MPs pledge support in fight to stop Royal Mail privatisation

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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MPs in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle MPs have pledged to support postal workers in their fight against proposals to privatise Royal Mail.

City MPs Rob Flello, Tristram Hunt and Joan Walley and Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly met with Communication Workers Union (CWU) representatives yesterday at the Midlands No 7 office in Lindsay Street, Hanley, to discuss the issue.

The move followed a lobby of hundreds of postal workers and union members at Westminster on Tuesday before the second reading of the Postal Services Bill.

Sean Pender, recruitment and organising officer for the Communication Workers' Union (CWU), said the meeting with the MPs had been productive.

He said: "We talked about keeping Royal Mail as a public company and how detrimental it would be if it were to be privatised.


"Although we're still at the early stages, we're confident we can put forward a good argument for the firm to remain in public hands."

MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, Rob Flello, said he and his colleagues need to "work together in the worrying times ahead".

He said: "What the meeting highlighted was that what the Government has in mind for the Post Office could mean the end for the universal service.

"We are also looking at the loss of 400 jobs in a city where there is already pressure on employment."

MP for Stoke Central, Tristram Hunt, said together the MPs had vowed to battle against the loss of jobs in North Staffordshire.

He said: "During the meeting we heard about the potential threat to jobs in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.

"After hearing the views of postal workers and union representatives, we will take the messages back to London.

"Managers have got to put behind them any negative connotations they have and think about what Royal Mail, as a public company, offers."

Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly, said: "We agreed that it was a matter of priority for local MPs from all parties to work together to make sure that we have a Royal Mail and Post Office for the future that delivers what people expect.

"In particular, we need to make sure that we keep the universal service which guarantees delivery the next day at the same price.

"That is something which is very important for rural communities.

"Secondly, we need to make sure that there is a Royal Mail presence in North Staffordshire because it's a valued provider of jobs."

[andy2007]

It's good to hear that there's so much support from MPs for us now. I just hope it's not too little too late. They should have listened to us in the first place, and resisted all attempts to privatise us. Still, better late than never, I suppose.

[jockstrapp]

M.Ps are incapable of telling the truth so when push comes to shove they will not be interested in Royal mail.

[dvbuk55]

They're all Labour MPs so no worries there