LTB 881/11 Pensions Policy Forum - 10th November 2011

[Midge]

Letter to Branches

No: 811/11 Ref: Date: 23rd September 2011

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

Pensions Policy Forum – 10th November 2011

Further to LTB 774/11 please find below a list of representatives invited to attend:-

• 1 Branch Representative
• Divisional Representatives
• Regional Secretaries
• Divisional Technical Services Representatives
• Territorial Representatives (POL)
• Parcelforce Regional Organisers
• Romec Divisional Representatives
• All Royal Mail Area Reps (Delivery, Processing, Distribution)
• Quadrant Area Representatives
• Area Admin Representatives
• Romec Cleaners Regional Representatives
• Counter Area Reps
• Customer Experience Service Reps

Also attached is:-

• letter from the Postal Executive Chair Jane Loftus
• Registration and Voting Procedure
• Policy Forum Guidelines
• Amendment examples.

Royal Mail Group has been informed of the Pension Policy Forum.

Travel and subsistence costs associated with attendance at the Briefing will be in line with the instructions and advice issued in LTB 506/04.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward Jane Loftus
Deputy General Secretary (P) Chair Postal Executive


Dear Colleague

The first Postal Policy Forum on Pensions will take place on Thursday the 10th November, in Manchester. A set of Policy Forum Guidelines has been produced so that Branches and attendees understand how the debate will be structured and how voting will be conducted on the day.

This will be a new experience for all of us and the procedures will be reviewed following the Policy Forum. The format for future Policy Forum will vary depending on the issue but decisions on policy will be taken by voting and guidelines will be issued in advance.

The Pension Report and recommendations will be issued, as a minimum, 28days prior to the Forum which is the 12th October 2011. Opening time, closing time and date for amendments will be advertised with the reports publication. This date will allow two weeks to submit amendments. The Vice Chair and I will order amendments with the assistance of the Postal SOC Chair and Secretary. These will be published the day after amendments close.

It would be appreciated if the Branch representative with the Branch voting card is in the hall for 10.15 so that a test vote can be taken prior to the forum opening at 10.30am.

I look forward to a successful Policy Forum and thank you for your cooperation.

If any Branch requires any clarification or advice you can contact me by email jloftus@cwu.org or by mobile 07790076283.

Regards

Jane Loftus
Chair of Postal Executive


Registration and Voting Procedure

Registration

Registration will be open from 9.40 a.m. Branches should register and provide a list of representatives who are attending from their branch. This list should include names, IR position, mobile number and email address.

It is suggested that the person responsible for the voting cards registers and hands in their representatives list rather than individual representatives signing in. This will assist with congestion and ensures HQ’s know which Branches and representatives are in attendance.

Voting

The Branch representative will be issued, upon registration, three voting cards. These will be clearly marked YES, NO & Abstain. The voting strength will vary depending on what the Policy Forum has been called for.

For the Pensions Policy Forum the vote is based on the Postal Group membership that is held on the CWU Central Membership records. Could the Branch Representative with the voting cards please be in the hall for 10.15 a.m so that a test vote can be taken prior to the Forum starting at 10.30 a.m.


Policy Forum Guidelines

Amendment

Branches and Business Co-ordinating Committee’s can submit one amendment per recommendation. Opening and closing dates for amendments will be circulated with the report. Amendments can be submitted via the pro-forma relevant to the recommendations contained at the end of the Report.

Withdrawn

Branches and Business Co-ordinating Committee’s can withdraw amendments by emailing the designated address up to the published closing date. Any other withdrawals after this date can be done from the floor on the day of the forum.

Voting

1. Voting on all amendments and adoption of the amended report will be done by a Branch vote.

2. All other voting will be by a show of hands and carried by a simple majority.

Challenging the Chair

1. Any Branch can challenge the Chair prior to the moving of the report on the following basis:

• The Chair’s rulings, which includes out of order amendments and consequentials
• Order of amendment
• Time allocated

2. In order for good business, challenges will not be taken after the forum has been opened 15mins.
3. If the Chair is challenged, the chair will immediately hand over to the Vice Chair to proceed.
4. The Branch will put their challenge and the Chair will reply.
5. The challenge will be put to a hand vote and carried by a simple majority.

Suspension of the order of debate

1. A branch can suspend the order of debate provided no amendment is being debated.
2. The mover should state clearly there intention to reorder the debate.
3. This will be put to a show of hands and carried by a simple majority.
4. Suspension can not be moved again for another 1½ hours.


Point of order

1. Attendees can move a point of order on the following basis:

• Use of unparliamentarily language
• Digressing from the subject of the amendment
• Rules of the Union being broken
• An infringement of the customary rules of debate

2. The Chair’s ruling will be final.


Order of Debate

1. Officer to move report.

2. Branch/Business co-ordinating committee to move single amendment or composite amendment.

3. Seconded from Branch /Business co-ordinating committee in single amendment or composite.

4. Amendments can be formally seconded.

5. Open to debate-attendees to speak on behalf of their Branch.

6. PEC to speak on amendment.

7. Branch/Business co-ordinating committee will have the right to reply on composites only if opposition moved.

8. Senior Field Officials may move, second and enter debate on behalf of a Branch or Business Co-ordinating Committee.

9. No Branch can speak more than once on any amendment except the moving Branch.

10. A Branch who has not entered the debate may move “the vote be taken”. If carried the vote will be taken after PEC speaker and the composite mover has replied if opposed.

11. The amended report will be put to the vote by the Chair for adoption. This will be done after the last debate on amendments and put straight to the vote without debate.


Examples of Amending a Recommendation

Example recommendation: The PEC will arrange a National Postal Demonstration on Sunday 24th November.

1. If you agree with the recommendation and relating policy contained in report there is no requirement to submit an amendment.
2. If you agree with recommendation but want to add detail you may wish to amend recommendation.
Example amendment:
Add at end of recommendation 1: The National Demonstration shall take place in Glasgow and the PEC will write to other unions and organisations for support and participation in the demonstration.

3. If you disagree with the recommendation you can reject by deleting the recommendation. It is good practise to also insert a new recommendation detailing a different policy to be pursued by the PEC.
Example amendment:
Delete recommendation 1, insert new recommendation 1:
The PEC will organise Regional Demonstrations in conjunction with the TUC. These will take place in different locations on May Day 2012.

[Midge]

The PEC Report containing the detailed information on the pensions situation, and ending with the PEC's recommendations as to what the CWU should do next, has not yet been published. According to Jane Loftus' letter in LTB881/11 above, this Report will be published to Branches not later than 28 days before the Policy Forum, which she states is 12th October.

I suggest that everyone insists that their CWU Branch calls a general member's meeting to discuss the Report and propose amendments to it, if needed. This will need to be sometime between 12th October and the deadline for amendments which will be 2 weeks before the Forum at the latest, i.e. 26th October.

If you thought pensions was a dead issue, it seems it is about to be resurrected...

[BELIAL]

Thanks Midge,first I've heard of it,which is not ideal if you consider the implications.
Should prove to be an interesting indicator as to how much the PEC think the membership is worth

[postworker.org.uk]

In the lead-up to the CWU National Policy Forum on Pensions, Post Worker is hosting an Open Debate on the whole issue of what sort of pension scheme the CWU should be fighting for.

The Post Worker Open Debate on Pensions will be held in Central London, on Sunday 16th October, 1pm-4pm. The venue is yet to be finalised, so watch this space.

PostWorker_OpenDebate_Pensions_A4.pdf

All members of the CWU are welcome, whether activists, reps, full-time officials or ordinary members. Rank and file workplace reps and ordinary members are particularly invited and welcome, as it is your voice that will not be heard at the CWU Policy Forum.

The sort of questions we will be asking and debating are:

• Should we be defending the current CARE scheme, or should we be fighting to return to a Final Salary Scheme?
• Should we just accept whatever pension scheme the ‘business’ says it can afford, or should we fight for the sort of pension that we need for a decent retirement?
• Should our Normal Retirement Age be based on the actual reality of working in Royal Mail, or on dubious estimates of average life expectancy? We all know that hard working manual workers never live as long as the fat cat bosses. Who will be able to last till 65 on delivery?
• Why does up-rating pensions by RPI rather than CPI matter?
• Could the CWU join with other unions to fight alongside other public sector workers for decent pensions for all?
• How can we motivate and mobilise the membership to fight over pensions?

If you have an opinion or proposal, we wan to hear it.

[postworker.org.uk]

The Post Worker Open Debate on Pensions will be held at:

Dragon Hall Main Hall, 17 Stuckley Street, City of London WC2B 5LT, between 1pm and 4pm.

All CWU members or Reps welcome. Come and hear the debate, and let us know what you think.

[Midge]

The PEC Report on Pensions for the upcoming National Policy Forum in Manchester has now been published. Click the link below to download it.

11LTB863_PEC_SpecialReport_Pensions.zip

If your Branch is not meeting to discuss this Report with the members and Unit Reps, then why not? The Policy Forum will be discussing and deciding the CWU Policy on Pensions, from now onwards. At a time when 2 or 3 million other public sector workers are fighting to protect their pensions, CWU members need to debate how we fight for a pension scheme that provides for a decent retirement for use all.