I am, as the bit up above on the blog makes clear, a member of the Labour Representation Committee (the rank and file organisation for socialists within the Labour Party). I get some stick for this from time to time from those on the right-wing who don't understand the importance of socialism and from those on the left who don't understand the workers' movement but I am happy with this affiliation.
This evening was a good example of why the LRC has a valuable role to play as I spent it at a working group of LRC activists organising the LRC's support for the campaign of LRC affiliate, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) against the Hooper report proposals for the part privatisation of the Royal Mail.
Or, as they should be described, the Mandelson proposals for the part privatisation of the Royal Mail.
A reading of the EDM on this subject might lead you to think that the Hooper proposals are a bit of a curate's egg. And they are. Proposals for the Government to deal with the Royal Mail pension deficit are sound (and a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of bailing out the banks!)
But would you want to dip your bread in an egg that was good in parts?
Hooper is about driving Royal Mail out of the public sector and it needs to be vigorously opposed.
Fighting privatisation is hard. The CWU have a proud record and some good victories in the past but now is no time to be complacent.
The trade union movement is full of defeatists who think that all we can ever do is to accommodate to the changes around us and who are prepared to tolerate privatisation if they think they can secure recognition with the new private employers.
UNISON policy is clear. We oppose privatisation and we must oppose this privatisation. The CWU can win again but this is a job for the whole labour and trade union movement.
I hope that model motions for UNISON branches will shortly be available (and if any London branch has a meeting at which they could move an Emergency Motion to Regional Council before close of business on 27 January please get in touch!)
In the mean time if your MP has not signed EDM 428 write to them and tell them to do so now (I think an email would be ok...)
A note much later than this post (on 12 May 2009) - I have removed a link from the post because it caused offence.
Privatisation of the Post would cause even more offence!
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1 comment:
find it astonishing that a labour government could privatise royal mail at a time when they want to keep people in work!! as many as 70thousand jobs could be lost!! have they learned nothing from the past record of failed privatisation in britain! also with the record profits recently announced by royal mail why on earth take it out of public sector!!!
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