Postal workers in rally protest at branch closures

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.fleetwoodtoday.co.uk/latest- ... 4515761.jp

Published Date: 22 September 2008
Hundreds of postal workers have demonstrated outside the Labour Party conference in Manchester calling on the Government to halt branch closures, protect their pensions and keep the service publicly owned.
Members of the Communication Workers Union held a rally in Manchester which heard demands that Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton should not receive a golden handshake when he steps down next March.

Labour MP John Grogan (Selby) said Mr Leighton i
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s leaving as a "beaten man" because he had wanted to see the organisation on the road to being privatised.

Former CWU leader Lord Tony Clarke told the rally he is sad the protest had to be held at all, hitting out at post office closures and the regulation of the industry which he described as a "sham".

Dave Ward, deputy leader of the CWU, said government policies had turned the Royal Mail into a "disaster zone".

He accused ministers of bringing in competition to the industry too early, benefiting private firms at the expense of Royal Mail and of taking work away from the organisation, then announcing a closure programme.

General Secretary Billy Hayes said there are huge changes taking place in the industry which are damaging jobs and services, adding: "Royal Mail's plans to close large numbers of mail centres as well as ongoing post office closures will cause thousands of job loss across the country and will undoubtedly have an effect on the quality of mail services."

Mr Leighton will step down next March after seven years in the job. The Government has now started searching for a successor to Mr Leighton who is the longest serving chairman of Royal Mail.

[norbert]

http://www.fleetwoodtoday.co.uk/latest- ... 4515761.jp

Golden handshake for :lfo ? - surprised if McBean doesn't knight him unless he goes to that leaving party on Beachy Head