Posties vow to step up war against privatisation of RM

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POSTAL workers yesterday joined hundreds of union members at Westminster to fight proposals to privatise Royal Mail.

Communication Workers' Union (CWU) members met MPs at Parliament before the second reading of the Postal Services Bill.

The Government had announced earlier this month that it was pressing ahead with the privatisation proposals.

But yesterday's debate was the first time MPs were given the chance to question ministers about it.

Around 12 postal workers from Stoke-on-Trent joined the Midlands delegation at the lobby.

Midlands regional secretary Lee Barron said: "It's not the first time we've had to fight this issue.

"Royal Mail is a cherished British institution and we don't want to see it privatised. It would lead to a worse service, fewer jobs and price rises.

"If we become part of the private sector we lose our VAT exemption so prices would go up by 20 per cent almost overnight."

The CWU has drawn up a "hit list" of Midlands MPs with low majorities to target, including the Conservative representative for the Staffordshire Moorlands Karen Bradley.

Mr Barron added: "We are specifically targeting the MP for Staffordshire Moorlands and will be taking our campaign into the heart of that constituency.

"Opinion poll after opinion poll has shown people are against privatisation and politicians have got to understand they are democratically accountable to the people who voted for them."

Business Secretary Vince Cable said earlier this month private buyers would be allowed to own up to 90 per cent of the Royal Mail, with at least 10 per cent of shares going to employees, while the Post Office may be mutualised.

The Government would also take on the Royal Mail's multi-billion pound pension shortfall.

Yesterday Mr Cable announced an extra £1.3 billion of funding for the Post Office over the next four years, which he said would secure its long-term future.

He said while the Bill allowed for the separation of Royal Mail and the Post Office, they would continue to work together closely.

Speaking in the Commons, he defended the Government's desire to move "further and faster" with its plans than the previous administration.

He said: "Let nobody be under any illusion as to what Royal Mail's predicament is.

"The pensions deficit has ballooned – Royal Mail has now proportionately the largest pension deficit of any major company in the UK and it loses almost £1 million a day on its trading activity."

CWU representatives are due to meet the three Stoke-on-Trent MPs – Joan Walley, Tristram Hunt and Rob Flello – at the Midlands No 7 office in Hanley tomorrow to discuss the issue.

[dvbuk55]

Apparently the CWU are going to target the next 323 MPs whose re-election is parlous in 2015 - some only have a majority of 10,000 which, in the real world, means that privatisation will occur at least two years before they will actually get re-elected.