LTB 106/09 - Emergency Motion E6 :CWU Annual Conference 2008

[Big Daz]

Dear Colleague

Emergency Motion E6 : CWU Annual Conference 2008

Branches may have seen press reports over the weekend – February 6/7th February and Monday 9th February – that appeared in the Sun and The Times. These reports emanated from a statement made by the General Secretary to the Labour Party Joint Policy Commission held on Thursday February 5th, together with a subsequent press release that was issued by the General Secretary on Friday February 6th. The text of the press release read as follows:

“Union-Labour Relations Strained by Government Privatisation Plans

Speaking at a Labour Party Joint Policy Commission meeting in the House of Commons last night between senior trade union and government figures, Billy Hayes said that Royal Mail privatisation plans are a defining moment union-Labour relations.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “Privatisation of Royal Mail is a totemic issue for postal unions CWU and Unite.

“The current government plans are a defining moment in the relationship between the unions and the government. The relationship will be severely strained towards breaking point.

“Coupled with planned job losses and office closures in Royal Mail, the government’s actions are placing a huge strain on the unions’ relationship with the Labour Party.”

The UK postal union last disaffiliated from Labour in 1927 after the general strike and were out of the party for 21 years.

The CWU has an agreed policy to ballot members on disaffiliation should privatisation of Royal Mail take place.”

The terms of Emergency Motion, E6 which was supported by the National Executive Council and subsequently carried at Annual Conference 2008, is as follows:

“Conference condemns the recent submissions by Postcomm and Royal Mail to the Hooper review received at CWU Headquarters on 23rd May calling for the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Conference further notes that within Royal Mail’s submission to the Hooper Review it states that Royal Mail may have to alter the Pension Scheme again within 3 years.

Conference reaffirms its total opposition to privatisation in any form. This includes outright privatisation, joint ventures, splitting the business and allowing private companies to take over parts of it or infusions of private capital. We demand that the Government rules out privatisation as a possible outcome of the Review. Conference regards the issue of ownership as outside the terms of reference given to Hooper’s team.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to launch an immediate unprecedented campaign amongst the public, politicians, business, media and CWU members to maintain Royal Mail as a 100% publicly owned company.

Conference further instructs the NEC to lobby the Government in order to achieve our vision of a wholly publicly owned Royal Mail – continuing to provide an end to end postal service in the interests of the public – with clearly defined social obligations that can operate in a commercial market with a level playing field, and where the cost of maintaining the USO is met by all.

Conference also instructs the NEC to apply pressure on the Government to force them to face up to their responsibility as shareholder in order to protect and maintain the final salary pension scheme in line with other public sector workers.

Conference also instructs the NEC to lobby the Government to protect the Post Office Counter Network, including call for a judicial review.

Conference further agrees that if the Government fails to agree to the full terms of this motion by March 2009 then the CWU membership will be balloted on whether they believe the Union should fund the Labour Party at the next General Election.

The NEC is instructed accordingly.”
History of Affiliation

Branches may wish to note the following:

In the aftermath of TUC General Strike held in 1926, the then Conservative Government took action against Civil Servants. In 1927 it introduced the Trades Dispute Act. This was placed before Parliament by Winston Churchill MP at the time Stanley Baldwin was Prime Minister. The Act made it illegal for Civil Service Unions to affiliate to the TUC and the Labour Party. In 1945 – 1951 the Labour Government repealed the legislation. As a result of the legislation the Union of Post Office Workers re-affiliated to the Labour Party in 1947. The Post Office Engineering Union re-affiliated in 1963 and the National Communications Union (Clerical Section) re-affiliated in 1991.

Branches may wish to utilise the information contained within this LTB.

Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Department quoting the reference GS 11.0.

Yours sincerely


Billy Hayes
General Secretary