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Securing the future of the CWU

In order to secure the future of the CWU as a strong, independent trade union we know that as well as recruiting and retaining members within our core, recognised employers, we must also prioritise efforts to identify new areas for membership growth and broader union expansion amongst non-recognised employers.

To facilitate and sustain this important work we must first ensure our union structures are in a position that enables us to dedicate efforts towards new growth and expansion, and that we are then able to support any new members to the same standard with which we endeavour to support our existing core membership.

We are beginning this vital piece of work by launching a major listening and engagement exercise with every region, branch, officer and rep; to kick-start this important conversation and get every level of the union thinking about how we can overcome the barriers we currently face when it comes to organising in newer areas and future-proof the CWU for generations of trade unionists to come.

When we refer to ‘core recognised employers’ we are primarily referring to Royal Mail Group and BT/Openreach.

Please have your say by taking part in our survey below.

This should take you no longer than 8 minutes. Please only answer questions that are relevant to you.
1. Please tell us a bit about yourself (tick all that apply).

I'm currently a:
 
3. Do you know within how many separate employers the CWU currently represents members, across our 200,000+ strong membership?
 
4. How much time/resource does your branch currently spend on recruitment or organising activity specifically targeting new members outside of our core recognised employers?
 
5. What do you believe are the priorities of any new member joining the CWU from a non-recognised workplace?
Low priority
 
High priority
Receiving advice
Representation
Inclusion in branch meetings
Voting in branch elections
Voting in regional/national elections
Inclusion in wider union activity ie. marches, rallies, conferences
Access to education, training, and development
Receipt of regular, relevant and engaging communications
6. What barriers does your branch currently face when thinking about recruitment or organising activity specifically targeting new members outside of our core recognised employers? (Tick all that apply)
 
8. What additional support do you believe is needed to enable your branch to fully and effectively support members outside of our core recognised employers? (Tick all that apply)
 
9. By what methods does your branch currently communicate with its members? (Tick all that apply)
 
10. Has your branch yet completed and returned the ‘13 Measures of Success’ Workbook that was delivered to all branches as part of the GROW campaign?
 
11. Do you have personal experience of interacting with non-recognised members from outside your own employer via your union role or from taking part in union activities?
 
12. To your knowledge, does your branch have a dedicated person who deals with the representation of members outside of our core recognised employers?
 
13. To your knowledge, is your branch easily reachable for members outside of our core recognised membership (who are unlikely to have workplace rep or union structures in place) either via a regularly answered phoneline or email?
 
14. To your knowledge, does your branch currently have a process in place to pay for special release in order to recruit, organise or represent members from outside our core recognised employers?
 
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