Supporting publicly-owned postal services

The SNP conference has passed a topical resolution condemning moves by the Royal Mail and UK government to seek confrontation with the post office workers’ union – the Communications Workers Union – as a means to press ahead with privatization plans.
 
The revelations were outlined in Royal Mail documents obtained by the BBC's Newsnight showing the company planning to exclude union members in their plans to try and privatise the Royal Mail.
 
Welcoming the passing of the resolution Christina McKelvie MSP – the SNP Trade Union Group’s Parliamentary representative – said the disclosures highlighted why trade union members should dump the Labour party and ensure they did not pay a political levy to Labour.
 
Commenting Ms McKelvie said:
 
“This week’s revelations showing collusion between Royal Mail the Labour government to exclude the trade unions from their privatisation proposals expose the depths which the Labour party will now go. That they will provoke a dispute deliberately is shocking.
 
“It also shows the contempt they have for union members who have been funding the Labour party. Many of them I know will be looking at stopping those donations.
 
“Royal Mail must remain in public hands and the SNP will continue to fight for the retention of publicly-owned postal services.”
 
ENDS
 
Notes:
   
1. The resolution as passed is as follows:
   
ATTACK ON UNION RIGHTS BY ROYAL MAIL
   
Conference notes the emergence of documents, revealed by the BBC, outlining plans by Royal Mail to fight the forthcoming industrial action without agreement of the workforce.
   
Conference regrets that Royal Mail has refused an offer of arbitration, amid signs of Westminster government interference.
   
Conference condemns moves by Royal Mail to attack trade union facility time as clearly an unacceptable bullying measure.
   
SNP Trade Union Group
  
2. A BBC news item on the Royal Mail document showing the company is planning to exclude the CWU from planned changes to the service can be read here.
 
3. A link to the SNP’s website to allow trade union members to opt out of paying the political levy to Labour is available here.