CWU at TUC Congress - Tuesday 9th September round-up

[TrueBlueTerrier]

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes has won the unanimous support of delegates representing Britain's 6.5 million trade unionists for the union's determined fight to save Britain's postal service.

In a hard-hitting speech to the TUC in Brighton today (Tuesday), Billy vowed that the CWU would fight to save postal services, fight any moves to privatise and break up Royal Mail and fight to defend our members interests as he outlined the grave dangers facing this vital public service.

Introducing a resolution urging congress to back the CWU campaign to keep Royal Mail integrated and wholly within the public sector, save the UK postal network and defend members pension rights, Billy began by explaining the root cause of the current crisis.

Serious decline set in, he began, when competition was introduced into the sector several years ahead of the rest of Europe under a market framework which forces Royal Mail to operate at a marked disadvantage.

This allowed other operators to enter the profitable parts of the network, resulting in a loss of revenue for Royal Mail, Billy continued, before moving on to warn of future dangers facing the troubled sector.

Last year, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform John Hutton appointed former Ofcom deputy chairman Richard Hooper to head an independent review into the effects of liberalisation on the industry, but, although the union welcomed the launch of the review, the CWU has become concerned at recent indications suggesting that Mr Hooper's final report may recommend privatisation of Royal Mail.

There have been heavy hints of privatisation or breaking up Royal Mail, but they're more likely to use phrases such as joint venture or involving staff more, Billy pointed out, adding that both Postcomm and Royal Mail bosses supported such a step.

But we think that people are sick and tired of privatisation and the market and we can all see what damage privatisation has done to our rail and energy industries.

No matter whether it is a Labour or a Tory government, we will fight the privatisation of Royal Mail, he concluded.

On a day which focused largely on Britain's beleaguered public services, CWU delegates also supported calls by public-sector union Unison for an end to what it described as the government's continued privatisation of our public services and the increasing restrictions on spending and investment.

And CWU delegates gave their full backing to Unison's further demand that the core NHS values of equity, universality and free care at the point of need must not be compromised.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes gave a warm welcome to Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham, when the government minister visited congress this morning (Tuesday).

Billy, who chairs the board of workers education body Unionlearn, paid tribute to Mr Denham's positive contribution to the growth in workplace learning over the past few years, during which around 20,000 workers have trained to become union learning reps.

Skills matter for all of us and they will become ever-more important in the years to come, said Billy, who highlighted the excellent opportunities for workers, many of whom were failed by the education system.

And, addressing himself directly to Mr Denham, Billy concluded: We think you're doing a fantastic job.

Continuing the theme of learning, Billy Hayes chaired a lunchtime fringe meeting on TUC Skills. Billy's work as the Chair of Unionlearn was recognized by TUC deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady who said we couldn't have had a better champion of learning as our first chair.

The shared skills agenda was evident in the panel of speakers which included Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, and CBI Deputy Director-General John Cridland along with Frances O Grady. The progress in having the right to ask for time for training was highlighted by all speakers with further comments on progress and priorities in the learning arena and solid endorsement of the importance of learning for the benefit of both employers and employees.

[DirtyHarry]

I can see Billy Hayes becoming the duke of Bootle, and he can then sit in the house of lords with the rest of the aristocratic in-breds, and pretend he's on the side of the workers to those aristocrats who couldn't give a fig for the working people of this country, and who knows? Maybe, he'll be sharing a bench with that enthusiastic New Labourite, Sir Alan Leighton?