POSTAL WORKERS

THEIR FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT

Defend public services

No to privatisation

An end to Saturday deliveries; fewer collections from post boxes; staggered delivery systems so you don't get your mail every day; the closure of 2,500 crown post offices with the business being sold off to privateers W H Smith; massive price rises to the customer; an end to the 'one price fits all' letter service; 40,000 job losses; reduced pension rights for Royal Mail staff; longer deliveries; a pay rise of 2.5% which, with inflation running at 4.8%, is in effect a pay cut and mail centre closures.

Trevor Prior CWU rep and Socialist Party member, Cambridge.

That's what 'modernisation' really means to the postal industry. The likes of Allan Leighton and Adam Crozier would have you believe that they are at the vanguard of some great new dawn for Britain's postal service.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Their only interest is in stripping a great national institution to the bone and lining their pockets with public money.

Royal Mail bosses have until now been blasŽ about the impact of the strikes and have refused to enter into serious talks with the communication workers union (CWU).

But following two 24-hour strikes the postal dispute has now moved into a new phase. In an escalation of the current dispute postal workers have now begun a rolling programme of action that means Royal Mail will face two full weeks of functional / site-specific strikes resulting in continuous disruption to mail services.

The battle lines have been drawn and there is little doubt that postal workers across all parts of Royal Mail will continue to heed their union's call to action and remain resolute in their determination to emerge victorious from the dispute.

A key factor will be the level of public support. The message is clear: trade unionists, socialists and everyone who cares about our postal service must reject Royal Mail's short-sighted capitalist business plan and support the postal workers in struggle.

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In The Socialist 24 July 2007:

New Labour ignored flood warnings