Grades (LA1s)

·         Customer Experience

·         Finance Services

·         Fleet

·         HR Services

·         Legal Services

·         Mailscreeners

·         National Returns Centre (NRC)

·         PFSL Cleaners

·         PFSL Engineers

·         Stamps & Collectibles

In terms of Postal Executive members assigned to the Department, from 1^stDecember, Bobby Weatherall will be Andy’s substitute and will lead on day-to-day enquiries in respect of HR policies and will support Andy on all other matters within the Department as and when required.  Alan Tate will support Andy on Fleet in the main and on HR policies when appropriate.  Mole Meade will continue to provide support on Post Office and Royal Mail Admin matters.

Regular meetings will be scheduled by Andy for all Representatives from the various grade groups / companies.

Any queries in relation to the new Department should be addressed to Samantha Nicholas snicholas@cwu.org or Heidi Maughan – hmaughan@cwu.org

Lastly, on behalf of the Postal Executive, we would like to thank Bobby Weatherall for taking on the role of Acting Assistant Secretary for the PTCS Department for the last 21 months.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Walsh            

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)                                                                                     
Andy Furey

Assistant Secretary

LTB 264/25 – Newly Combined Department

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Royal Mail – Use of Parcel Cubes in Delivery and Collection

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this LTB is to confirm to Branches and members that Royal Mail have officially launched the availability and use of Parcel Cubes for both delivery and collections. This information will be officially issued to RM Ops on Monday, 1^st December.

Branches will recall that, over a prolonged period of time, Royal Mail have undertaken several different trials covering the wider operational use of Parcel Cubes, mainly covering Dedicated Parcel Routes. They also, as far back as 2021, undertook a more bespoke trial of a Cube Trolley in the Manchester area. Whilst feedback in terms of the overall suitability and benefit of these Cubes for DPRs was mixed and Royal Mail have been reluctant to invest further in the use of these cubes over the years, the fact remains that there has been a growing use of third-party Parcel Cubes within many Delivery units, both for delivery and collections.

From a CWU perspective, we have seen the value of Parcel Cubes and have been arguing for Royal Mail to invest in them for several years. Particularly, for use of the cubes where multiple smaller parcels are delivered to a single location (i.e. mailroom or concierge desk) and for multiple occupant locations, such as student accommodations etc. Similarly, we have seen a benefit of the use of the cubes for collections where there are multiple smaller parcels to collect. Indeed, the use and benefit of the Parcel Cube is simply reflected by the number of third-party cubes which are now in use.

Accordingly, this decision by Royal Mail to now finally move forward with their own acquired Parcel Cubes is welcomed, even though we believe that the initial introduction of 2,000 cubes this side of the New Year will fall well short of applications for this equipment.

Attached to this LTB is a copy of the current SWI (Safe Working Instruction) version 2, which covers ‘usage of cubes for high-volume locations such as parcel lockers, parcel shops or central post rooms. They support safe and efficient transfer of small to medium parcels between vehicles and delivery/collection locations. Large parcels should be loaded directly into the vehicle.’

Also attached is a copy of the SHE (Safety, Health, and Environment) Huddle, which confirms that ‘non-branded cubes that are in good condition, have two handles, and meet the specified measurements may remain in use during the transition to new stock in 2026, but must be reported to your Line Manager to confirm ongoing suitability.’

As outlined above, the CWU welcomes this decision by Royal Mail to officially launch and invest in the availability and use of Parcel Cubes for both delivery and collections, for those members who wish to use them.

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 263/25 – RM Use of Parcel Cubes in Delivery and Collection

Att: SWI Parcel Cube

Att: SHE Huddle Parcel Cubes

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REVISED NATIONAL RULEBOOK – NOVEMBER 2025

Branches will recall LTB 179/25 issued in August. This contained a copy of the updated 2025 CWU Rule Book which incorporated the rule amendments as agreed at the Special Rules Revision Conference, held in Blackpool on 29^th June 2025.

Due to an oversight, an urgent consequential matter has been identified concerning Rule 10.5 and relating to Regional Sub Committees and the submission of motions to General Conference.

The rulebook allowed the Equality Sub-Committee and the Health & Safety Sub Committee to submit motions to Conference. (as well as Retired Members and Young Members through their Conferences). There was, however, no specific provision for the Regional Political Sub- Committee or the Education, Learning and Training Sub-Committees to submit a motion to the relevant policy section of General Conference.

Previously, motions would have previously been submitted via the Regional Committee, which has now been removed from the rulebook.

Branches and Regional Sub Committees clearly need a mechanism to submit motions related to politics and education and training matters to the relevant part of the General Conference. Therefore, at its meeting on 19^th/20^th November, the NEC agreed to a change to the rulebook in line with Rule 15.4.1.

The revised rule 10.5 means that going forward all of the Regional Sub Committees will be able to submit motions to the relevant policy section of General Conference.

The National Rule book has been amended accordingly and is attached for the information of Branches.

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

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

LTB 262/25

Rule-Book-2025-Updated-November 2025

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