CWU POSITION IN RELATION TO BOB KENNEDY CWU AREA SAFETY REP

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To: All Postal Branches
 
Dear Colleagues
  

Re: RMG CELEBRATING HEALTH & SAFETY EVENT AT COTON HOUSE ON 20th MAY 2009 - CWU POSITION IN RELATION TO BOB KENNEDY CWU AREA SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE (WATFORD) - SUSPENSION FROM DUTY:
 
Further to earlier communications through various channels, this LTB is to set out the CWU position in relation to the National Royal Mail Group Safety Event on 20th May and a short update on the current situation regarding Bob Kennedy ASR (Watford) who's case is being dealt with locally and by the Postal Department at CWU HQ, supported by the Health, Safety & Environment Department. As a result of the continued suspension from duty of Bob Kennedy following a meeting on 15 May, I regret that the CWU will not be supporting or attending the Royal Mail Group Celebrating Safety Event on 20th May at Coton House Rugby. Invitations will not be distributed to ASRs by the Health, Safety & Environment Department. Any invitations received locally should be declined in support of Bob Kennedy. We very much regret being forced to adopt this position but feel we are left with no alternative. The letter reproduced below to Keith Scott Head of Safety Royal Mail Group is self explanatory.
 
Yours Sincerely


Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
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18 May 2009
 
Keith Scott Head of Safety keith.x.scott@royalmail.com
Royal Mail Group
 
Keith,
 
Re: RMG CELEBRATING HEALTH & SAFETY EVENT AT COTON HOUSE ON 20th MAY 2009 - CWU POSITION:
 
Your 23 March and 30 April communications and invitations to myself and all CWU ASRs refer along with our many conversations on this subject.
 
Can I say that as one of the first to be informed and receive an invitation for myself and all CWU ASRs across all Royal Mail Group Businesses (RML, PFW and POL) I very much appreciate your efforts in organising the event and the invitations.
 

However, the CWU position remains as it did in respect of the 4 Territorial Royal Mail Letters/HSE/Unions joint Slips, Trips and Falls events and that is that we will not be attending the above event.
 
Further to my previous communications, Bob Kennedy CWU ASR for Watford has now been suspended for 6 weeks with no reasons given. He has done nothing other than do his job diligently and dogmatically. During that 6 weeks no disciplinary charges have been put to him to answer (rather odd and outrageous don't you think). Despite my requests no senior Director has stepped in and corrected the situation either, despite the moral injustice, the breaches of Royal Mail's own disciplinary procedures, despite the bullying and harassment of the Safety Rep concerned and others and despite Health and Safety Law being broken in relation to a legally accredited and appointed Safety Representative being prevented from discharging his legally empowered functions as set out in the HSAW Act 1974 and SRSC Regulations 1977.
 
The people in Watford have had no Safety Representation for 6 weeks. Senior people in Royal Mail HQ do not seem to be concerned enough to do something about it?
 
The CWU did not withdraw from the slips, Trips and Falls events and have not withdrawn from the Royal Mail Group Celebrating Health and Safety Event for any reason other than reasons connected directly with the treatment of a CWU Area Safety Rep and the Safety of our members. It was not a decision taken lightly and is one I deeply regret.
 
No one is more concerned about Slips, Trips and Falls causing 10,000 accidents a year in Royal Mail and the urgency to find a way forward to improve this situation than the CWU and Royal Mail will not succeed without CWU support and involvement and that cannot be overridden.
 
A Slips, Trips and Falls report commissioned by the then Royal Mail Letters Head of Safety and produced by Loughborough University a decade ago of which the recommendations were as relevant then as they are today were ignored and 'buried' by Royal Mail Operational Managers and IR Managers which proves that point.
 
The CWU remains fully committed to full involvement and participation in all aspects of health and safety and committed to jointly supporting and working with Royal Mail on a new Safety strategy and initiatives and working with the HSE and Local Authorities in line with the HSE Large Organisation Partnership (LOP) principles and National Joint Improvement Plan. However, we need our partners to be sincere and consistent and do the same as us.
 
On 28 April I requested that the Royal Mail Letters Safety Director Norman Smith and you Keith as Royal Mail Group Head of Safety advise Royal Mail (as their legally appointed 'competent persons') on the need to comply with the law and facilitate and support Bob Kennedy as an accredited Safety Representative to discharge his legally empowered functions as set out in the HSAW Act 1974 and SRSC Regulations 1977. I await a response.
 
I have been waiting in hope for a resolution in order that I could issue the invitations to CWU ASRs to attend the event on 20 May but on Friday 15th May a meeting between  Bob Kennedy ASR and his Branch Secretary with local Management once again ended without a resolution and the suspension continues. I am continuing to request that RML HQ and RMG take action.
 
Best Regards 

 
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer