As well as the people who
have signed our online petition, below, we have received support for
our campaign from the following -
Parmjit Dhanda - MP (Lab) Gloucester
'I was
extremely dismayed to hear of the proposed closure of
the Mail Centre on Eastern Avenue and that there was no
consultation or forewarning given to the staff. Royal
Mail have not made the case for a move to Swindon – it
is a false economy which puts hundreds of local jobs at
risk and will have a negative environmental impact.
I have been
meeting with Eastern Avenue employees and the CWU,
including their General Secretary, attended the staff
meeting at Birds Eye Walls Sports and Social Club and
written in support of the campaign for The Citizen. I
continue to work with colleagues whose constituencies
will also be affected by this move.
The campaign
has my full support and the Save Gloucester Mail Centre
website will be an invaluable asset in this fight. I
hope by working together we can challenge this decision,
persuade Royal Mail that this is a productive Centre
with hard working staff, and prevent this move from
Eastern Avenue.' |
 |
David
Drew - MP (Lab) Stroud
'I
took the opportunity of visiting the centre recently to
meet with representatives of the CWU. I can see
absolutely no reason why this excellent facility should
be closed down - particularly as we do not have the
report that made this recommendation. I raised this
issue in the first Business Questions after the recess
and will continue to do so in Parliament and beyond.
CWU and all those concerned about this crazy move have
my total support.'
To
read David's question and the response from Leader Of
The House -
Click Here |
 |
Nigel Costley, South West Regional Secretary
of the TUC
The South West TUC and local trade unions
will support the CWU campaign to save the
Mail Centre. Proposals to close it are not
just a kick in the teeth to the 400 loyal
workers but a blow to the Gloucester
economy. We must work together to apply
maximum pressure to stop this proposal.
|
 |
Mark Harper - MP (Conservative) Forest
of Dean
I agree that the intended closure would
have an unwelcome impact on the local
economy with the loss of over 400 jobs
and I too am concerned about the effect
it may have on the quality of postal
services for the area.
I have written to Adam Crozier, Chief
Executive of Royal Mail, asking for the
reasons why the organisation proposes to
close the centre. I will of course write
to you again once I receive a reply.
|
 |
Martin Horwood - MP (Lib) Cheltenham
I'm happy to lend my support to the campaign.
This mania for cost-cutting and centralisation
seems to be affecting everything these days.
This kind of short-term move only makes business
sense if you ignore the longer-term need of any
organisation to look after its customers in a
way that will guarantee their continued
support. In the end, if you deliver a worse
service you're only storing up problems for the
future.
|
 |
|
Lawrence Robertson - MP (Con) Tewkesbury
To see the the question asked by Mr Robertson, regarding the intended closure, in Parliament,
Click here |
 |
|
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - MP (Con)
Cotswold
The closure of Gloucester Mail Centre could have
a negative effect on the whole postal network in
Gloucestershire, and will come on top of the
Government’s plans to slash the number of post
offices throughout Gloucestershire. This
campaign has my support, and I believe there has
to be cross-party action to avoid this closure.”
|
 |
|
Chris
Tapper - CWU Divisional Rep South Wales & South West
Division
"The
proposed closure of the Gloucester mail centre is wrong.
Not only will hundreds of jobs be lost in the area but
postal services could be at risk. I believe that all
options to keep the Mail centre open have not been
explored. Quality of service and jobs in the locality
must be the key to any decisions that need to be made."
|
 |
We
have begun receiving support from local Town and Parish
Councils, including -
|
|
Prestbury Parish Council |
Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council |
|
Huntley Parish Council |
Mitcheldean Parish Council |
|
Stoke Orchard Parish Council |
Minsterworth Parish Council |
|
Westbury-on-Severn Parish Council |
Frocester Parish Council |
|
Cinderford Town Council |
|
Tewksbury Town Council |
|
The
following Communications Workers Union (CWU)
Branches have given their support -
|
East London Postal Branch |
 |
|
London 7 |
|
South West 1 (Exeter) |
|
Coventry |
|
Eastern No. 5 (Peterborough) |
|
Newcastle Amal. |
|
Mount Pleasant |
|
Northern Ireland |
|
Solent Branch |
|
CWU Jersey |
|
Cleveland Amal |
|
West London Postal |
|
Jane Loftus (NEC p/c) |
|
London South West (Postal) |
|
Phil Browne (NEC) (p/c) |
London City West |
|
Plymouth & East Cornwall
Branch |
Bournemouth & Dorset
Amal
|
|
Eastern No 6 branch |
Eastern Regional Secretary |
|
North West Central Amal |
Darlington Amal |
Pete Keenlyside
- Postal
Executive
(personal
capacity)
|
Merseyside Amal |
|
Dennis King - Divisional Rep
Anglia |
Barry Jennings - Divisional
Rep Anglia |
|
Worcestershire &
Herefordshire Branch |
Bristol and District
Amalgamated |
|
London North Western C&C
Branch Central Committee |
Cornwall Amal |
|
Shropshire & Mid Wales
Branch |
Oldham & Rochdale Amal |
|
John Farnan (NEC p/c) |
Plymouth and East Cornwall Class C Section |
|
Northern Home Counties
Branch |
Glasgow & District Branch
|
|
Eastern No. 4 Branch
|
Branches can add their support
here -
 |
|
|
|
The following letter has been received from
Swindon Trades Union Council -
To the CWU
Dear Comrades
Swindon Trades Union Council at its meeting
yesterday discussed the proposed closure of
Royal Mail centres at Reading, Gloucester and
Coventry. As the ‘receiving’ town with the
prospect of extra jobs we could take a selfish
point of view. However, that would be completely
unprincipled, at the expense of workers losing
their jobs in three centres.
Moreover, from an environmental point of view,
the idea of workers and mail travelling from
Reading to Swindon (and back), Gloucester to
Bristol, and Coventry to Northampton, is sheer
lunacy, adding to environmental pollution at a
time when we are supposed to be tackling the
problem of global warming. I have already spoken
to some people in the green/environmental
movement who will support your opposition to the
closures.
Undoubtedly, this proposal of Royal Mail is
related to the liberalisation of the postal
‘market’ which the government has seen fit to
push through. It is a cost-cutting measure which
is directed at ‘shaping up to meet the
competition’. This so-called commercial
environment is, of course, a threat to the
universal service obligation and the Post Office
as a public service. Whilst liberalisation
originates from the European Union it fits
neatly with the government’s free market
fundamentalism which has led it to introduce a
‘market’ in the NHS and privatisation and cuts
throughout the public sector.
Obviously you will be discussing an industrial
response to the threat of closure and of
compulsory redundancies. We would like to offer
our support in the wider public campaigning
against these proposals which are socially and
environmentally retrograde. Please let us know
anything which you would want us to do in
support of your struggle.
We will contact the Trades Councils in Bristol
and Northampton, the other towns where
distribution will be centralised and suggest we
produce a joint statement, in support of the CWU
and against the closures.
Fraternally
Martin Wicks
Secretary, Swindon Trades Union Council |
|
