Lord Mandelson slammed by North MP Dave Anderson

Oct 15 2009 The Journal

BUSINESS Secretary Lord Mandelson yesterday came under fire in the Commons from a North MP over his handling of the impending national postal strike.

At Prime Minister’s question time, Labour’s Blaydon MP Dave Anderson attacked Lord Mandelson and Postal Affairs Minister Lord Young over their opposition to the communication workers’ union (CWU).

The union has warned it will name strike dates today unless there is a last-minute breakthrough to the deadlocked dispute over pay and conditions.

Mr Anderson asked Gordon Brown: “Do you agree with me that the best way to resolve the Royal Mail dispute will be to get the parties around the negotiating table?

“If you do, then will you tell Lords Young and Mandelson to start to concentrate on that and stop attacking the CWU?” It comes after Lord Mandelson said a national postal strike would be a “suicidal act”.

He said: “The Government has backed Royal Mail financially with billions of pounds so that the company can modernise, but these strikes will impede that essential process. Strikes are not the way to resolve differences or safeguard the future of our postal service.”