Postal workers visit MEP

Bexhill's Paul Plim was one of a delegation from the South East, along with Mark Deeprose from St Leonards, and other members of the Communications Workers Union from Heathfield, Uckfield, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Cranbrook.

The CWU is fighting for the protection of final salary pensions and the future of the postal industry within England.

Paul said of the meeting with Mr Skinner, who is Labour MEP for the South East: "We lobbied him on behalf of our members and the public to try and influence the Government in their present strategy of stripping the Post Office network of sub-post offices. We were trying to persuade him to stop the run-in to the liberation of the Post Office - it is happening here more than any other country. People blame the European Parliament, but it is a misconception.

"We seem to be going headlong down the path of liberation which is ruining the postal industry...we now have the ludicrous situation where we are handling and delivering our competitors mail for less than we can charge ourselves."

He described the MEP as "very responsive" and added: "It was very worthwhile because the views of our members in the South East got through to their local MEP.

"We did point out to him that over the next couple of years as by-elections crop up, and a national election looms, the Labour Government had better take heed of the public's concern regarding postal closures."

The CWU members are "concerned and worried" about their pensions according to Paul who said their views have been ignored and a new plan implemented, while retirement age has been raised to 65.

"They just lumped the extra five years on us and said - that is what is going to happen."

He claimed that a dispute was likely unless meetings with Royal Mail resolved these problems with CWU which considers the imposed pension reforms to be unacceptable. Negotiations are currently ongoing between unions and management.

CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes has commented: "This could be the last chance saloon for the government to protect postal services. If the government gets it wrong, the British public will not easily forgive them."