Postal workers lobby delegates

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Postal workers opposed to government plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail have lobbied delegates outside a Labour Party conference in Gillingham.
Members of the Communication Workers Union handed out leaflets supporting their campaign at the South East Regional Labour Party Conference at Priestfield Stadium.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has said that the Government was aiming to comple
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te part-privatisation of the Royal Mail later this year or early in 2010.

The Postal Services Bill, currently going through Parliament, allows for the sale of up to 49% of Royal Mail group, although ministers expect a partner to take a stake of around 30%.

A handful of CWU members turned out to take their Keep the Post Public message to the Labour Party and Government in the hope the plans would be abandoned.

Terry Jackson, the union's south east regional secretary, said: "The message that we hope delegates will take away is that privatisation, part or otherwise, is not in the interests of the Labour Party, the country or the consumer.

"With the European Elections coming up, Peter Mandelson is scoring something of an own goal at a time when the party needs to maximise its level of vote.

"Part-privatisation is going to mean a lessening of the service. We will see more centralisation of services as companies will look to sell Royal Mail's assets in order to increase their profits.

"There will be a move from Royal Mail having its own properties to instead leasing properties and this will result in mail travelling more miles, therefore having an effect on the environment and the consumer."

Earlier this month, the plans came under attack from a cross-party committee of MPs which complained about a "lack of transparency" about the proposals.