WEEKLY INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
SUMMARY
Attachments or LTB's can be
emailed or downloaded from the National Site
Volume 10 Issue 22 Paragraphs 346-354 03 June 2005
SUMMARY
GENERAL
346 Headquarters Printing and Reprographic Services
347 Reminder - Health and Safety at Work Stage II
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
348 Promoting HIV and AIDS Awareness
HEALTH AND SAFETY
No items this week
TELECOMS
349 Network Build - Annual Leave Carry Forward
350 Telewest - Pay & Reward - Routing and Travel Time
351 Accenture HR Services - VR Update
352 BT Wholesale Operations: Support Role Review: Q&As
353 Accenture HR Services: VR Programme Q&A Document
354 Accenture HR Services - VR Programme Summary Final
355 Accenture HR Services - BT Learning Services
Contract - Communication Update
POSTAL
No items this week
LETTERS TO BRANCHES
251
25/05/05 ESF Research Project - Tackling Homophobia - Study of
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Experiences at Work - Grace Mitchell
252
25/05/05 BT Disciplinary Procedures and Misuse Company Systems and
Manager's Role - Simon Sapper
253
26/05/05 NEC Election Results - GS
254
26/05/05 Romec Employee Handbook - Bob Gibson
255
27/05/05 Romec Territorial Representatives - Ray Ellis
256
27/05/05 Romec Employee Handbook - Bob Gibson
257
28/05/05 Nomination for Ballots to Take Place at Annual Conference -
Steve Baguley
258
31/05/05 2005 HSE Inspection Programme of Royal Mail Delivery
Offices - Dave Joyce
259 31/05/05 Harassment Complaints Database Forms and Guidance -
Manny Blake
260 01/06/05 Retention beyond Age of 65 - Royal Mail - DGS(P)
261
01/06/05 Postcomm Impose New Price Controls - DGS(P)
262
01/06/05 Ballots to Take Place at Annual Conference - Steve Baguley
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GENERAL
346
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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347
Reminder - Health and Safety at Work Stage II
A Health and Safety Stage II course has been organised to be held at
the Education and Training Centre at Alvescot Lodge. All courses held
at Alvescot Lodge are accredited with the National Open College
Network. This is a fully integrated course.
The course will be held from 11 - 15 July 2005
Please submit application forms as soon as possible
Applicants for this course will have already attended the Union's
Health & Safety Stage I course.
We particularly encourage branches to nominate women, ethnic
minorities, people with disabilities and young members who are often
under-represented on the CWU Education and Training Programme.
All courses at Alvescot are residential. The cost of tuition, food
and accommodation will be met from the General Fund. Branches
requiring financial assistance from the General Fund to enable them
to send students to the course must submit the request with the
nomination, to enable the Trustees to consider the request in time.
Special leave with pay will apply.
The Education Centre can offer child-minding facilities for a maximum
of three under school age children at any one time. If any applicant
from your branch would like child-minding facilities, can you please
advise the age and sex of the child on the application form. Further
information on the child-minding arrangements will then be sent to
the successful applicants.
Nominations should be made on an 'application for Union courses' form
and returned to Alvescot Lodge by the closing date shown. If a member
is refused a place, due to oversubscription, then indicate this on a
subsequent application for another date.
Application forms should be addressed to: Trish Lavelle, Head of
Education & Training, CWU Education & Training Centre,
Alvescot Lodge, Alvescot, Bampton, Oxon OX18 2PY. Telephone: 01993
843373; Fax: 01993 840960; email: mtodd@cwu.org
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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
348
Promoting HIV and AIDS Awareness
The issue of AIDS and HIV is one that the CWU continues to promote.
The number of people dying from AIDS and HIV continues to rise
rapidly and societies must be educated to try and stem the spread of
this pandemic disease.
In the UK alone there are estimated to be over 53,000 adults and
children currently infected with the disease.
Sir Bill Morris told the audience at the recent TUC Black Workers
Conference that unless people woke up and smelt the coffee, the
figure of 5 million AIDS victims (2003), with 50 million infected
worldwide will be dwarfed as this continues to spread unabated. Every
country is suffering, and in Africa the situation has reached crisis
point long ago - there are also big problems with coming to terms
with AIDS in countries such as Russia and China, so this issue is
simply not confined to the third world.
The Equal Opportunities Department would bring your attention to the
following website www.nat.org.uk
or call the National Aids Trust on 020 7814 6767.
Please visit their website and see how Branches can help to promote
HIV and increase AIDS Awareness.
Any queries about this paragraph should be addressed to the Equal
Opportunities Department at CWU HQ.
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TELECOMS
349
Network Build - Annual Leave Carry Forward
Branches may wish to be aware of a briefing that has been issued
within Network Build on the carry over of Annual Leave.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment
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350
Telewest - Pay & Reward - Routing and Travel Time
Following the circulation of Branch Officials Bulletin No. 16/2005,
paragraph 267, confirmation was sought on the arrangements for travel
time as conflicting statements had been made by Telewest managers.
The correct national average time is 15 minutes and has not changed
since the original investigation.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
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351
Accenture HR Services - VR Update
There have been commercial developments for Accenture HR Services
which require the management to take stock before making decisions on
the numbers of individuals granted voluntary release.
The good news is that BT keep asking Accenture HR Services to do more
work, and that other clients are keen to sign agreements.
Against this climate it would be inappropriate to sign people up for
VR, until the company fully understands numbers of heads that will be
needed by skill set/location.
Management are therefore spending the week commencing 31 May 2005
undertaking a workload reforecast, with the aim of defining the
revised number of applicants in week commencing 6 June and informing
the individuals in the week commencing 13 June. Therefore the dates
advised to Branches in Branch Officials Bulletin No. 21/2005,
paragraph 334 have now been overtaken by events. The same can also be
said for the projected number of job losses by the end of the review;
it can be expected that the need to lose the original 180 roles will
be reduced.
Attached is a communication released by Accenture HR Services.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment
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352
BT Wholesale Operations: Support Role Review: Q&As
Further to the report given in Branch Officials Bulletin No. 21/2005,
paragraph 342, the data gathering will take the form of interviews
/questionnaires across the identified functions and will be conducted
in an open manner.
The project has committed to complete this data gathering by end of
June with a view to making recommendations by middle of July. Also
attached for the information of Branches is a copy of Q&As being released.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment
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353
Accenture HR Services: VR Programme Q&A Document
Attached for the information of Branches is a copy of a set of
Q&As to be associated with the documentation released in Branch
Officials Bulletin No. 21/2005, paragraph 334.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment
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354
Accenture HR Services - VR Programme Summary Final
With regard to the launch of the VR programme announced in Branch
Officials Bulletin No. 21/2005, paragraph 342, the final responses
have been collated and attached for the information of Branches.
The scheme has generated a good level of interest in volunteering, as
management have received 340 requests for an estimate, the
expectation being 300 - 320. Flowing from this, 213 of these requests
have been converted into applicants and the expectation was circa
150. This provides management with a wide selection pool of
candidates, and so means that they do not have to let go people who
are indispensable, merely to hit targets.
A separate report has been made on the revised timeframe for
selection due to recent commercial developments.
Due to the slippage in BT's roll-out of PS8, management believe they
will have to defer the decision on some candidates - possibly around
25 posts - until 31 July 2005.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment
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355
Accenture HR Services - BT Learning Services Contract -
Communication Update
Branches and members may wish to be aware of progress being made in
the BT Learning contract discussions. Attached for the information of
Branches is a copy of an internal briefing that has been released.
It should be drawn out that the reference to continuity of service
not being extended in terms of statutory rights means that:
1. This is not a TUPE situation; BT is potentially offering some of
its vacancies to HR Services people to help reduce the overhead costs
to HR Services. Individuals are in reality resigning and entering a
new contract of employment with a new employer.
2. If during the following 12 months of accepting the new contract,
the individual has had their contract terminated, the individual has
not completed the 12 months qualifying period for the right to go to
an Employment Tribunal with a claim of unfair dismissal.
Brian Healy
Assistant Secretary
Attachment