Scotland says No’ to Post Office privatisation

Postal July 18 2016
Calls to “Save our Post Office” rang loud and clear around Scotland’s two biggest cities and its largest town today, as the CWU launched its nationwide campaign to defend this vital public service.
Aboard the union’s Big Red Battlebus, campaigners took their message to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley on Day One of the People’s Post Office campaign, opposing the company’s plan to hand publicly owned Crowns to private retailers through so-called franchising’.
Assistant secretary Andy Furey, John Brown, the union’s Scotland Secretary, local branch secretaries Kenny Logan (Scotland 2) and Jim McKechnie (Glasgow & District Amal), and CWU members from both branches were supported by Carole and Dave Bowmaker, CWU territorial rep, and postal executive members Lynn Simpson, Dave Wilshire, and Andy Hopping, who took turns at the megaphone, stating the union’s case as the bus drove around the streets.
First stop today was Edinburgh’s Frederick Street Crown Office, where passers-by were asked to sign the giant post card on the side of the bus to send a message to the Government urging intervention to stop the destruction of the network.
After a couple of hours campaigning in the capital – during which the post card started to fill with signatures – the CWU team got back on the bus and set off for Glasgow’s St George’s Square, where local people gave them another warm and supportive welcome.
John Brown said: “It’s been great today and the response from people has been fantastic – people have been queuing up to sign the post card and it’s quickly filling up!
“The message today has been loud and clear,” he continued, “Scotland says No to franchising, no to privatisation and save our network.”
Five of Scotland’s 22 Crown offices are threatened with this form of back-door privatisation – two in Glasgow and one each on East Kilbride, Kilmarnock and Paisley.
And it was to Paisley where campaigners headed next, parking the battlebus outside the town’s franchise-threatened Crown Office and taking their case direct to members of the public.
Local MSP Neil Bibby welcomed the campaign saying: “I’m fully behind this campaign and I’m delighted the People’s Post Bus has come to Paisley.
“We’re Scotland’s largest town, it’s in the vital interests of our people that we retain our Crown Office and the message from Paisley is loud and clear – we want to keep our Crown.
“Thanks to the CWU for fighting for the local community as well as for CWU members,” he added.
Summing up the first day, Andy Furey said: “The public have been wonderful. Everybody wants to protect three Post Office and nobody wants to see it handed privatised by the back door.
“This network needs investment and a plan for growth – not managed decline,” he continued, and insisted: “The Government needs to invest in this great British institution, rather than let it die.
“We’re off to the North West tomorrow to visit Manchester and St Helens and we’re looking forward to a similar reception there.”