LTB 055/18 – REDESIGN – DEFERMENT OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS

No: 055/18

29th January 2018

TO: ALL BRANCHES

 

Dear Colleague

REDESIGN – DEFERMENT OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS

The purpose of this LTB is to advise Branches that the NEC has taken a decision to defer, at this stage, setting any timetable for the following National elections which were due to take place later this year.

  • • Assistant Secretary – Health, Safety & Environment
  • • Assistant Secretary – Equal Opportunities
  • • Assistant Secretary – T&FS (1)
  • • Assistant Secretary – T&FS (2)

This decision has been taken because we are now at a crucial stage of our plans to streamline CWU Headquarters as part of the Redesign Project. Work is now well underway on this and key elements include creating a three pillar foundation for a new CWU HQ structure (Central Policy and Services, Industrial Postal, Industrial T&FS) and within the Central Policy and Services pillar a more joined up way of working, merged departments and the potential to scope reallocation of some work, roles and responsibilities.

As previously explained, the need to implement a new streamlined Headquarters is fundamental to securing our future as a stand-alone union and therefore it makes absolute sense, while this work continues, to defer setting election timetables.

However, we do want to stress that the NEC has taken no decision on the future of the roles affected and has agreed that a further paper will be placed before the NEC no later than June 2018 to finalise this.

In advising Branches of this decision we are sure you will understand that it reinforces the scale of the Redesign Project and the fact that in LTB 689/17, we made it clear that we are determined to achieve financial stability and positively address the major challenges facing not just the CWU – but the whole of the trade union movement.

In this regard, we would remind Branches that we will be launching a wider consultation on structures outside of CWU Headquarters at a National Briefing in the near future. A date and venue for this will be announced shortly. Also of our plans to ensure we discuss Redesign at Annual Conference and ultimately at a Special General and Rules Revision Conference, targeted for early November 2018.

Any enquires should be addressed to the General Secretary’s office at gsoffice@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

 

Dave Ward – General Secretary

Tony Kearns – Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB055 Redesign deferment of National Elections