| Campaigns | Keep the Post Public

Keep the Post Public

From May to July 2009, CWU National Secretaries used one van to take a giant postcard and inflatable postbox across 870 miles from John O Groats to Lands End to gather public support against the privatisation of Royal Mail - and CWU TV followed them every step of the way! Here's a look back at the CWU's brilliant campaign that pressured the government into scrapping their controversial plans.

See more at CWUTV.org.

The Background

At the end of 2007, a government-appointed panel led by Richard Hooper was commissioned to study, review and report on the future of Royal Mail and a year later Mr Hooper's final report made three key recommendations.

1.That the Government take on responsibility for the Royal Mail pension Scheme deficit.

2. That postal industry regulator Postcomm should be abolished and its duties taken on by communications watchdog Ofcom.

3.That Royal Mail be part-privatised.

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Lord Mandelson immediately announced that the government agreed with each of these and legislate to introduce them.

Right from the start, the CWU fully agreed with and welcomed Hooper's first two proposals but utterly opposed selling any part Royal Mail, and vowed to fight tooth and nail to try to prevent it.

"The fight is on to keep the post public," vowed the union's general secretary Billy Hayes at the time, and deputy general secretary Dave Ward added: "It's time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work," as they, along with head of communications Kevin Slocombe and the CWU executive, discussed and agreed a "twin-track fightback" campaign strategy.

The aim was to maximising political support at Westminster by lobbying and putting the postal workers' case direct to politicians, while also keeping the pressure on them by taking the campaign out to the British public and winning the broadest popular backing.

As 2008 turned into 2009, postal workers received a huge political boost when CWU-supported MP Geraldine Smith (Morecambe and Lunesdale) put down an Early Day Motion (EDM 428) completely supporting our union's stance.

After just a couple of weeks of intensive CWU campaigning, signatories had already hit the 100 mark, providing the perfect launchpad for the Keep the Post Public campaign, which opened at a memorable rally in Westminster back in February.

But the next day, Lord Mandelson introduced the Government's privatising legislation, the Postal Services Bill, in the House of Lords.

March and April saw postal workers taking their case for public ownership out to the people, demonstrating in Postal Affairs Minister Pat McFadden's Wolverhampton constituency, rallying in Manchester and marching through Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and a host of other towns and cities.

Public opposition continued to grow, but the Bill continued its progress, passing its Second House of Lords Reading in March, taking its Third Reading in May and then moving on to the House of Commons.

In early May, the CWU campaign opened up a new front, launching the nationwide Keeping the Public Posted tour at John O'Groats and heading down, region by region, to Lands End in Cornwall.

Billy Hayes explained that the tour "gave activists and supporters in every region of the UK the chance to take part in the campaign, while also giving members of the public, from the big cities to the smallest and most remote communities, the chance to hear our case.

"There's no better way to illustrate, in practice, the vital importance of the 'one-price-goes-anywhere' universal service," he added.

By early summer, with the union's tireless campaigning having lifted the issue right to the top of the political agenda, all eyes were on Westminster and plans were afoot to organise a spontaneous protest outside Parliament on the day of the big vote.

But, after several weeks of delay - and mounting speculation - Mr Mandelson announced to the House of Lords on July 1 that the government had decided to shelve the Bill.

Welcoming the statement, Billy Hayes said: "The government has listened to the British public. Privatisation was a deeply unpopular suggestion from day one and we now look forward to resolving issues which remain around pensions, regulation and modernisation."

And Dave Ward welcomed the news too, but also agreed with the general secretary that there now remained some serious work to do to build a positive future for Royal Mail.

"Now that this uncertainty has been lifted there is a great opportunity to step up a gear in modernising Royal Mail in the public sector," he urged, adding: "Now it's time to fight for the fresh start that we all need."