AS trade unionists living or working in Waltham Forest we urge your readers to support the national strike action by post workers due to start this week.

This is a crucial battle for the future of this vital public service service, the workers that deliver it and their union. Contrary to what your readers will hear from most of the media, the workers are fighting to save the postal service. The bullying and grossly overpaid Royal Mail management, backed by the Government, wants to destroy the service to enable it to push through privatisation. It wants to sack thousands of staff, severely reducing the quality of the service and worsen their pay and conditions. To do that the management needs to break the workers’ Communication Workers Union.

This is not just a battle for the post workers, it is one for us all. The major political parties have been falling over themselves in recent weeks to see who can threaten the most savage cuts in public services after the election. But it is not public spending that is to blame for the recession, but the criminal irresponsibility of the bankers and the free market they worship.

Cuts in public services will not only hurt workers in the public sector and the services they provide, but make the recession worse and hurt every working person. This is why Waltham Forest Trades Council has set up a support group to help the post workers win. We hope that your readers will show their support by visiting picket lines and donating to the CWU hardship fund. For more details on the activities of the support group, ring 07905 765705.

Dave Knight, President of Waltham Forest Trades Council and Secretary, UNISON Waltham Forest.