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Warns CWU's H&S Community they must fight for the changes they want to see agreed at Conference Dave Joyce, the longest standing full-time officer in the CWU and National National Health, Safety, & Environment Officer; is finally about to retire from the post he has held for some 30 years!
Those present, on-line and in person, were given documentation including slides of Dave's proposals for the new structure and format to ensure that Health & Safety At Work remains the key issue it has always been for all Trade Unions and the people they represent. This marks the near end of Dave's Farewell Tour with Only Scotland and Northern Ireland Regional H&S committees to visit. Apart from wishing to bid farewell to those Area Safety Reps and Union Safety Reps within both of the Union's constituencies, Postal and T&FS, with whom he has worked closely over the many years he has been head of the H&S Dept; he wanted to also present his proposals for the future set-up at CWU HQ with regard to the closing of his Dept and replacement with the best H&S Structures as he sees it. Following the H&S Re-Design plans set out some 6 years ago, and Dave's policy papers and reports to the CWU General Secretary, Dave Ward; he was pleased to note that his proposals were well received by the Union's national hierarchy, and the GS' Team developing the implementation procedures and proposals for the 'Re-Design' changes that will be put to the Union at their Annual Conference at the end of April.
Furthermore, the need for national resources to be put into the CWU's tireless campaigning on such issues as Dangerous Dogs, Work-related Stress, Mental Health, Low Level Letterboxes, Acoustic Shock not to mention women's health, Men's Health and political campaigns on such H&S issues as the NHS, Mental Health First Aid, and healthy lifestyles. Even more important is the CWU's national standing on Health & Safety both with the TUC and other Trade Unions must be preserved because on a number of issues, we have been seen as the 'experts', with Dave Joyce leading the TUC, advising the Scottish and English parliaments along with that of the Welsh Parliament when it comes to Dangerous Dogs and the need for updating legislation and the need to focus on the owners of such dogs and not just the breed. Here is Dave Joyce's presentation to the North East H&S Regional Committee which is around 40 minutes in length:
Following his presentation, there was a Q&A session which provided an opportunity for those present to air their views on both the changes being proposed by Dave in comparison to those already known and outlined in the presentation. Additional information coming from other CWU Regional Health & Safety Committees where also raised, along with concerns over props being proposed to Conference 2024 at the end of April; possibly being 'X' marked and therefore excluded from the Conference Agenda. One of the main concerns was that of attacks upon Union Safety Reps time by management and the lack of knowledge amongst many within the Union of the rights and responsibilities in law that USRs, unlike other union reps, are entitled to.
See also: CWU's Dave Joyce Bids Farewell To The Union's Health & Safety Community
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In his latest Farewell Tour stop in Leeds where the CWU Leeds No1 Branch laid on a good buffet and facilities for Dave to present his vision of the Union's health & safety structures following Re-Design and the set-up at CWU HQ which will support the Union's Health & Safety Reps, Area Safety Reps and the existing H&S Regional committees and structures.
Dave reported too on the concerns expressed by those across the Regional Committees who he had already delivered his presentation, especially in relation to the proposed new 'Central Services' set-up ay CWU HQ and the need for specialist officers in that department with full H&S training and experience; without which the support for the regions H&S structures and support for the Union's Safety Reps will be worthless.