UNISON joins campaign against Royal Mail Privatisation

UNISON Genereal Secretaray Dave Prentis has joined with the leaders of the affiliated trade unions to warn, in a letter to the Guardian, that the government must honour its pledges and keep the post office public.The letter says:

'At Warwick University, in the summer of 2008, the affiliated trade unions collectively participated in a series of policy discussions with representatives of the Labour party and Downing Street. The purpose and outcome of those discussions was to reach a policy agreement that was satisfactory to all participants.Within that Warwick agreement was a clear commitment to maintaining Royal Mail in the public sector: "We have set out a vision of a wholly publicly owned, integrated Royal Mail group in good health providing customers with an excellent service and its employees with rewarding employment."This commitment was agreed by all affiliated trade unions in the belief that it guaranteed the future of Royal Mail as "wholly publicly owned". This was our belief in the summer, and it was the belief of the 2008 Labour party conference, which voted to support this policy.We are deeply concerned that the Labour party now appears to be willing to break that commitment by adopting the recommendations of the Hooper report. Its proposals to bring in a "strategic partner", via an exchange of equity, clearly constitutes the part privatisation of Royal Mail.The affiliated trade unions believe that the part-privatisation of Royal Mail is electorally unpopular, politically unwise and damaging to the concept of universal service provision. Furthermore, to break a pledge so recently made undermines the legitimacy of our policy process and raises questions about the validity of other agreements reached.We are unanimous in our opposition to the proposed privatisation of Royal Mail, and ask that the government reconsiders its response before it becomes a dividing line within our movement., TSSA Lord Mandelson introduced plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail on Thursday, 26th February. '

John McDonnell - Labour MP, said:

“Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson should not underestimate the opposition that this will unleash among MPs, trade unions, postal workers and communities. This is a privatisation beyond what even Thatcher proposed.”

Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary, said:

“There is still no convincing argument for privatisation. Any private stake in Royal Mail will take money out of the business for private profits and lead to a reduction in services and rise in consumer prices.

"Privatisation will also trigger thousands more jobs losses at a time when the government should be leading on job retention.

"The British public does not want its postal service to be flogged off. It's also clear that there's no support among Labour MPs for this move, which is why Lord Mandelson introduced it in the House of Lords.

Read the CWU response to the Hooper Report in full. Download the CWU NW region briefing and 10 good reasons briefing.

Ask your MP to sign EDM 428 ‘Royal Mail’. Over 100 Labour MPs have now signed. Download the model motion and get it passed in your party or trade union branch.

Find out more details from the CWU website: Keep the Post Public!. Find out details of the National March & Rally in Wolverhampton on 14th March 2009.