Union's Letter Published in Guardian Re RM Sell-Off

On the morning that the Labour Party make history by wearing the cloak of Tory privatisation policies in teh form of the sell-off of Royal Mail,the major trade unions write to the Guardian newspaper outlining their opposition:

"At Warwick University, in the summer of 2008, the affiliated trade unions collectively participated in a series of policy discussions with representatives of the Labour party and Downing Street. The purpose and outcome of those discussions was to reach a policy agreement that was satisfactory to all participants.

Within that Warwick agreement was a clear commitment to maintaining Royal Mail in the public sector: "We have set out a vision of a wholly publicly owned, integrated Royal Mail group in good health providing customers with an excellent service and its employees with rewarding employment."

This commitment was agreed by all affiliated trade unions in the belief that it guaranteed the future of Royal Mail as "wholly publicly owned". This was our belief in the summer, and it was the belief of the 2008 Labour party conference, which voted to support this policy.

We are deeply concerned that the Labour party now appears to be willing to break that commitment by adopting the recommendations of the Hooper report. Its proposals to bring in a "strategic partner", via an exchange of equity, clearly constitutes the part privatisation of Royal Mail.

The affiliated trade unions believe that the part-privatisation of Royal Mail is electorally unpopular, politically unwise and damaging to the concept of universal service provision. Furthermore, to break a pledge so recently made undermines the legitimacy of our policy process and raises questions about the validity of other agreements reached.

We are unanimous in our opposition to the proposed privatisation of Royal Mail, and ask that the government reconsiders its response before it becomes a dividing line within our movement."

Billy Hayes general secretary, CWU
Tony Woodley Tulo chair and joint general secretary, Unite the Union
Paul Kenny Tulo vice-chair and general secretary, GMB
Derek Simpson joint general secretary, Unite the Union
Dave Prentis general secretary, Unison
John Hannett general secretary, Usdaw
Michael Leahy general secretary, Community
Alan Ritchie general secretary, Ucatt
Gerry Doherty general secretary, TSSA

Readers comments to the letter can be read here

The Guardian also ran a major news item regarding the part privatisation and this can be read on line here

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