Unions oppose Government moves to part-privatise Royal Mail

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is expected to launch a special campaign committee to fight any attempt to revive privatisation plans.

The previous Labour government had to shelve attempts to attract private partners into the postal organisation after a CWU campaign sparked a revolt by backbench MPs.

The union's annual conference in Bournemouth will today discuss the new Government's bid to revive Royal Mail privatisation.

An emergency motion to the conference will call on the union to reject the "discredited" policy of the previous government and to campaign for a wholly publicly owned Royal Mail.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "Privatising the Royal Mail would be a deeply unpopular move. People and businesses rely on mail services and in particular the universal service which guarantees delivery to every address in the UK whether it's rural, urban, residential or commercial.

"Making private profit out of public services is just wrong and it will come at the expense of services, jobs and price rises. Royal Mail and the union are working together to transform the company and it is flourishing in the public sector.

"What Royal Mail needs now is Government backing, not a return to an old fashioned discredited sell-off that nobody wants."

Delegates are expected to back a call for a "broad-based public campaign" against the proposal.

It is not yet clear whether the future ownership of the Royal Mail will be included in Government Bills being published in the Queen's Speech on Tuesday.

There are suggestions that Sir Richard Hooper, who submitted a part-privatisation plan to former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, has been asked to update his report.

One of a number of emergency motions submitted to the conference raises the threat of industrial action to fight any privatisation plans.

The motion reads: "The NEC (national executive committee) is instructed to use all means possible to protect jobs and services in a publicly owned Royal Mail Group, including industrial action."

The union organised a series of strikes last year over jobs and working conditions which resulted in an agreement aimed at keeping industrial peace at the Royal Mail.