'We are with you against privatisation', says Miliband

25 March 2011

The Communication Workers Union today (Friday) received a strong show of support from Labour Party leader Ed Miliband at the Labour Party's Policy Forum in Nottingham.

Taking policy suggestions and questions from the floor, Paul Murfin, a Royal Mail driver from the CWU's Nottingham and District branch, asked the Labour leader: “Why, when the Labour Party was in government and the rest of Europe were protecting their postal services, did the Labour Party set about systematically destroying Royal Mail?”

Continuing, Paul explained the current sentiments amongst postal workers saying: “We are about to enter the fight of our lives. We are asking the Labour Party to support and back us.”

Ed Miliband responded with a positive message of support, saying: “We are with you against the wholesale privatisation of the Royal Mail that is being undertaken. It is the wrong thing for Royal Mail in my view and is why we voted against it in parliament.”

He continued by explaining the Labour Party's actions on Royal Mail when they were in power, saying: “We made a proposal for selling off 30 per cent of the Royal Mail; that was because we thought there needed to be more investment in the Royal Mail and we were worried that government couldn't do it. But I know also about the worries there are about competition, for example, and the way that there is a strong feeling that Royal Mail has been subjected to competitive pressures that other postal services in Europe have not been subjected to.”

The Labour leader said that he understood the sentiments of postal workers and how “the people working in Royal Mail often felt like the odds were stacked against them.” Highlighting his concerns over unfair competition levelled at Royal Mail, Ed Miliband finished by telling Paul: “We are with you in this fight against Royal Mail privatisation taking place.”

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes commented: “It's good to have backing for our Keep the Post Public campaign from the top of the Labour Party. Ed Miliband has given strong backing for UK postal services in Nottingham today and that is very welcome.”

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