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WEEKLY INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
SUMMARY

Volume 8 Issue 47. Paragraphs 713 - 727 05 December 2003

SUMMARY
GENERAL
713 Headquarters Printing and Reprographic Services
714 Meetings with CWU Supported MPs
715 Motion 79 - Carried at Annual Conference 2003
716 'Hammer of the Left' by John Golding (Politicos, 2003)
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
No items this week
HEALTH AND SAFETY
No items this week
TELECOMS
717 Network Operations and Electrical Testing
718 Telewest - Pay & Reward
719 BT Exact - Maximising my Performance
720 Network Build Transformation - Systems Phase 1 Pilot Review
721 Accenture HR Services - Career Model Update
722 BT Wholesale Property Strategy Review
723 Network Operations - Operational Effectiveness and Process Analysis
724 Telewest - Recruitment Policy
725 Telewest - Pay & Reward Review Communication
726 Accenture HR Services - Salary Review
FINANCIAL SERVICES
No items this week
POSTAL
727 Agreement Between CWU & Parcelforce Worldwide on Christmas 2003 Remuneration Proposals for All CWU Grade Depot Employees
LETTERS TO BRANCHES
686 27/11/03 Manpower Xmas and New Year Pay Arrangements 2003/2004 (Retraction) - Sally Bridge
687 28/11/03 Royal Mail Pension Scheme Benefit Illustration 2003 - Dave Ward
688 28/11/03 Manpower Xmas and New Year Pay Arrangements 2003/2004 - Sally Bridge
689 1/12/03 Update on Pay and Major Change negotiations - Dave Ward
690 1/12/03 BT Smart Pensions - Nigel Cotgrove
691 1/12/03 CWU Black Workers' Conference - Saturday 7th February 2004 - John Donnelly/SDGS
692 2/12/03 The Morning Star - GS
693 2/12/03 Council Member for ACAS - GS
694 2/12/03 Unite against Fascism - GS
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GENERAL
713
Headquarters Printing and Reprographic Services
Branches and Representatives will wish to know that CWU Headquarters have recently acquired new reprographics equipment. The purpose of broadcasting this information is to inform you that we are now able to offer a print service to branches that we believe will be within a price range that you will find competitive. Amongst the services we can provide are colour or black & white posters, leaflets, booklets etc. It is not possible to produce a price list as prices will vary dependent on each individual job based on quantity, timescale, delivery requirements etc. If you would like more information about this service or wish to receive a quote for a particular piece of work then please ring or email Jacquie Winter, Acting Head of Post & Reprographics. 020 8971 7218
jwinter@cwu.org.

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714
Meetings with CWU Supported MPs
The Union has now established regular liaison meetings with the CWU Group of MPs and an NEC member from each of the Union's constituencies has been nominated to attend one of the monthly meetings, together with a Regional Secretary and, where appropriate, Regional Political Secretary.
For your information I list below the dates of the meetings and those nominated to attend:
16 December
Wales Regional Secretary/Political Secretary Linda Hancock, Andy Kerr, Graham Colk
20 January
North East Regional Secretary/Political Secretary Phil Waker, Maria Exall, Jimmy Reid
17 February
Midlands Regional Secretary/Political Secretaries Chris Murphy, John Holmes, Graham Colk
Billy Hayes, General Secretary

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715
Motion 79 - Carried at Annual Conference 2003
Further to BOB Paragraph 580, this is to advise you that the report on Motion 79, carried at Annual Conference 2003, will not now be prepared by 1st December because we are still awaiting further legal advice. Therefore, it is anticipated that the report will go to the National Executive Council in January and will be circulated to branches on 1st February 2004.
Billy Hayes, General Secretary

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716
'Hammer of the Left' by John Golding (Politicos, 2003)
This book recalls those dark days of defeat and bitter left/right division in the Labour Party and in the union following the privatisation of BT in the 1980s.
John Golding (1931-'99) was general secretary of the NCU from 1985 until he retired prematurely in 1988 at the insistence of our annual conference. He had been a political officer of the POEU (1960-69) and then a distinguished union sponsored MP (1969-85) and Labour minister (employment 1976-79).
But his real claim to fame was as the union's Labour Party NEC member from 1978 until 1983, when he gained the name 'hammer of the left'. He describes how he organised the crack down on the militant tendency, and the 'left/right' battles for the soul of 'old Labour'. Tony Benn and his far left supporters get the main blame. But Golding doesn't spare his own side or the 'soft left', either. His comment to Dennis Skinner, many years after their bitter fight, 'We both lost, your socialism and my Labour', has much truth in it. To those self-destructive factional battles we can trace 'New Labour's' rise. The fact that Neil Kinnock wrote the foreword, despite being criticised, is characteristic.
I remember him, as general secretary, as a young left-wing officer, and he was not the ogre which he was portrayed as (and liked to project). I suspect that many on the left would now agree that he should not have been taken off the NEC in 1983. That set him off on another crusade within the POEU, and we lost his great strengths as a political officer/sponsored MP, but got him back as a general secretary who struggled to lead the NCU during its toughest industrial challenge.
Here is our history, 'warts and all'.
Jim Moher, Assistant Secretary

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TELECOMS
717
Network Operations and Electrical Testing
The executive team has continued to maintain observation on one aspect of Project Abbey as reported in detail in Branch Officials' Bulletin No.14, paragraph 207/2002 namely, the execution of portable appliance testing.
As a consequence of the Wholesale executive team's perseverance, it is pleasing to report that this function for all operational buildings and which will include office accommodation in those buildings will be completely executed in-house.
Branches may wish to see attached to this bulletin the management internal communication which is briefed out. However whilst the aspect of bringing it back in-house and the banding have been subject to consultation, other aspects have not and these are being raised with the company.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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718
Telewest - Pay & Reward
Both the CWU and Telewest have met to review the launch of pay and reward. A range of issues were discussed, which will be reported on in due course.
However, what can be reported is that the concerns of members that their basic salary will be reduced is no longer the case.
Telewest have agreed that basic salaries will continue to be 'red circled'. A similar message will be communicated by Telewest.
Yours sincerely
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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719
BT Exact - Maximising my Performance
Branches were first advised in BOB No.30, paragraph 437 of the intent to roll-out 'maximising my performance' and the concerns the union had at the time, which had been resolved. The stated objectives at the time were to:

Maximising performance is a BT Group sponsored objective with each line of business required to implement its own equivalent programme, which have the same basic principles of aligning functions and team capabilities to business objectives.
So far, it has been reported that all lines of business are at various stages, however, BT Exact are the first to put all line managers through an e-learning package and half-day course.
The previous training content which the union had raised issues around the style, tone and the target audience has subsequently been recognised as unsuitable. As this initiative is going to be extended to CWU represented functions who have not received awareness/training, this will now consist of the following:

BT Exact will be testing the new BT Group team member revised capabilities. The intent will be to run the start of the awareness package of 'maximising my performance' in December through the whole of the BT Exact organisation.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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720
Network Build Transformation - Systems Phase 1 Pilot Review
A review of phase 1 of the eCOM pilots has taken place, the following is a summary.
To recap, the trial patch was as follows:

Criteria and measures used to determine the success of internal and external operations phase 1 eCOM pilots are based on:

Management whilst happy with the overall outcome of the trial, were disappointed with the outcome in the "soft" criteria and put this down the fact that a number of trials relating to the transformation were concurrently taking place. By the time this report is published all Network Build sectors should have eCOM fully implemented.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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721
Accenture HR Services - Career Model Update
The following is a summary of the status of the agreed appeals process within the career model.
There are currently 24 appeals registered, with 16 appeals against career model and 8 appeals against career family.
Of the total, 8 have been closed, 16 outstanding due to managerial unavailability. In addition there is one case being looked at nationally between the company and the union on the career alignment.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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722
BT Wholesale Property Strategy Review
A further review has taken place with BT Wholesale management on the ongoing property strategy review.
The business unit continues to review with property partners how it can achieve better use of office space and the potential for office space in operational buildings. This aspect has mainly concentrated on larger telephone exchanges. Informal feedback has shown standards are not satisfactory and additional money (£32million) has been found to improve standards.
The decision by management is whether to spread the money thinly over a large number of buildings or to focus on a smaller number of buildings, and whether they get larger benefits in terms of impact upon working standards with some smaller movement of people into nearby buildings.
In the long term, management could not provide an update with regard to the impact of 21CN as discussions had not led to any decisions on policy and network infrastructure. However, it was envisaged that there would be very long lead times with regard to building disposals and could not foresee any further disposals within a five to ten year timeframe.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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723
Network Operations - Operational Effectiveness and Process Analysis
The operational effectiveness project team has, for some time, been working with the field operations organisation in order to identify and implement improvements in a number of areas - the most recent of which being the first line manager review.
As part of this improvement programme, management are about to commence a process analysis exercise which will look specifically at processes for broadband, PSTN, private circuits, switch, power and transmission. The purpose of this exercise is to identify areas for improvement and to understand and share best practice.
To help management collect this information they will be running a series of workshops across the country. The workshops are run by a team of people from Network Operations and BT Exact and will actively involve line managers and team members. The purpose of the workshops will be to map the current processes in the areas listed above and there will also be a validation exercise after the workshops to ensure they have the correct information. Once the information has been collected and validated, a detailed analysis will be carried out to identify areas of improvement and/or best practice.
Management will be sharing the output of the analysis with the union when this is complete and a further report will be made to branches in due course.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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724
Telewest - Recruitment Policy
Attached for the information of branches is Telewest's policy with regard to the filling of posts and the process by which it is done through external recruitment. There is also reference to consideration of internal resourcing and will be of interest and of use to branches when dealing with personal cases.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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725
Telewest - Pay & Reward Review Communication
Please see attached the communication issued by Telewest to its team managers for onward distribution to broadband engineers.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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726
Accenture HR Services - Salary Review
It has come to the union's attention that the system used to calculate the new maximum salaries was not foolproof.
Out of a possible scenario of 23 situations, the system worked as programmed for 22. However, in one set of circumstances this was not the case and allowed for increases beyond what would have been a revised Newgrid maximum. As a consequence small sums of monies have been added to the salary range as notified in individual letters to members.
This has come to the attention of management and letters have been issued detailing the corrective action that will be taken.
Brian Healy, Assistant Secretary

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POSTAL
727
Agreement Between CWU & Parcelforce Worldwide on Christmas 2003 Remuneration Proposals for All CWU Grade Depot Employees
Please find attached for the information of branches a copy of a recent agreed agreement between the union and Parcelforce Worldwide. Copies of the agreement has been forwarded to all the regional organisers for information purposes.
Any enquiries relating to this issue should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, assistant secretary quoting the reference 106A.

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