Way Forward Annual Leave Allocation & Deployment Agreement (2001)
Branches and representatives will be recall that the department has previously issued LTB 718/14 in relation to the above subject (attached at Annex A for your ease of reference).
In order to assist representatives and for ease of reference also attached to this LTB at Annex B is a copy of the Way Forward Annual Leave Allocation & Deployment Agreement (2001) which can also be located in the Postal agreements section of the CWU website.
Branches and representatives are advised that recently the department has been receiving enquiries in regard to attempts by local management to introduce a budget based Annual Leave allocation process in some of the functions that fall under the remit of the department.
To clarify the position the department can confirm that we have not been involved in any discussions around a change to the existing Annual Leave Allocation & Deployment arrangements and we reiterate that the advice as communicated in LTB 718/14 continues to hold the field.
Therefore any proposals by management to introduce the un-agreed process should be challenged and where necessary progressed via the IR Framework. 
To assist the department in monitoring the situation you are requested to also notify us of any attempts by management to introduce the un-agreed process.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Joe Malone, Acting Assistant Secretary, e-mail: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number 203.01 & 703.01.
Yours sincerely
 
Joe Malone

Acting Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 531/16 – Way Forward Annual Leave Allocation & Deployment Agreement (2001)

Annex A – LTB 718 14 – Way Forward Annual Leave And Allocation Agreement 2001 – 11-11-14

Annex B – LTB 09.09.2016 – The Way Forward Annual Leave Allocation & Deployment 2001

RMG – September Quarterly Road Safety Week – 12-18 September 2016:
Further to LTB 284/16, you know that the UK National Road Safety Week takes place in November each year and the CWU traditionally supports the initiative and in recent years has worked jointly with Employers on the Campaign to reduce Occupational Road Risk, improve driver and vehicle safety and reduce road accidents. Further to that Royal Mail have introduced additional Quarterly Road Safety Weeks.
Background
Five people are killed every single day in road accidents and many more are injured. Most of those victims are at work!

Our roads are dangerous places, where hundreds of deaths and serious injuries take place every week.

But by changing driving behaviour, we can help to make our villages, towns and cities safer places to be.

Every action that drivers or passengers take, can change the outcome of a journey and the future of a family.
National Road Safety Week 21-27 November.
For National Road Safety Week ‘Brake’ the road safety charity organising Road Safety Week has chosen to focus on the six elements of the “Brake Pledge” for 2016, which takes place 21-27 November. These are Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp and Sustainable.
They are asking everyone to make and share Brake’s Pledge online, and show their commitment to saving lives and keeping our roads safe. Anyone can join in – individuals, businesses and community organisations. Non-drivers can take the Pledge too, promising to help drivers stick to the six Pledge points.
The CWU will be looking to make a difference, and make the Pledge with employers to do six simple things to save lives this coming National Road Safety Week in November.
Registering with ‘Brake’ now to be part of Road Safety Week 2016 will get a free electronic action pack sent out to take part in the Week by promoting the ‘Brake’ Make the Pledge theme, or focusing on any other important road safety issues.
The ‘BRAKE’ National Road Safety Week theme details:
Slow:

Speeding is a contributory factor in more than one in four (27%) fatal crashes.

Sober:

One in 10 (11%) drivers/motorcycle riders killed in a crash had alcohol present in their body and one in seven road deaths are at the hands of someone who has driven while over the legal drink drive limit.

Secure:

Seat belts reduce the chance of dying in a crash by 50% and 21% of car crash victims were not wearing a seat belt.

Silent:

Drivers using a mobile phone are three times more likely to crash.

Sharp:

Regular eye tests! Poor driver vision causes 3000 casualties and cost £33 million in the UK per year.

Sustainable:

Minimising the amount we drive, by walking, cycling or using public transport instead improves the environment, individual health and air quality by cutting pollution which kills an estimated 5,000 people a year.

Royal Mail Additional Quarterly Road Safety Weeks Supported By CWU
As reported in LTB 284/16 on 10 May, Royal Mail decided to supplement the annual national Road Safety Week with quarterly Road Safety Weeks, the first being May this year and the second takes place next week 12-18 September.
Please see attached road safety week materials for September 2016. CWU HQ is giving its full support to the drive to improve road safety for our members.
The objective of this Quarterly Road Safety Week is to raise awareness of severe weather driving and preparations.
Royal Mail will deliver some key messages through a number of channels including the RMTV, local screens, a poster (attached), WTLL session and activity plans (attached). 
There will be 3 activity plans for the September Road Safety Week;
A Front Line Manager Activity Plan which focuses on completing monthly Occupational Road Risk Task Calendar tasks while focusing on severe weather driving.

One for all other managers which asks managers to focus their SMATs or Observations on the completion of the front line manager activity plans and severe weather driving.

One for ASRs which asks the CWU’s Safety Reps to focus their Safety Inspections on the completion of the front line manager activity plans and severe weather driving.

This activity plan approach was popular during November 2015 National Road Safety Week and the previous May Quarterly Road Safety Week when feedback from ASRs suggested that using a similar activity plan for ASRs during future quarterly RMG Road Safety week would be a popular approach. 
RMG Regional SHE Teams have been asked to liaise with the CWU ASRs to see where participation and a joint approach can be made and joint support with the week’s activities. 
A positioning communication has been sent out via the Regions/Business Units via RMG’s Internal Communications to ask that the front line managers’ activities are supported by the Area/Sector Managers with full CWU involvement.
See attached supporting documentation. 
Attachments:

1. Severe Weather Driving Poster

2. September 2016 ASR Activity

3. September 2016 Front Line Managers Activity

4. September 2016 Other Managers Activity
Apologies for the very late circulation of this LTB and attachments which were provided to CWU/HQ only recently due to the manager responsible for organising the RWW being off sick in the run up to the RSW. We hope to avoid late notice with future RSWs. However please note the following Road Safety Week Dates:-
21-27 November 2016 – National Road Safety Week

February 2017 – Quarterly Road Safety Week.

May 2017 – Quarterly Road Safety Week

Would all CWU ASRs and WSRs ensure they are fully engaged with SHE and Opps management, supporting the Road Safety Improvement drive.
The Royal Mail Group contact for Managers requiring further information is Sandra Baxx RMG Group SHE Driver Capability & Behaviour Manager: email: sandra.baxx@royalmail.com Mobile: 07703314463

Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 532/16 – RMG – September Quarterly Road Safety Week – 12-18 September 2016

RSW September 2016 ASR activity plan Final

Revised RSW September 2016 DSM Collections Other Mgrs Activity Plan v3

RSW September 2016 Front Line Manager Activity Plan v3

Severe Weather Driving Poster – RSW Sept 2016

World Suicide Prevention Day – 10 September, 2016 – ‘Connect, Communicate, Care’:
To: All Branches
 
Dear Colleagues,
The World Health Organization estimates that over 800,000 people die by suicide each year – that’s one person every 40 seconds. Up to 25 times as many again make a suicide attempt. The tragic ripple effect means that there are many, many more people who have been bereaved by suicide or have been close to someone who has tried to take his or her own life. And this is happening in spite of the fact that suicide is preventable. ‘Connect, communicate, care’ is the theme of the 2016 World Suicide Prevention Day. These three words are at the heart of suicide prevention.
Connect
Fostering connections with those who have lost a loved one to suicide or have been suicidal themselves is crucial to furthering suicide prevention efforts. Although every individual suicide is different, there are some common lessons to be learned. Those who have been on the brink of suicide themselves can help us understand the complex interplay of events and circumstances that led them to that point, and what saved them or helped them to choose a more life-affirming course of action. Those who have lost someone to suicide, or supported someone who was suicidal, can provide insights into how they moved forwards on their journey. The sheer numbers of people who have been affected by suicide would make this a formidable network.
Of course, these connections should be two-way. There will often be times when those who have been bereaved by suicide, and those who might be feeling suicidal themselves, need support. Keeping an eye out for them and checking that they are okay could make all the difference. Social connectedness reduces the risk of suicide, so being there for someone who has become disconnected can be a life-saving act. Connecting them with formal and informal supports may also help to prevent suicide. Individuals, organisations and communities all have a responsibility here.
Communicate
Open communication is vital if we are to combat suicide. In many communities, suicide is shrouded in silence or spoken of only in hushed tones. We need to discuss suicide as we would any other public health issue if we are to dispel myths about it and reduce the stigma surrounding it. This is not to say that we shouldn’t exercise necessary caution; we don’t want to normalise suicide either. Careful, considered messages about suicide and its prevention are warranted, as is an awareness of how different groups of individuals may receive and interpret this information.
Equipping people to communicate effectively with those who might be vulnerable to suicide is an important part of any suicide prevention strategy. Broaching the subject of suicide is difficult, and these sorts of conversations are often avoided. There are some simple tips that can help, however. Most of these relate to showing compassion and empathy, and listening in a non-judgemental way. People who have come through an episode of extreme suicidal thinking often say that sensitively-managed conversations with others helped them on their course to recovery.
The media also have an important role to play in suicide prevention. Some types of reporting on suicide (e.g., prominent and/or explicit stories) have been shown to be associated with ‘spikes’ in suicide rates, but others (e.g., those that describe mastery of suicidal crises) have been shown to have a protective effect. Media recommendations have been developed by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization to assist journalists in getting stories right.
Care
All the connecting and communicating in the world will have no effect without the final ingredient – care. We need to make sure that policy-makers and planners care enough about suicide prevention to make it a priority, and to fund it at a level that is commensurate with its significance as a public health problem.
We need to make sure that clinicians and other service providers care enough about it to make suicide prevention their core business. And we need to make sure that communities care enough about it to be able to identify and support those who may be at heightened risk.
Most of all, we need to ensure that we are caring ourselves. We need to look out for others who may be struggling, and let them tell their story in their own way and at their own pace. Those who have been affected by suicide have much to teach us in this regard.
Connect, communicate and care on World Suicide Prevention Day
On September 10th, join with others around the world who are working towards the common goal of preventing suicide. Check in on someone you may be concerned about, and start a caring conversation with them, asking them how they’re going. Investigate ways of connecting with others who are trying to prevent suicide in your community, your country, or internationally. Show your support by taking part in the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s Cycle around the Globe.
The first World Suicide Prevention Day was held in 2003 and was an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, World Suicide Prevention Day has taken place on 10th September each year.
However, it’s not just for one day! World Suicide Prevention Day is the annual focal point and efforts need to continue all year round on the theme ‘Connect, communicate, care’ and this information will allow Health and Safety Reps, Branches, Health and Safety Forums, Joint Health and Safety Committees etc., to organise and run their own local awareness raising initiatives..
Please see attached:-
WHO Fact Sheet on Suicide

IASP Suicide Toolkit

IASP Suicide ‘What You Can Do’ Support Guide

SAMARITANS – Suicide Statistics Report

Please Visit:-
The International Association of Suicide Prevention Website at: http://www.iasp.info/wspd
The Official World Suicide Prevention Day Facebook Event Page at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs398/en/
The SAMARITANS Website: http://www.samaritans.org/
 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 530/16 – World Suicide Prevention Day – 10 September, 2016

Suicide Fact Sheet (WHO)

Suicide – World Suicide Prevention Day Toolkit 2016

Suicide – World Suicide Prevention Day 2016

Suicide Statistics Report 2016 – SAMARITANS

Developing Our Vision Policy
Please find attached a letter that has been sent to the business, the content of which is self-explanatory and makes it clear that we are determined to change the current direction of travel.
It is very important that we all reflect on our Policy Forum held back in March, the documentation and the policy that was adopted. From a CWU perspective, we called that Policy Forum because there was a growing concern amongst our activists and members about the direction of the employer and its commitment to the spirit and intent of our agreements.
We believe that the absence of a consensus vision for the future, a blatant attack on the pension promise and the very serious declining workplace environment (as management intensify the pressure on our members to drive budget savings) have to be addressed as matters of urgency.
The attached letter is the start point for moving our members’ interests and the above issues forward. It is absolutely imperative that Branches immediately commence local communications with our members in the workplace so that they understand what was discussed at the Policy Forum, the decisions taken, and how we are determined to move our policy forward.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Terry Pullinger

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 524/16 – Developing Our Vision Policy

Letter to Sue Whalley – Chief Operations Officer – Royal Mail

Rescheduled BAME Officers – One Day Event
I am pleased to confirm that the one day event has been rescheduled for BAME Officers and for BAME members who are interested in becoming a BAME Officer. 
This is a course for those who did not attend the one day BAME Officers event last time and have attended BAME leadership courses over the last year as well. 
Details for the event are as follows:
Date: Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Venue: CWU HQ, Conference Rooms 2&3
Time: 10.30 am – 3.30 pm

It will be an opportunity to meet members of the Race Advisory Committee and to gain some valuable guidance to maximise work around this role. Equally as important, some exercises will be set up to allow a two-way process, so that we can establish how our BAME Officers see the role working.
Those who are interested in attending will need to request expenses etc. from their Branch.
Please RSVP with the names of BAME Officers attending to equalopportunities@cwu.org
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be referred to the Equal Opportunities Department.
Yours sincerely
 
Linda Roy

Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 519/16 – Rescheduled BAME Officers – One Day Event

Medical Retirement, Retirement in the Interests of Efficiency (RITIE) and Settlement Agreements
The Personnel team has had a number of enquiries regarding Medical Retirement, Retirement in the Interests of Efficiency (RITIE) and Settlement Agreements and the application of these policies. This LTB is intended to add awareness for Branches dealing with members who may be entitled to Medical Retirement or RITIE (which applies to those members of the BT Pension Scheme Section (B) (http://www.btpensions.net/) and may be faced with leaving the company through ill health where a settlement agreement may not be the best or right option.
Reference to RITIE does not appear to be accessible on the BT Intranet and this option appears to be something some members or managers are not fully aware of. The Personnel team has met the company on clarity around RITIE and its lack of visibility in any process documents. Branches will be updated on any progress made regarding this matter.
You will find attached the Medical Retirement procedure, Section B BT Pension Scheme Deed including Section 5.3 which refers to Retirement In The Interests of Efficiency and LTB 1028/2011which although refers to ‘compromise agreements’ instead of ‘Settlement Agreements’ never the less remains an agreed process. The extract is copied below;
Use of Compromise (Settlement) Agreements in PM/Absence Management cases
Compromise agreements are widely used throughout industry. They are not part of our standard process and should not be regarded as an alternative to dismissal. Compromise agreements are entirely at the company’s discretion and on a case by case basis. The use of compromise agreements will continue where an individual and the company agree that such an arrangement is mutually acceptable. We have, however, listened to the concerns raised by CWU and we have agreed to the following:
all compromise requests from team members will receive appropriate senior ER management sign off;
any individual who wishes to consider the option of a compromise agreement will be given appropriate time to evaluate their options before deciding to proceed with any such agreement. We have agreed that we will increase the time for team members to consider a compromise agreement as a result of performance issues or absence to 10 days from the current period of 3 days; 
team members will be formally advised of the right to consult with their Union. We will reinforce this to our management teams to ensure this advice is provided to individuals at the 1:1 where the option is raised;

there will be no proactive communication of compromise agreements although all options open to the individual should be explained within the confines of the confidential 1:1 performance or absence discussions between managers and their people.

The importance of this agreed process is that it gives time for members to take advice from the CWU and to reflect on whether Medical Retirement or RITIE may be a further option to consider. The LTB also has further information on various issues which Branches may also find helpful.
Any enquires regarding this LTB should be referred to my office in the first instance.
Yours sincerely,
 
DAVE JUKES

Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 521/16 – Medical Retirement, Retirement in the Interests of Efficiency (RITIE) and Settlement Agreements

Medical retirement

Performance and sick absence management in BT

POST OFFICE: NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL ACTION – 24 HOURS THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER – THE FUTURE OF THE POST OFFICE, JOB SECURITY AND PENSIONS
 
Dear Colleagues
Branches will be aware our members employed by the Post Office delivered an 83% YES vote for strike action.
In the absence of any material breakthrough with the Post Office, we have been left with no option other than to activate the strike ballot. 
The Postal Executive, at its meeting on Tuesday, considered documentation from us and authorised the activation of the strike ballot. Accordingly, we will be serving formal notice on the Post Office for a one day 24 hour strike covering all duties across the whole of our Post Office membership commencing on or after 03.00am on Thursday 15th September and before 02.59am on Friday 16th September.
A further LTB will be published by the General Secretary’s department regarding political activities on the day in Westminster.
We will naturally be using all of our communication channels including social media, emails and text messaging to alert our members employed in the Post Office of the strike and obviously we will be urging them to support the 24 hour strike.
Attached to this LTB is a copy of the Union’s press release regarding the national 24 hour strike.
Further developments will be reported.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Andy Furey Terry Pullinger Dave Ward

Assistant Secretary Deputy General Secretary (Postal) General Secretary
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 518/16 – Post Office: National Industrial Action – 24 HOURS THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER – The Future of the Post Office, job security and pensions

POL Press Release Notice Served

Organ Donation Week – Campaign Highlights Importance of Becoming a Donor – Please Support The Campaign – Sign Up and Register Today:
To: All Branches
 
Dear Colleagues,
This week is Organ Donation Week, a campaign to highlight the importance of organ donation and celebrate people who have saved lives.
Branches will have seen the special CWU Website feature on Monday of this week and before that LTB 484/16 which provided extensive details about the urgent need to increase the number of registered Organ Donors and Blood Donors in the UK.
The campaign week runs from 5-11 September 2016 but of course doesn’t end there and is ongoing indefinitely for those whose lives depend on it.
To support it, Royal Mail is applying a special postmark to millions of items of mail nationwide this week. The postmark says: ‘Royal Mail supports Organ Donation Week’ and directs people to the organ donation website.
Organ Donation Week aims to encourage people to talk about organ donation with their friends and family. Many people support organ donation, but half of adults in England have never talked to anyone about the subject. 
Without donors many people wouldn’t be here today and it can affect anyone and any family at any time as no one can predict the future in relation to accidents, illnesses and the development of debilitating and fatal medical conditions.
If you’d like to talk about organ donation with your friends and family, or you’d like more information about how to become a donor, visit the organ donation website at: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
The NHS Blood and Transplant Service understands organ donation is a delicate subject for people to bring up with their family, but with their hints and tips, talking about it is easier than you think.
Despite 90 per cent of the public saying they support organ donation only 32 per cent of people are on the register in the UK. This, as well as many other statistics, highlights the great need for something to be done to recruit organ donors throughout the UK.
The NHS Blood and Transplant Service have revealed that nearly 49,000 people in the UK have had to wait for a transplant in the last decade, 6,000 of whom died before receiving a transplant.
Wales
The recent legislative change regarding organ donation in Wales to one of ‘deemed consent’ or ‘opting out’ rather than ‘opting in’ – as remains the law in the rest of the UK is beginning to show good signs.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the Human Transplant Bill has passed the second stage of the legislative process. As in Wales this Bill moves away from the existing process to one of a soft ‘opt-out’ system or ‘deemed consent’ for organ donation, with appropriate family safeguards, with express consent in certain cases, and the ability for people to nominate advocates to affirm their wishes upon death.
Scotland
In Scotland earlier this year the parliament narrowly rejected Labour MSP Anne McTagart’s private members Transplantation Bill by 59 votes to 56 that would have introduced the soft ‘opt-out’ system. But SNP Public Health Minister Maureen Watt announced her plans to bring forward a government bill next year. 11 SNP backbenchers voted with Labour to support of the Bill and voted against the government but a combination of Tory and Lib.Dem SMPs voted with the government and ensured the Bill’s defeat sadly.
TUC
A motion from the Society of Radiographers goes before the TUC Congress next week calling on the TUC to work with Unions to lobby the UK government and the devolved UK administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to urgently consider all options that may improve the transplant chances of those waiting for organ donations and to work with NHS Blood and Transplant to support the campaigns in an attempt to increase organ donor numbers.
This week is about raising awareness of the importance of blood and organ donation amongst our membership and we will continue to campaign alongside NHSBT and other organisations to achieve this. We have a diverse membership and we want our members to step forward and help save the lives of others by becoming blood and organ donors. I hope the TUC and other Unions will see what we are doing and follow our lead.
NHSBT/CWU Partnership
NHS Blood and Transplant has welcomed the support of the Communications Workers Union, one of the UK’s major Trade Unions and the first Union to do so. NHSBT welcomes the fact that the Union takes the Health, Safety and Wellbeing of its large membership and families very seriously and places such matters high on the agenda. 
The CWU annually campaigns to raise awareness and has promoted organ and blood donation to their members since a decision of CWU annual conference some years ago. 
The CWU also works jointly with employers to run joint health awareness campaigns of which organ and blood donation is included through their campaigns.
The Health and Safety Department’s campaign is being fully supported by the Equal Opportunities Department to help spread the message of donation across the Union, seeking to promote blood and organ donation amongst our Black and Asian members where only 1.4% of those from these communities are on the Organ Donation Register.
How You Can Help?

We are calling upon all CWU Reps to Register and Sign up this week – After that get members to sign up.
Further Information
Go to the NHSBT Organ Donation Week Website At:- https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/news-and-campaigns/organ-donation-week/

See attached LTB 484/16

Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 517/16 – Organ Donation Week

LTB484/16 – Organ Donation Saves Lives

ENGAGEMENT WITH EQUALITY OFFICERS BY THEIR BRANCHES
 
Dear Branch Secretary
 
I e-mailed out on 18th July the following email:
 
Dear Colleague
 
Engagement
 
The Disability Advisory Committee met recently and an action point was subsequently raised to establish how the engagement of Equality Officers has been since the last Proportionality Forum held earlier this year. We will be grateful to hear the experiences, good or bad from our equality officers in this respect, please forward your responses to the department no later than Friday 26th August 2016.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Linda Roy
Assistant Secretary
 
To date, I have only received 11 responses, I reported this back to the Disability Advisory Committee when they met on 1st September, I have been asked to write out again to branches and ask Branch Secretaries to ask their Equality Officers if they could please respond to the above. I have now extended the closing date for responses to the 28th October 2016.
 
I would appreciate your assistance in this matter.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Linda Roy
Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 515/16 – Engagement with Equality Officers by their Branches