About this Region

Welcome to the website of the North West Region of the Communication Workers Union.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is the biggest union for the communications industry in the UK with 200,000 members. It was formed in January 1995 when the National Communications Union and the Union of Communication Workers merged.

CWU represents workers in the Royal Mail, BT, Openreach, Post Office and other telecom businesses, Santander, O2, Capita, Virgin Media, Mobile Phone Companies, Call Centres, Cable TV companies and Parcels & Mailing Companies.

Our members’ expertise includes engineering, computing, clerical, mechanical, driving, retail, financial, customer service, social media, and manual skills.

The North West Region is organised into 16 branches covering some 24,000 members across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and the Isle of Man.

These branches form the North West Regional Committee that meets four times a year.

The North West CWU Regional Executive Committee oversee the work of the Region in between full Regional Committee meetings and works to a Regional Development Plan.

The Committee comprise of the following elected representatives:

  • Regional Secretary
  • Regional Assistant Secretary
  • Regional Chair
  • Regional Financial Secretary
  • Regional Political Officer
  • Regional Lead – Women
  • Regional Lead – BAME
  • Regional Lead – LGBT
  • Regional Lead – Disability
  • Regional Lead – Young Workers
  • Regional Lead – Retired Members
  • Regional Lead – Health and Safety
  • Regional Lead – Education, Learning and Training
  • The Regional Executive Committee will also comprise of the following ex-Officio members:
  • Regional, Territorial and Field Industrial Leads
  • Designated NEC Members

The Region has six Regional Committee sub-committees:

  • Education & Learning
  • Equality
  • Health & Safety Forum
  • Political
  • Retired Members
  • Young Workers

The objectives of the Regional Structures shall be:

  • To work under the direction of the NEC and oversee all non-industrial work within the Region.
  • To support the development of the union’s work within the wider trade union movement, including building stronger links to TUC Regional Structures.
  • To support the development of the union’s political work, including building stronger links with the relevant Labour Party structures.
  • To support the development and delivery of the union’s Organising and Recruitment Strategy.
  • To support the development and delivery of the union’s Education, Learning and Training Strategy.
  • To support and oversee the work of our Branches and implement strategies such as the CWU measures of success.
  • To develop Regional priorities and campaigns that support the general strategies of the union.
  • To support the development of the union’s Communications and Engagement Strategy.

As the CWU we aim:

  • 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 promote, by industrial and political means, the success of the industries in which our members work;
  • to promote, organise and facilitate access to adult education to enable members to advance their skills for life;
  • to actively oppose all forms of discrimination;
  • to actively campaign to improve workers rights in the workplace;
  • to further these objectives by campaigning and lobbying throughout the national and international community.