How Your Union Is Structured
STRUCTURE - Introduction
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is the
biggest union for the communications industry in the UK with 300,000 members.
It was formed in January 1995 when the Union of Communication Workers joined
forces with the National Communications Union.
Our members
CWU members work in the Post Office, BT and other telephone companies, cable
TV, the Alliance and Leicester and Girobank. Our
members' expertise includes engineering, computing, clerical, mechanical,
driving, retail, financial and manual skills.
The union's values
The CWU's Statement of Values aims:
·
to
provide first class collective and individual representation for all CWU
members;
·
to
achieve security of employment for all members;
·
to
offer individual membership services of the highest quality;
·
to
expand trade union membership throughout the communications industry;
·
to
promote, by industrial and political means, the success of the industries in
which our members work;
·
to
campaign against all forms of discrimination;
·
to further these objectives by promoting the
influence of the union throughout the national and international community.
The structure of the union
The union's first duty and responsibility is to protect and promote the
interests of its members in the workplace. Reflecting a model democratic
structure, every CWU member belongs to one of the union's branches.
Each branch elects delegates to, and determines policies to be debated at, the
Annual Conference which determines the policies of the union on both industrial
and general issues. Between Conferences, the union's National Executive Council
(NEC) is responsible for policy decisions. The NEC is elected each year by
individual postal ballot. Its division into five constituencies ensures that
all industrial and occupational backgrounds have a voice. The constituencies
are clerical, engineering, operator and ancillary, postal and postal technical
services.
The NEC deals with all issues of a general nature, such as organisation,
recruitment, finances and services. For occupational issues, it divides into
two industrial executives, one for telecoms and financial services, and the
other for postal issues.
The union has a number of advisory committees, mainly consisting of ordinary
branch members. These are to ensure that the needs of women, ethnic minorities,
retired members, young people, lesbians and gays and those with disabilities
and special needs are brought to the attention of the executive.
The union is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, the Scottish Trades Union
Congress, the Wales TUC, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Labour Party,
the Communications International and other organisations as determined by
annual conference.
The union's national campaigns
The union's main campaigning priorities have been aimed at securing:
·
The
Post Office secure in public hands, intent on developing Crown Office Counter
services and affordable, reliable and universally priced mail and parcel
delivery;
·
universal
access to the social and individual benefits of the most advanced information
superhighway for the UK - which will give all our society the ability to
benefit from our latest technology;
·
a modern communications network which will
guarantee a buoyant financial and commercial infrastructure for the UK.
Within these objectives, the union aims to
ensure not only the provision of efficient, integrated and affordable
communication services for the UK - but also safe, secure and well rewarded
employment for all CWU members.
Each individual workplace has a Unit Rep elected each year from CWU members of that Unit. They are responsible for Representation in Discipline matters, Collective Bargaining with local Line Manager, CWU Recruitment, advising members of CWU Policy and keeping members informed of all union matters that affect them..
Within the confines of the Branch Area, the
Area Rep deals with matters that have reached an impasse at local level,
keeps the Branch Committee up to date on matters in his or her function i.e.
Delivery, Processing or Distribution. The Area Reps attend
Regional, Divisional and National meetings to keep themselves up to date
on union policy. The Area Rep deals with serious Discipline cases above
local level and Collective Bargaining issues that affect the majority.
Disagreements start with the Area Reps after the local negotiations have
stalled. In our current ever changing climate the Area Rep's job
has become focal to the CWU with the PBS, Shorter Working Week and The Way
Forward all being current issues being dealt with by Area Reps.
Each business represented by the CWU has a
Section Secretary to promote good union practice, Coordinate meetings in
that Section and attend Branch Committee, Regional, Divisional, Sector
meetings and attend National Briefings and Annual Conference. For details
on the Section Secretaries
These positions are different in Parcelforce, BT and the in the following manner
:-
PARCELFORCE
Unit Rep, Section Secretary, Regional Parcels
Rep, National Officer
BT
Unit Rep, Section Secretary, Sector
Organiser, National Officer
PON
Section Secretary, Regional Rep, National
Officer
Branch Officials
In every Branch there are CWU Branch
Officials that oversee the CWU in the local Branch Area. The Officials are :-
·
Branch Secretary Communication /
Administration / Spokesperson / Recruitment
·
Deputy Branch Secretary To substitute in the
absence of the Secretary
·
Chairperson Rules / Meetings
·
Deputy Chairperson To Substitute in the
absence of the Chairperson
·
Treasurer Finance
·
Organiser/Branch Editor Membership Records /
Recruitment / Publication of Branch Journals
·
Political Officer Political Campaigns /
Political Recruitment
·
Equal Opportunities Rep Advisor on Harassment
/ Equality / Discrimination
·
Legal & Medical Rep All Legal & Medical
matters within the Branch membership
The Divisional Rep is CWU HQ's representative
in the field. They cover vast areas of the country in Discipline Appeals where
members face dismissal, collective bargaining in Industrial Action and play a
key role in Union Policy by Coordinating Divisional Policy between different
Branches in the same geographical location. The role of Divisional Rep involves
constant travelling and is a very high profile role in today's CWU.
The Regional Secretary is tasked with
coordinating the Branches in a region and promoting common policy between
these branches. The Regional Committee meets quarterly on a cross business
footing. The meetings are held under consensus rules therefore unless all branches
present agree a policy it is left to individual branches to pursue in their
own capacity. If all branches agree a policy it becomes Regional Policy
and at Conference is more likely to succeed than individual policy.
At CWU HQ the union is divided into different
officers with responsibilities for individual business and Industrial
issues. They meet regularly to thrash out agreements at National level as
the NEC. This is a difficult role as firstly they must get the nomination of
three branches to stand and secondly they must try to create National
Agreements that satisfy the CWU and their own nominating branches. This
can lead to members feeling that they are too far removed from
everyday Trade Union matters and NEC members can suffer backlash from
members if an agreement proves unpopular.
The National Officer is the head of his or
her department at CWU HQ. Current examples in Royal Mail are Dave Ward for
Delivery (outdoor) and Mike Hogan indoor Department.
The Deputy General Secretary (Postal) is Dave
ward who heads up the whole of his or her Industrial Executive.
The General Secretary is responsible for the effective running of the whole of the CWU and all its businesses. This includes the structure of the Union, National Policy, International Policy and the General Secretary is tasked with representing the CWU nationally at the TUC and Labour Party Conferences as well as the chief spokesperson of the union. The current General Secretary is Billy Hayes.