Keep The Post Public: Thursday June 9th - LTB

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Letter to Branches





No. 512/11
Ref: GS: 11.0
Date: 03/06/11



To All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Keep The Post Public: Thursday June 9th

Branches will be aware that the 3rd Reading of the Postal Services Bill takes place in the House of Commons on Thursday June 9th.

Attached to this LTB are various letters thanking those who have assisted the CWU’s campaign with respect to the concessions achieved, together with a letter highlighting the CWU’s continuing resistance to the privatisation of Royal Mail.

On Thursday June 9th the CWU will have a presence in Parliament to advise and monitor the events on the day.

Please find attached at:

Appendix ‘A’:
Letter sent to those Members of the House of Lords who assisted the CWU.

Appendix ‘B’ :
Letter thanking all those MPs who signed CWU EDM 1408 on the Universal Service Obligation (USO)

Appendix ‘C’
Letter to all MPs welcoming the concessions we have secured in the Postal Services Bill and undertakings given, viz USO, Inter Business Agreement. At the same time explicitly stating that we will continue to oppose privatisation.

All the above letters have been emailed and sent out by hard copy today – Friday June 3rd.

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

Yours sincerely



Billy Hayes Dave Ward
General Secretary Deputy General Secretary (Postal)





Appendix A


Letter to those Lords who assisted the CWU on the Postal Services Bill:

(Lord Young, Lord Tunnicliffe, Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, Lord Christopher, Lord Evans of Watford, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Baroness Drake, Lord Tenby, Baroness Turner, Lord Whitty, Lord Lea, Lord Hoyle, Lord Touhig, Lord Laird. Lord Rogan, Lord Smith, Lord Bradshaw, Lord Glasgow, Lord Rowe-Beddoe, Lord Empey and Lord Low.)




Dear
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your fantastic support on the postal services Bill that has just left the House of Lords.
 
With your support we were able to elicit a number of assurances that have strengthened the Bill. They include commitments on the size of the post office network, the inter-business agreement between Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd, the universal service obligation and follow-up reports to Parliament about the impact the proposals in the Bill will have on rural areas including within the devolved administrations.
 
Your support has been invaluable in gaining these improvements.
 
The CWU looks forward to working closely with Members of the House of Lords to ensure that these assurances are implemented in the manner in which they were given. If you do not object we would like to occasionally update you about progress in this regard.
 


Yours sincerely
 


Billy Hayes Dave Ward
General Secretary Deputy General Secretary (Postal)









Appendix ‘B’

Letter to all those MPs who signed EDM 1408

Dear
You signed EDM 1408 which recognised that the minimum requirements that make up the current universal postal service obligation on Royal Mail are an essential service for communities throughout the UK and should not be diminished.
I am sure you will be pleased to learn that BiS Ministers have accepted this point with Baroness Wilcox placing on record the following assurance: “I hope I have made clear that this Government have no intention of changing the minimum requirements, I am happy to put on the record again that assurance applies for the rest of this Parliament, which is almost four years”. (Postal Services Bill, House of Lords, Report Stage, 17th May)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for expressing your support in this regard.
During the passage of the Postal Services Bill the government made this and a number of other assurances that may be of interest to you. They include commitments with regard to the size of the post office network; the inter-business agreement between Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd and follow-up reports to Parliament about the impact the proposals in the bill will have on rural areas including within the devolved administrations.
The CWU looks forward to working closely with Members of Parliament to ensure that these assurances are implemented in the manner in which they were given. If you do not object we would like to occasionally update you about progress in this regard.
Yours sincerely

Billy Hayes Dave Ward
General Secretary Deputy General Secretary (Postal)



APPENDIX ‘C’

Letter to MPs welcoming the concessions secured but explicitly stating that we will continue to oppose privatization.




Dear
 
This week the Postal Services Bill will receive its Lords Amendments stage in Parliament. We have worked with MPs and peers to attain certain guarantees and assurances to safeguard vital parts of this valued public service.
 
Despite these assurances we will remain vigilant on the Governments commitment to an inter-business agreement between Royal Mail and the post office network and we will continue to securitize the government on its plans to sell Royal Mail.
 
With the Coalition government having a significant majority, defeating the privatization of Royal Mail was always going to be a challenge. However, a strong case has been made in Parliament to protect this much valued public service.
 
We have steadfastly opposed privatisation and have sought to ensure this government does not sell off this cherished British institution with no consideration for the public that use the service and the hardworking people employed by Royal Mail and Post Office Limited.
 
What is clear is that selling Royal Mail will be extremely difficult for the government. It has already acknowledged that European State aid rules have created an uncertainty about the timing of the sale. There is also a lack of clarity about the value of the business, and whether a sale would proceed via an IPO or others means.
 
We will maintain pressure on the Government on all of these issues and hope to have your support in this.
 
Best wishes
 
 
 
 
 
Billy Hayes                                                                  Dave Ward
General Secretary                                                       Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Communication Workers Union                              Communication Workers Union