Reading West MP Martin Salter joined postal workers from Reading at a rally organised by the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) which aims to put pressure on the Government to keep the Royal Mail in public ownership.

In December, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson announced the Government’s plans to offer a minority stake in Royal Mail to a private company. The plans, which would see a 30% stake in the company sold to Dutch postal operator TNT, are intended to encourage more private investment in Royal Mail to fund modernisation.

Martin Salter is one of 145 MPs who have signed a Commons Motion arguing against the proposals:

“Whatever the problems of Royal Mail, privatisation is not the answer. Allowing other postal providers to cherry-pick the most profitable parts of Royal Mail in the name of competition is what has got the company into this position in the first place, and lies at the heart of its problems. It is senseless to try and repair the damage with yet more privatisation and risk destroying an institution which is held in high regard not only by its own workforce, but by the general public.”

He added:

“What we need is a return to a level playing field in order to protect the Universal Service Obligation which ensures that the customer pays the same to send a letter to a friend or relative in Tilehurst as they would to someone in Tyneside.”

Wayne Levy, CWU representative at the Caversham Road Royal Mail Centre was also at the Westminster Lobby. Mr Levy said:

“We welcome the support of MPs like Martin Salter but we also need the public to put pressure on all Members of Parliament. Here in Reading we’ve already lost our Mail Centre to Swindon - do we really want to now lose our Royal Mail service to a Dutch company whose sole purpose will be to make profits rather than deliver a universal service?”