Dave Ward opens Postal section conference

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"We're in the strongest possible position to deal with the new era facing our industry," Dave Ward told CWU postal delegates in Bournemouth this morning.

On the opening day of the union's industrial conference, the deputy general secretary sharply criticised the government for "disgracefully selling off Royal Mail on the cheap" and expressed disappointment at the opposition Labour Party leadership who he said "could not distance themselves fast enough from their own conference pledge to renationalise."

CWU will, he vowed, continue to press Labour to carry out its conference policy if it returns to government and, in the meantime, the union will also campaign against any attempts to sell off the remaining 30 per cent of the company that is still publicly owned.

Although the controversial sale was certainly a "major setback," the union's Keep the Post Public campaign and last autumn's strike ballot had led to the achievement of the groundbreaking Agenda for Growth, Stability and Long-Term Success agreement, Dave continued.

"There are now greater protections for CWU members than for any other group of workers in the country," he pointed out, adding that the successful deployment of the new agreement was now a major priority and that "we'll never have a better opportunity to influence this company to deliver growth rather than managing decline."

The union's Post Office counters members were warmly praised for their year-long fight for a fair pay rise during what Dave described as "one of the most difficult disputes in the history of our union.

"Our POL members showed once again what solidarity and comradeship in struggle is all about," he said, also praising POL national officer Andy Furey and his negotiating team for the "very good settlement that has been achieved within an extremely difficult business environment."

"Now is the time to unify behind this agreement and we will have no hesitation in recommending this to members," Dave stressed.

The agreements that the CWU achieves are "because of your strength, of the officers, of the reps and activists and members in every workplace.

"The CWU, more than any other union in the UK, is connected with members in the workplace - and maintaining, deepening and strengthening that connection is our most important job," he concluded.