By a CWU Rep

Royal Mail workers face twin threats of privatisation and sweeping mail centre closures. Ministers and postal bosses want to slash the workforce and boost profits higher than this year’s £404m, itself a 26 per cent rise.

Lib-Dem postal minister Ed Davey says restructuring is to reduce the huge Royal Mail pension deficit. In reality it is to soften up the company – and the Communication Workers Union – for privatisation.

Meanwhile Royal Mail has announced plans to shut down as many as six of the northeast region’s nine mail centres. Thousands of jobs could go, with many more workers forced to spend hours commuting.

CWU leader Dave Ward threatened to strike against privatisation at the union’s national conference, but instead pushed through plans for a weaker broad-based campaign and “dialogue” with the then Labour government.

With the Tories in the driver’s seat, lobbying ministers and negotiating with Royal Mail bosses won’t work. Only a national strike can break their resistance. Postal activists need to regroup the workforce for a fight and reverse the last four years of retreats. Uniting in action with other public sector workers facing cuts will strengthen everyone’s fight.