CWU Keep the Post Public campaign visits Beeston

The CWU march and rally in Beeston was the biggest yet in the Midlands. View the march and rally here:

CWU March to save postal services in Nottingham

The Communication Workers Union organised a very successful march and rally in Beeston, Nottingham, on Saturday 19th February. The march went from the Royal Mail Centre in Beeston, through the centre of the suburb, to the rally at The New Venture Social Club near Beeston railway station.
Speakers included Cheryl Pidgeon, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary, Billy Hayes and Lee Baron from the CWU, and Nottingham South MP Lillian Greenwood.
The march was well supported by members of the CWU with many travelling from outside the region to  show their solidarity. There was also excellent support from other unions with UNISON and the National Union of Mineworkers banners flying proudly on the march.

CWU march and rally to Keep the Post public

Marching to Keep the Post Public

The CWU is holding the Nottingham leg of its' Keep the Post Public campaign tommorrow. Speakers include CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes and Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood.
Assemble: From 1 p.m. at the Mail Centre, Padge Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2RR. March commences at 2 p.m.
Rally at New Venture Social Club, Tehcnology Drive. off Meadow Road, Beeston, Nottingham

CWU March and Rally on You Tube

The Midlands TUC broke new ground at the Communication Workers march and rally in Birmingham with our first attempt at recording the proceedings for You Tube. Click on the links below to see footage of the march and two of the speeches:

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/0/cG8jKIexFp8

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/1/DHysHvS9qpg

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/a/u/2/A_wAO3SSjvw

http://www.youtube.com/user/alanatthetuc#p/u/3/7l8ewGw2KiU

Hundreds of trade unionists marched through Birmingham on Saturday as members of the Communication Workers Union took their campaign to keep the post public onto the streets. The Birmingham leg of the CWU campaign took place on the same day as young people protested about attacks on the education system in both London and Manchester.

Following the march there was a rally in Birmingham's Town Hall, a stunning building which resonated to the speakers contributions which detailed the threat to the universal postal service and the effect of government cuts on jobs and services.

Speakers included CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes, Cheryl Pidgeon, TUC Midlands Regional Secretary, and Jack Dromey MP for Erdington.

The message today was clear - the trade union movement would not abandon the CWU or the vital services they deliver to the public.

For more on the campaign visit:

http://www.cwu.org/keep-the-post-public.html

Keep the Post Public March and Rally

Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary

The Communication Workers Union are holding a march and rally in Birmingham as part of their national campaign to keep the post public.
Speakers include CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes, and Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Erdington.

Assemble Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BD from 11.30 a.m.
March from 12 midday
Rally in Birmingham Town Hall

Supported by the Midlands TUC

150 Post Offices gone this year already

Already 150 Post Offices have closed this year and 900 are up for sale, many more face an uncertain future.

On Wednesday of this week, hundreds gathered at Westminster to protest at the government's plans to privatise Royal Mail. People rallied to protect the universal postal service and the network of Post Offices at the heart of our communities.
Now you can join them in taking action to prevent the privatisation of Royal Mail right from home. Please take 60 seconds to send a letter to your MP.

Our protest seeks to protect the universal service - six deliveries a week and one-price-goes-anywhere - particularly valued at this time of year. This key public service is a vital infrastructure that supports communities and local businesses. A private company may focus on cutting costs without considering the wider community impact.

To protect our local communities and your Christmas post, we must stop the privatisation of the Royal Mail. We need you to write to your local MP.

Speak out now. We've written a sample letter and supplied the contact info, we just need you to take a moment and add some personal touches.

http://www.keepthepostpublic.org.uk/email-your-MP
In a recent national survey, 78 percent of the public believed privatising Royal Mail would be a bad deal for the taxpayer and 82 percent believed prices would go up. So if you agree with the majority of Britains and don't want a more expensive, less regular service, don't let this government lead us to privatisation.

Take action now.

Billy Hayes, General Secretary, CWU
Keep the Post Public Coalition

Keep the Post Public - National Rally, 15th December 2010

Join politicians, trade union leaders and hundreds of postal workers at a national rally to protest against government plans to privatise Royal Mail. All welcome.When: 11am - 2pm on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Where: Central Hall, Storey's Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH.

Speakers include shadow Business Secretary John Denham and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. CWU general secretary Billy Hayes and deputy general secretary Dave Ward will be joined by other politicians and trade union leaders.

The timing is intended to give MPs a very clear message of the dissatisfaction with the Postal Services Bill and the deficiencies within the Bill, prior to the Parliamentary Christmas recess.

The Bill is currently in committee stage and CWU believes there are huge loopholes which put the universal service and post office network at risk. Postal workers will also be lobbying their local MPs in parliament after the rally.
Further Information on the campaign can be found here: http://www.cwu.org/support-the-campaign.html

Keep the Post Public rallies announced by CWU

Billy Hayes speaking in Dudley earlier this year

The Communication Workers Union has announced two dates for their Keep the Post Public campaign in the Midlands.
CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes and Labour MP for Erdington Jack Dromey will speak at the 29th January rally in Victoria Square, Birmingham. The east midlands event will be held in Nottingham on 19th February.
Further information from Lee Baron; email: midlandregion@cwu.org

20 Foot Post Box tours the east and west midlands

A 20-foot post box and giant postcard will be visiting towns and cities in the East and West Midlands to highlight the government’s plans to sell off part of Royal Mail to a foreign competitor and we are inviting all MPs, MEPs and Councillors to attend together with the local press and media.

Postal workers will be leafleting and petitioning in town and city centres to galvanise the ever-increasing public support, which seeks to convince the PM Gordon Brown to abandon his ill-thought plans to part privatise the successful public service that is the Royal Mail.

This is part of a national tour from John O’Groats to Lands End which began back in May.

Lee Barron, CWU Midlands Regional Secretary is inviting everyone to attend and said, “We believe, as do the huge number of public that has turned out to support us, that such a move will risk fracturing one of Britain's greatest public services and put our universal (one price goes anywhere) service under direct threat.

“Any investor will only be interested in lining the pockets of their shareholders and not delivering a truly universal first-class service to the public. The CWU in the East and West Midlands are in no doubt that, it will also lead to further job losses and severe reduction in postal services within the region. We should be looking for ways to improve the service not wreck it. Royal Mail is one of the most efficient and cheapest postal services in Europe; they have just announced a doubling of their operating profit, while private mail companies, including TNT, have seen huge profit reductions.”

The Schedule

Monday 22nd June – 11.00am Stoke on Trent – Hanley Town Centre Market Square

Tuesday 23rd June – 11.30am Bilston, Church Street (constituency of Pat McFadden MP Minister responsible for the Royal Mail)

Wednesday 24th June – 11.00am Summer Lane in Birmingham and 12.30 Dresden Place in Coventry

Thursday 25th June – 10.30am Abington Street in Northampton and 2.00pm Clock Tower in Leicester

Friday 26th June – 10.30am Old Market Square in Nottingham

Saturday 27th June – 10.45am Spot Centre in Derby

Communication Workers Union National March and Rally

The CWU are holding a national march and rally in Bilston, Wolverhampton, to press their case to Keep the Post Public. Click on the title to get further details of times and speakers.