LTB 054/2021 – RM/CWU Joint Statement – Coronavirus/Covid-19 – Workforce Testing Pilots Using Lateral Flow Device Testing – (Pilot 1) Sheffield City Delivery Office, (Pilot 2) Birmingham Mail Centre & Delivery Office and (Pilot 3) Essex & Anglia Area (Covering CM, CO, IP, SS and NR Postcodes – All Units & Functions – RM, PFWW, Fleet, Engineering, VOC, Air Hub, etc.):
No. 054/2021
9 March 2021
Our Ref: E1/21
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
RM/CWU Joint Statement – Coronavirus/Covid-19 – Workforce Testing Pilots Using Lateral Flow Device Testing – (Pilot 1) Sheffield City Delivery Office, (Pilot 2) Birmingham Mail Centre & Delivery Office and (Pilot 3) Essex & Anglia Area (Covering CM, CO, IP, SS and NR Postcodes – All Units & Functions – RM, PFWW, Fleet, Engineering, VOC, Air Hub, etc.):
This is to update all Regions and Branches on the report published in LTB No. 581/20 on 3rd December 2020.
Led by the Health, Safety & Environment Department and Postal Department, CWU/HQ has been pressing for the introduction of ‘Workforce Testing’ for Covid-19/Coronavirus as a positive, proactive way of combatting the spread and transmission of the virus in the workplace by quickly identifying those infected and getting them into self-isolation promptly, to firstly protect the individual and secondly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, bearing in mind that many people, estimated as one in three, may be infected but are either ‘pre-symptomatic’ or ‘asymptomatic’ and will not know they have the virus.
A positive test early in the course of the illness enables individuals to isolate themselves, reducing the chances that they will infect others and allowing them to seek treatment earlier, likely reducing disease severity and the risk of long-term disability, or death. Since it is recognised that nearly half of all Covid-19 infections are transmitted by people who are not showing any symptoms, identifying infected individuals via testing while they are pre-symptomatic, as well as those who are asymptomatic, via workforce testing in Royal Mail Group, one of the UK’s largest employers, could therefore play a major role in stopping the pandemic.
A ‘tripartite’ agreement has been reached involving the CWU, Unite CMA, Royal Mail Group and the Department of Health and Social Care for Royal Mail to be involved in a wider Government initiative, running a number of pilots to test the concept of regular weekly Covid-19 testing in the workplace. The pilot forms part of the plan to roll out mass testing technology across the UK.
During these Pilot Trials, the workforce is offered the new 30-minute, rapid Lateral Flow Device (LFD) Tests which can be administered in person at the workplace (Pilots 1 and 2) or at home (Pilot 3). Participation is voluntary.
Royal Mail HQ and CWU HQ nationally, have jointly been working together to bring about the successful piloting of the Lateral Flow Device testing of the workforce. The role and full involvement of local managers, CWU Area and local Health and Safety Representatives, IR Representatives and the workforce has been, and will be, vital to the successful deployment and evaluation of the testing and they will be fully involved in the pilot sites programme and if successful, in each deployment site, enabling consistency and ongoing success.
Royal Mail and the CWU will closely monitor the methods, progress and success of this important initiative during the pilots in order to jointly understand all aspects of this initiative and to consider any process improvements.
The Three Pilots:
Following discussions between the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department, Royal Mail Group and Government Agencies the BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), agreement was reached and contracts signed with the DHSC (Department of Health & Social Care) and the MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency) in relation to securing participation in the Government’s Workforce Covid-19 Testing Programme.
Pilot 1 – Sheffield City DO (circa 150 staff) has been successfully underway during the period December 2020 – March 2021 and continuing. Over 1000 tests have taken place involving Delivery and Collection staff, Engineers and Cleaners employed on the site. The participation of our CWU Area Health and Safety Rep, Area Delivery Reps and Unit Reps have played a vital and important role in ensuring the success of this pilot.
Pilot 2 – Birmingham MC and DO (circa 2000 staff including Processing, Delivery, Vehicle Operating Centre, Warehouse, Engineers, Cleaners, Quadrant and Agency staff) commenced on the 6th February. The testing room was carefully selected and set up to house the testing booths operated by the testers, equipment, PPE and testing admin etc. This has all been arranged and set up under project lead/subject matter expert guidance to DHSC and LA requirements and inspected by the local authority before clearance to go ahead was given. Over 30 volunteers at Birmingham have gone through the 3-part DHSC training to be volunteer testers. Testing will be twice weekly for all those members volunteering to participate with CWU Reps fully involved and supporting the pilot, working on maximising participation. There are two test booths operating with the testers, receptionist and data in-putter recording the test records and results data, one reserve/relief tester and a dedicated manager for the testing unit/room. Special cleaning and sanitisation arrangements are also in place.
Pilot 3 – Essex/Anglia – Mail Centres, Delivery Offices and SPDOs, Parcelforce Depots, Fleet Workshops, Air Hubs, VOCs etc., and St Albans DO. This involves circa 100 sites, involving circa 6,500 employees across CM/SS/CO/IP/NR Postcodes as well as St Albans DO and will start at Benfleet on the 15th March, and all other offices on the 22nd March. This will be based on ‘home testing’ for our members. (See Appendix 1 for the list of Offices involved).
Priority Vaccination for our CWU Postal Members
Additionally, the Union continues to press the Government for priority to be given to ‘essential’ postal workers/CWU members for Covid-19 vaccinations alongside health service workers, police, emergency workers and teachers etc.
Enquiries
All enquiries should be directed to either Dave Joyce CWU/HQ Health, Safety & Environment Department, Mark Baulch Postal Outdoor Department, Davie Robertson Postal Indoor, Processing, Logistics, Parcelforce, International, Quadrant Department.
Attachments:
- Copy of the Royal Mail/CWU/Unite CMA Joint Statement – ‘Coronavirus/Covid-19 – Workforce Testing Pilots – Using Lateral Flow Testing’.
- Annex 1 – Pilot 3 – Units/Functions Within Home Testing Pilot.
Further updates will follow in due course.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Mark Baulch
Postal Outdoor Department
Davie Robertson
Postal Indoor, Processing, Logistics, Parcelforce, International, Quadrant Department