MEETING - No to privatising the Post Office

Wednesday 14 September 8 pm at the Wood Green Social Club, Stuart Crescent , N 22,
on the second Wednesday of the month.
[The WGSC is 100 yards up the hill just up from the tube station,cross the gardens and there we are, opposite Civic Centre]

This useless piece of proposed anti-social legislation which reverses the gains of the last century when the PO finally replaced costly private provision with public service, deserves to be opposed by anyone not obsessed by the profit motive. Historically this area has direct links with the introduction of Rowland Hill’s famous Penny Post. Mr Hill was resident at what is now the Bruce Castle Museum in Lordship Lane, N17 – they have exhibits on the subject well worth a visit. Over the years the Post Office has become a model of social
organisation but a thorn in the side of the profiteers. These have always sought to bring back privatisation to social and welfare bodies and provoked strikes and disorder whenever they could.

One side effect of the disruption has been an increasingly strong trade union. From the long-running strike of 1971 to the more recent industrial actions, the Communication Workers Union has galvanised its members into activity to save jobs and a public service. Now the Tories are trying again and we can itemise the likely consequences of their action –

• There will be closures of offices as rationalisation takes hold;
• Many full time jobs will go with replacement by low paid. reduced rights staff;
• Costs to the public will be greatly increased as we have seen from the privatised utilities;
• Differential market rates will result in massive cuts to distant rural areas;
• “Human resources” scams will result in more unemployment and social disruption.

In recent strikes the public have made clear their choice for rejection. We at RaHN are only too pleased to promote the respect for the historical arrangements. We are seeking an early resurrection of the previous alliances on this issue and are seeking union support for this initiative against the market’s baleful influence.

We urge everyone to come to the meeting as a start to this campaign. We will have a CWU speaker who must remain anonymous to avoid victimisation. Cameron is determined to press ahead with the social disruption as his persistence over the NHS privatisation has shown. Governments have little else to do but devise schemes to reduce living standards, increase unemployment , and cut public and welfare services – all in the name of “the market” or greater profits for his millionaires' Cabinet.