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The Spanish Vice President, Teresa Fernandez De La Vega, speaking at the opening of the UGT-FSP conference in Madrid, said unions must be part of the solution to the financial crisis. She said that unions must be involved in the discussions on how to restructure the economy and also that quality public services had a key role to play in the future of the Spanish economy. The theme for the UGT-FSP congress is More Public Services , More Union. The General Secretary of UGT-FSP, also speaking at the opening said that public services should be seen not just as a cost to the tax payer, but a real gain for citizens in the services they provided and as providing quality employment. This was essential during the economic recession that public services continued to be available and their role expanded bringing much needed quality jobs.



Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics Global Union, also speaking at the opening on behalf of the international guests, said that a strong and viable postal industry was going to be vital ingredient in the new e-commerce and Internet ecomnomy. He told the delegates that without a universal postal service, the much heralded e-economy would founder. All communities need access to good, efficient and regular postal services in order to deliver the high levels of service now expected in the Internet economy. In Spain this universal postal service is only being offered by Correos and it was time that the European Commission and governments recognised the dangers of liberalising the postal market and putting this universal service in jeopardy. He said that to maintain a quality universal postal service you needed quality jobs and the liberalised market was only bringing low quality jobs and low levels of service to a few. A universal service could only be provided by the public postal operator.