Royal Mail privatisation protest
- 00:02:19
- ITN
Royal Mail privatisation protest
Hundreds of postal workers have been protesting in Westminster over Government plans to part privatise the Royal Mail Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) from across the UK travelled to London for a rally before lobbying MPs as part of a campaign against selling off part of the postal group. A Commons motion opposing the sale has been signed by 139 Labour MPs, with Gordon Brown facing the biggest rebellion since he became Prime Minister. A Bill to press ahead with the partial sale is expected to be launched soon in Parliament, placing the Government on a collision course with Labour MPs and unions. The CWU gives around £1 million a year to the party as well as practical help such as supporting Labour during elections. The union has warned that the Government's plans are a "defining moment" in its relationship with the unions. CWU says it will ballot its members on disaffiliation from the Labour party should privatisation of Royal Mail take place A poll of 1,000 members of the public last month showed that three out of four disagreed with privatisation, rising to nine out of ten when foreign ownership was mentioned. Dutch postal group TNT has said it was keen to buy a stake in the Royal Mail, with other foreign firms from Denmark and Sweden reportedly expressing an interest. Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton and chief executive Adam Crozier are due to be questioned on Tuesday about the future of the organisation at a hearing of the cross party Business Select Committee. The controversy will also be raised at a crucial meeting of Labour's national policy forum. Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, said privatisation of Royal Mail was a "totemic issue" for postal unions, adding: "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 union's relationship with the Labour Party. "The UK public is overwhelmingly opposed to Government plans to privatise part of Royal Mail. This is a deeply unpopular move which would damage a trusted public service. "We urge the Government to take responsible action and respond to the justified concerns of UK citizens who do not want to see this valuable public asset carved up and sold off." Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "Royal Mail is a profitable public company with a dedicated workforce and unmatched public trust. Why would you gamble this away on an unpopular and unproven part sell-off? "A huge majority of the public is against this idea. It's time MPs listened to their constituents and scrapped this disastrous plan."
ITN | February 24, 2009
