CWU The Peoples Post Campaign National Briefing and RallyThursday 9th July 2015 Westminster
The branch sent a delegation seven representatives to the briefing and rally to mark the start of the Peoples Post Campaign, the delegation was Sim Arif, Dave Westbrook, Dave Barsby, Frank Ginty, Ben Fearon, Zaff Hussain and Andy Beeby
CWU general secretary Dave Ward opened proceedings with a stirring call for full solidarity and support to all Tube and train workers on strike for the day and stressed that the whole trade union movement shared a “common cause to shift the balance of power back towards working people.”
Dave spelled out the key aims of the People’s Post campaign – defending daily deliveries and protecting all postal workers’ job security, pay, terms and conditions against attacks by the regulator Ofcom, while fighting to keeping a public stake in Royal Mail – and then he explained how this agenda needs to feed into, and help to inspire, a far broader fight.
“This is not just a self-interest campaign, it’s much more,” he said. “The labour movement must come together to tackle the problem of insecure employment models, low pay, the housing crisis and other issues. We’re going to be a part of a democratic movement to change the UK for the better.”
Former MP Katy Clark focused on the need to protect services to every part of the UK, particularly rural and remote communities such as her own.
“It’s the profitable parts of Royal Mail that subsidise areas like the islands and rural communities and you are fighting for the whole community,” she explained and, pointing towards the nearby Houses of Parliament, she said: “We’ve got to make sure politicians over there hear our voice loud and clear.”
London Mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan reminded the audience that both he and Dave Ward were “Tooting boys,” and he then recalled another of this south London borough’s famous sons, the 1980s television character Wolfie Smith, making the point that “Citizen” Smith’s “Power to the People” theme summed up what this campaign is all about.
“It’s really important that we have this solidarity now and we’ve got to fight for daily deliveries and to stop the race to the bottom,” urged the Tooting MP.
Activist and author Owen Jones won enthusiastic cheers with a rousing speech, which he began with a call for all Labour Party people to “be proud” to be funded and supported by trade unions and insisted that “everyone should go out and organise collectively to improve their pay, terms and conditions.”
Owen attacked the Government’s “cruel” targeting of poor and vulnerable people for benefit cuts and cited, as an example, a disabled former serviceman whose benefits had been stopped by the government because of his volunteer work for the British Legion.
He reminded the meeting of the bailing out of the big banks by the Government a few years and described them as “the most lavish benefits claimants in the country.”
Struggling against this Government was the responsibility of everyone, he pointed out, saying: “All of us have to fill the role of Official Opposition.”
Taking the stage with the cheers for Owen Jones still echoing around the hall, newly elected MP Jess Phillips told the audience that she felt nervous at having to follow him, but she soon won even louder plaudits of her own with a witty and entertaining, but tough-talking and determined speech, in which she pledged to “completely put my back into supporting your campaign.”
The Birmingham Yardley Member said that she was “proud to be supported by the CWU” and recalled the Crown Post Office dispute of 2013 when she had stood shoulder-to-shoulder on picket lines with striking members of our union in their fight for a fair pay rise and in defence of the Crown network.
Jess roundly criticised the Government’s attack on child benefit and sparked laughter when she questioned Chancellor George Osborne’s motives in introducing the two-child cap, asking: “Does he own shares in Durex?”
“Now we’re going to build on this up and down the country” Dave Ward, CWU general secretary
Looking ahead to the forthcoming campaign, Jess said: “The greatest asset is the people we have on our side and we need to find a strategy for how we get rural communities on our side.”
Fire Brigades Union leader Matt Wrack – who said: “Your campaign is the best example of how workers are the best defenders of service to the public” – and Paul Nowack, the TUC assistant general secretary – who slammed the Government’s knock-down sale of Royal Mail as “selling tenners for a fiver” – both brought solidarity greetings from our fellow trade unionists, while CWU president Jane Loftus read out messages of support from a range of other individuals and organisations, all pledging their backing for our People’s Post struggle.
Other speakers from the CWU included senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns and the union’s deputy general secretary for telecoms Andy Kerr.
“This is a campaign for the whole of our union and the telecoms and financial services constituency is proud to support it,” pledged Andy, who added: “Ofcom have overstepped their remit and they shouldn’t be measuring workers’ efficiency.”
The main issue was one of competition and how the union deals with this, Andy continued, saying that this was more important than the issue of privatisation and he urged postal members to “Learn the lessons from our experiences over many years with the added benefit of hindsight.”
Tony said that the problems facing CWU members were part of a “declaration of class war” by the newly elected Conservative government.
“The fight is coming and this union needs to be there. And when I look around at the people in this hall, I know that this union is equipped for this fight,” he insisted.
Politically, the CWU needs to “decide for ourselves what our politics is and those politicians who want to stand with us will stand with us.”
After the speeches had finished, the audience left the hall and staged a spontaneous short march to a sun-baked Parliament Green, where they proudly held up their branch and regional banners and union flags and called out: “What do we want? People’s Post” as busy central London traffic passed by around them and visitors to the capital stopped to ask what was going on.
While the Parliamentary protest was under way, Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn arrived and was cheered by CWU demonstrators as he took the megaphone offered to him by Dave Ward and spoke of his support for our union.
Jeremy condemned the “whole agenda to promote competition” being put forward by the industry regulator Ofcom, and he praised the CWU for “standing up for decency, against austerity and for justice.”
After the Parliament Square rally, protesters marched onto the nearby national headquarters of the Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Lively chanting demonstrators quickly filled the entrance area of the BIS building and our general secretary once again led the chants of: “What do we want? People’s Post” and then made a short speech, in which he vowed: “We’re going to stop the race to the bottom and we’re going to lead the race to the top for all workers in this country.”
Summing up a momentous day, Dave Ward said: “It’s been a fantastic start to our campaign. From the early-morning banner hanging, to the mid-day rally and the afternoon demonstrations, what’s struck me has been the sheer energy and enthusiasm from everyone who’s come along, from all parts of our own union and from so many other individuals and organisations.
“Now we’re going to build on this up and down the country and get our show on the road nationwide.”
Social media
Yesterday’s proceedings resulted in what was almost certainly the busiest social media day in the history of the CWU, with the union trending no less than three times on Twitter during the course of the day.
A myriad of tweets from those present generated a huge number of responses, including messages of support from MPs, MEPs, celebrities, pop stars, other unions, political commentators, the TUC, branches, members of the public with absolutely no connection with the CWU and, of course, from CWU members across the country.
Check out the People’s Post album on Facebook for more photos from the day.
Andy Beeby
Branch Political Officer
CWU Eastern Number Five Branch
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