What future now for policy forum, party members ask Brown

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by René Lavanchy

LABOUR Party activists have confronted Gordon Brown and his ministers over industrial policy, and asked what the part-privatisation of Royal Mail means for Labour’s policy-making process.

Mr Brown, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and Pat McFadden, minister for employment relations and postal affairs, faced widespread concern over Royal Mail, the treatment of agency workers and the recognition of trade union rights in Europe when they addressed Labour’s National Policy Forum in Bristol last Saturday.

The NPF agreed last summer that Royal Mail would remain fully in public hands, in line with Labour’s last election manifesto – just five months before Lord Mandelson announced the privatisation plans.

Protesters against the Royal Mail plans, including Communication Workers’ Union members, booed Mr Brown as he arrived at the forum.

A senior forum member told Tribune: “There’s massive support for the CWU’s position. You can’t understand why we’re getting into this position. The party doesn’t need it.”

Alon Or-Bach, who represents London constituency parties on the NPF, added: “We need to explain to the CWU and the National Policy Forum that what we’ve agreed only months ago is not what we’re doing. My view is it’s the wrong battle to fight”.

Mr Brown declined to address the issue of policy-making, but said: “I think we all recognise that the Royal Mail, which is part of the fabric of our country, faces huge challenges.

“I do say to you that guaranteeing a £25 billion pension fund, spending £1.9 billion on the post office network, maintaining a universal service obligation can be achieved if we make the investment that is necessary to secure the Royal Mail for the future.”

Lord Mandelson has promised that Royal Mail’s six-day universal service will be safeguarded under the Government’s legislation.

Many NPF members spoke about the need to change the law over the Viking-Laval-Rüffert judgements in the European Court of Justice that curtailed union rights, which several Labour MEPs have called for. Previously, Lord Mandelson has suggested the law was not a problem, but Mr McFadden said last week he wanted a settlement to come out of Europe.

Forum members also called for action over extending agency workers’ rights, in advance of a Government consultation on the subject. Ministers are considering how to incorporate a new European directive giving agency workers more equal rights into British law, but a number of Labour MPs want to go further and give them the right to legal notice periods and redundancy pay.