Moray protests mail privatisation

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A CAMPAIGN opposing Government plans to privatise the Royal Mail postal service will seek support from the Moray public this weekend.

Elgin postie Stephen McLeod.
Elgin postie Stephen McLeod.
Members of the Communication Workers Union in Moray will encourage Elgin town centre shoppers to back their anti-privatisation campaign by signing ‘Save our Royal Mail’ postcards displayed at a stall on the town’s Plainstones on Saturday morning.

Elgin postie and the union’s area ­delivery rep, Stephen McLeod, warned that selling off one of Britain’s ‘crown jewels’ could ­potentially lead to cuts in the delivery ­service in Moray.

And he warned fellow workers who have been offered shares in any company ­buying over Royal Mail as part of the deal that ­accepting these shares could impact on their working conditions.

“I’ve been with Royal Mail for 36 years and this is the biggest campaign I’ve seen in my time,” he said. “We’re urging the ­public to support it.

Saturday’s campaign stall, which begins at 11am, follows similar events held in Aberdeen recently, which Mr McLeod said received strong support.

“We know 80% of the public, maybe even more, are against it.

Campaigners, who will display a ‘Royal Mail not for sale’ banner in Elgin, hope to have Moray Trades Union Council members and local councillors alongside them in a show of support on Saturday.

“We’ve had campaigns like this before when Margaret Thatcher tried to privatise us, and we won those without any strike ­action taken,” said Mr McLeod.

“We run it solely on campaigns, and not one day was lost through industrial action.”