CWU Conference 2026: Final Day

Postal, Telecoms & Financial Services, Union Matters May 18 2026

Conference closed on a positive note on Thursday, as delegates returned home over days of deep discussion and debate which set the union on a clear course for the work ahead.

Postal Conference: “Solidarity and a safe journey home”

With everyone working hard to complete the agenda pad, Postal Conference 2026 collectively addressed a wide range of key workplace issues, ranging from conduct and disciplinary matters to driver training, annual leave, pensions, job security, dignity at work and how we communicate.

No to Unfair Disciplinaries

The important principle of separating work and leisure time was touched upon in the first debate of the day – held ‘in camera’ due to individual sensitivities – which highlighted several cases in which workers had faced action pertaining to alleged incidents outside of working hours and away from the workplace.

The motion decided upon here instructed the postal executive to ‘engage with Royal Mail on setting clear boundaries’ between the two contexts.

Other motions in this part of the day’s business related to alleged ‘covert recording’ of members, with the national agreement, stoppages of pay regarded as having been unfair and driving penalties while on duty.

Training Opportunities and Collective Benefits

On a more positive note, the following series of motions addressed matters around the need to improve driver allowances and provide more training opportunities for driving larger vehicles – addressing the current skills shortage in this function and the looming demographic crisis if it is not tackled promptly.

A different aspect of training was flagged up by Eastern No. 6 delegate Andy Beeby and Kent Invicta’s Becca Hufton, who both spoke for a motion instructing the postal executive to ensure the company will “take the role of first-aider more seriously and support the recommended training they should receive”, while South Central Postal’s Chad Croom moved a motion calling for claims to Royal Mail’s Dog Attack Compensation Scheme to be allowed from day one of the attack-related absence.

Annual leave accrual rights and improvements to the Average Pay On Annual Leave (Holiday Pay) policy were discussed, as was MTSF rights for new entrants, a call for an earlier December pay date, a focus on the shortcomings of the current ill-health retirement procedures; and an emergency motion was heard, which called for maximum efforts to be made to persuade the government to bring the administration of RMSPS (pensions) back in-house.

Dignity at Work, and WTAF

Peter Hobby from Bournemouth & Dorset, Amie Nichols from Bristol and North West No.1’s Sheila Biggins argued the case for women’s sanitary products to be freely available in women’s bathrooms within company premises. One key point made in this debate was that such products should be made as available as are toilet paper and soap.

Introducing the last motion of the day was Katy Harland from Gloucestershire, who moved to instruct the postal executive to ensure all initialisms, abbreviations and acronyms are spelled out in full the first time they are used in written documents and communications – or that an explanatory appendix be provided.

Speaking for the motion on behalf of the postal executive, Rob Wotherspoon gave several examples of the many initialisms and acronyms in constant use.

Slightly less seriously, Rob continued by saying that, sometimes, the attitudes of some could be described as ‘CBA’ and that, on occasion, situations can go ‘FUBAR’ and added: “Sorry, but I’m not spelling those ones out!”

“Don’t make perfect the enemy of the good”

In his closing speech, deputy general secretary Martin Walsh thanked everyone for attending and for their contributions, also thanking support staff, the postal executive and conference chair.

He made special mention of some for whom this had been their last CWU conference – and there was applause for all.

He went onto speak of the importance of the national agreement currently out to ballot, the need to win a “Yes” vote and to maximise the return – criticising what he described as the unrepresentative “echo chambers” that the various social media platforms have degenerated into and strongly defending what has been achieved in the deal that’s on the table.

The DM26 method was much better in all aspects when compared to the ODM system, he said, summarising the key improvements.

And, to those who argue that the equalisation stage within the agreement was not enough, Martin made the point that it is vital to “bank” this first step and then to use it as a basis on which to build further steps forward in the period ahead.

“Don’t make perfect the enemy of the good,” he urged, adding: “Please make sure we maximise the ‘Yes’ vote.

“Solidarity and a safe journey home.”

T&FS: Setting Winning Strategies

Delegates had moved through proceedings so promptly that by Thursday, very few motions were left for discussion. Motions were heard over BT Group disciplinary processes, with worries being expressed over rogue managers, the integrity of “fact-finding” meetings, and of the potential of removing the ILM vehicle tracker from all Openreach vehicles.

Delegate also discussed the need for greatly developed BT Openreach managerial understanding of women’s health issues, with votes for the employer to develop a Menstrual Health and Workplace Equality Policy and make it mandatory for managers to attend women’s health educational workshops.

Proposing delegate Jonathan Pullen said that “too often, we see blank stares from across the desk, and women forced to give personal lessons in biology to employers.

“We want a workplace where managers trained, stigma is removed, and people are treated with dignity.”

Delegates ended on passing a motion calling for the union to meet with BT to ensure that welfare facilities will be kept to acceptable quality in works buildings,

Andy Mercer giving thanks “we appreciate you bringing your members’ voice here, and that is what we’re here for.

“We’ve put forward campaigns on VMO2, reskilling, offshoring, Santander location strategies, and women’s health.

“We’ve set the strategy, and it’s time for us to go out there and win them.

“But it’s about us being united – our members need to be totally involved in these campaigns to win.”