| Keep The Post Public Coalition | The campaign so far

Saturday 19th March 2011, Brighton

A beautiful day greeted a crowd of about 300 as they took to the streets of Brighton to rally against the government's plans to privatise Royal Mail. With guest speakers including CWU general secretary, Billy Hayes, CWU deputy general secretary for postal, Dave Ward and Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas, the 1 mile march through Brighton followed by a branded Keep the Post Public bus was a huge success.

Have a look at the photo diary from the event:

Caroline Lucas (MP) below

Saturday 5th March 2011, Sheffield

Thousands of protestors rallied outside the LibDem spring conference in Sheffield on Saturday to voice their opposition to the ConDem government's sweeping agenda of cuts. A lively CWU contingent proudly marched with the Keep the Post Public banner and were joined by CWU senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns.

Tony gave a rousing speech damning the "undemocratic" government cuts. "There is no mandate for the destruction this government is doing to communities and public services across the UK", Tony told the assembled crowd. "This government of millionaires tells us there are difficult decisions to be taken, and then they delegate those decisions to local authorities in an attempt to wash their hands of responsibility. The Big Society is a con, void of ideas to govern properly and both incapable and unwilling to tackle the bankers greedy bonus culture the Big Society is the Government saying "we can't govern properly - you do it". Once you strip bare the myths of the UK debt and deficit you are left with the understanding that these are ideological cuts which the Tories are gleefully pushing through under the smokescreen of Big Society rhetoric. The most vicious anti-working class Government is being propped up by the Lib Dems and we need to unite to stop them."

Tony called on CWU activists, trade union members and the general public to stand together in the face of government cuts and come to the March for Alternative in London on 26th March.

Other speakers at the event included Unite general secretary Len McClusky.

Saturday 5th March 2011, Bury

Postal workers and supporters staged a protest in Bury against the government's plans to privatise Royal Mail. A street stall set up in the Market Square canvassed the people of Bury asking shoppers to fill in postcards addressed to local MP, David Nuttall, appealing to him to listen to his constituents and oppose plans to sell off Royal Mail. In just over four hours 440 completed postcards were collected.

Ted Stead, branch secretary of the CWU North West No1 branch which covers Bury, said he was delighted with the support shown by visitors to the stall. He added: "Everyone voiced their anger that this government wants to sell off Royal Mail. With all that is happening with the cuts in the councils, NHS and education many people had forgotten about the insidious Bill to privatise our industry and were appalled when they were told how the Bill was being progressed."

Local Bury Councillor, Sandra Walmsley, was also at the demonstration and commented: "The response from the people of Bury people was as ever, extremely heart-warming. There simply is no public appetite to sell off this great British institution and certainly not to companies whose aim is to make huge profits."

Continuing she said: "We want to see money properly invested in the Royal Mail so services can improve; we don't want to see the coalition government drive Royal Mail into the ground deliberately so people are conned into thinking privatisation is the only answer - it isn't and David Nuttall MP should do what he is elected to do and actually listen to his constituents. He should tell his tory colleagues that we oppose the privatisation and then he should do the right thing and pledge his support to our campaign."

Further days of protest in the North West and are planned. Contact regional secretary, Carl Webb on 07850 019 602. Visit our section on KTPP events for information on other demo's, marches and rallies taking place around the country.

Friday 4th March 2011, Scottish LibDem conference

Scottish branches were out in Perth to leaflet and lobby the Scottish LibDem conference and promote the Keep the Post Public campaign to MP's and MSP's as well as the general public.

Most delegates attending the conference responded positively to our presence with some MP's and MSP's accepting leaflets on their way into Concert Hall, the conference venue. Several Scottish LibDem MP's and MSP's either did their best to avoid us or ignored our people as they were handing out leaflets.

Leafleting, aimed at spreading our message to the general public in the area, continued in the shopping precincts of Perth.

Saturday 26th February 2011, Aberdeen

Aberdeen came alive with a vibrant Keep the Post Public campaign street stall and short march along Union street on Saturday 26^th February where demonstrators were joined by the likes of local MP Ann Begg to protest against the government's plans to privatise Royal Mail.

Hundreds of supporters signed the KTPP petition and postcards which will be sent to the local MP's of Aberdeen and the surrounding area who represent the full political spectrum and include Labour, Lib Dem and the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Several Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), including Lewis MacDonald and Richard Baker, both senior Labour Opposition Spokespersons in the Scottish parliament came out in support of the campaign and joined in the festivities.

The march ended at the Aberdeen TUC club in Adelphi where short speeches were followed by a buffet lung along with a "pint or two". Two members of the Burslem branch turned up in support later in the day and were proud to see the positive reaction from the population of Aberdeen to the campaign and banners.

Let's keep up the momentum! Find out what you can do to support the campaign and upcoming events in your area.

Saturday 19th February 2011

Demonstrators took to the streets of Beeston, Nottingham as part of the CWU's Keep the Post Public campaign protesting against the government's plans to privatise Royal Mail. Joined by other unions, Unison, PCS, UCU, Trades Union Council as well as Beeston Labour Party, the march was further strengthened by an army tanker prop emblazoned with banners touting "Defending jobs" and "SOS - Save our Services".

Have a look through the photo diary below and find out where the next Keep the Post Public event is taking place.

Find out more about the March for an Alternative - a national march, organised by the TUC, taking place in London on the 26th March 2011.

Saturday 29th January 2011

Around 500 demonstrators marched through Birmingham on Saturday as the CWU's Keep the Post Public campaign visited the capital of the midlands.

"We gathered at Victoria Square and then marched right through the heart of the city," reported CWU regional secretary Lee Barron, who noted that this was the third demonstration that the union has organised this month.

"And we were delighted that following the Witney and Kingston marches, we kept up the momentum here in Birmingham and ended January on a hugely positive note."

Although the Postal Services Bill - which would allow full privatisation of the Royal Mail - has passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons and is currently being considered by the House of Lords, the CWU remains determined to continue campaigning to urge the government to think again.

"We've got to keep going with our campaign," Lee insisted, adding: "If we do nothing, then we've got no chance, but if we keep fighting, then we still might win."

After taking their protest through the city centre, marchers packed into Birmingham Town Hall, where they heard inspiring speeches from CWU general secretary Billy Hayes, deputy general secretary Dave Ward, local Labour MP Jack Dromey and others bringing solidarity and support from the wider labour and trade union movement.

"It was an extremely positive day," reflected Lee afterwards. "And what particularly struck me was the enthusiasm shown by ordinary members of the public who we passed along the way.

"We'll keep going and keep up the pressure," he vowed.

Watch live footage of the event as well as Birmingham Labour MP Jack Dromey criticise plans to sell off the Royal Mail.

Saturday 22nd January 2011

Over a thousand people, including hundreds of postal workers, their families and supporters took the CWU's Keep the Post Public message to the streets of Kingston in Surrey on Saturday.

Ed Davey MP - the government Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs - represents the Kingston Constituency in Parliament and Saturday's protest was aimed at bringing home to Mr Davey the strength of feeling against Royal Mail privatisation.

"We're waking up Ed Davey and we're waking up Kingston," CWU general secretary Billy Hayes told the crowd at a rally before the demonstration headed off.

Billy went on to argue that the government's plans were not representative of the views of the UK public, who have shown their opposition to the Royal Mail sale in opinion polls taken among voters of all three political parties.

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward warned that postal workers would be fully justified in taking industrial action to defend their terms and conditions of employment if these came under threat through the privatisation process.

"Whatever happens at Westminster, if we have to take action to defend our members then we will," Dave vowed, adding that privatisation was not in the "interests of this country, the workforce or businesses."

Speakers from the Labour Party's Young Labour organisation, local Labour parliamentary candidate Max Freedman, students and the teachers' union NUT general secretary Christine Blower also pledged their support to the CWU campaign, after which surprise guest "Her Majesty the Queen" arrived.

"Rise up my subjects and together, let us all fight to Keep the Post Public," she urged the audience, who cheered at this apparent Royal approval. Protesters then set off, marching through Kingston to the surprise and interest of Saturday shoppers, lead by a drumming band to the banks of the River Thames.

CWU London regional secretary-elect Jim Kirwan thanked everyone for attending and urged people to come along to the next planned campaign event - a march through Birmingham next week.

For more information on Keep the Post Public visit our campaign pages.

See the photo diary below and read more on related press coverage from the event.

Photographs courtesy of Phil Graham / FILMAR photography.

Wednesday 12th January 2011

To coincide with the third reading of the Postal Services Bill, a 'Keep The Post Public' petition signed by over 15,000 members of the public from across Nottinghamshire was handed into No 10 Downing Street on Wednesday the 12^th of January.

The petition which called on the PM to reject the sell off of Royal Mail was jointly handed in by Labour Party MPs from Nottingham and Officials of the Nottingham & District Amal Branch.

Sunday 9th January 2011

Photo diary of Keep the Post Public demonstration on the streets of the prime minister, David Cameron's constitency, Witney, Oxfordshire. Read more on related press coverage.

Watch Dave Ward address the 500-strong crowd at the demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81OYoUVFgSU and continued: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D_c1Hd9Te4

Watch Billy's speech and more of this event on Witney TV.