Milton Keynes March and Rally a Great Success

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org.uk/news.asp?step=3&NID=2169

CWU Eastern Region secretary Paul Moffatt has hailed Saturday’s march and rally to save Milton Keynes Mail Centre as “a great success that we have to build on.”

Around 500 people gathered at the closure-threatened Milton Keynes Mail Centre and marched to a town-centre rally, where CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward, the union’s Midlands Region secretary Lee Barron and local MP Phylliss Starkey also spelled out the need to keep up the fight to save local jobs and services.

And, as was evident at a similar protest in Crewe just a couple of weeks ago, determination to fight for this crucial public service is shared right across communities, both marches attracting a wide range of political support and backing from local business leaders as well as the general public.

“I was delighted with the turnout,” said Paul, “we focussed on the key themes of: ‘Save Milton Keynes Mail Centre, Our Jobs, Our Community, Your Service, Everyone’s Future’.”

With crucial national negotiations over the future of the company’s mail centre network set to take place this week, against the backdrop of preparations for official strike ballots at each of 14 closure-threatened mail centres across the country, a strong turnout at Saturday’s march was critical, Paul explained.

“The march and rally was a great success in galvanising all of us to step up our campaign to save our mail centre, but we have got a lot of work to do to build on this.”

“It’s not only an issue for our members, but for the whole of Milton Keynes, the general public and, importantly, the local business community,” he stressed, adding that, if this week’s talks do not result in an acceptable solution, Paul expects Milton Keynes members to strongly back the call for action in the forthcoming ballot.

Although the union has stressed that it will make every effort to reach a new national agreement on the future of the network, and will approach this week’s talks in a positive manner, the CWU insists that it is ready for industrial action if necessary.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward has pledged repeatedly that the union will “fight every inch of the way” against Royal Mail’s closure programme, arguing that the company’s “piecemeal” approach is extremely damaging, not only to members’ livelihoods, but also to the future viability of the company itself.

And Dave has also warned the company that, unless it changes course, and negotiates an acceptable new national agreement with the union, the odds are that the mail centres dispute could lead to a full national industrial action ballot.

[wranglered]

Full of bullshit from a man who cannot count...200 there maximum...and the new place is only 7 miles up the road....

[Night Tonic]

And only a 'success' when anyone takes any notice. More like 'march went well'