POEU Westminster Branch responded the government's attack on the Post Office is a text-book case of misleadership and conservative cowardice.
When Sir Keith Joseph launched his assault on the Post Office last The had already won half the battle. maln rosl Office trade unions, the POEU Union of Communication Workers, already divided among themselves.
The issue was whether the posts and telecoms parts of the Post should be split, with the strongly in favour and the UCW bitterly opposed.
The two halves Post Office are quite different in several The postal side is labour intensive, employing mainly unskillCU WOlKe. profitable. Telecoms, on the other L s blazlall auu ul is capital intensive, with a workforce, high growth rate - about 8 per cent - and it is very profitable.
£1 Famous Cons:
Sir Keefula A serious fight against the Bill has therefore been hamstrung from the start - because the POEU is in favour of the legislation and simply waldes alter monopoly, while the UCW has raised the more forthright slogan, Kill Ine Bill United action in defence of the monopolies is still possible, but not Shortly tion, causer on the UDOUSC including attempt monopoly.' Tories' Telecoms Bill paves the way for massive redundancies among postal wor Matter Thatcher's electhe Pöst VInce Union's conference in June 1979 passed a crystal clear resolution: "To lucalis possible, action any to break any Post Office month before Sir_ Keith annonced his plans to a monopoly.
did the POEU respond? Their first messa membership HI CULCLU 1021, stated that the 'bes protecting the employmer members is for British Tel seize the opportuni
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THE way in which the Post Office Engineering Union has
CONSERVATIVE COSTABOMB POST System X (right) threatens Post Office engineers' jobs