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In the lead up to the 3^rd UNI Post and Logistics Global Union World Conference in Washington DC 7-9 September, Philip Jennings, General Secretary of UNI, says the postal services are engaged in a fight against a discredited ideology.



The conference comes at a dramatic moment when the future of the US Postal Service is in doubt with the real possibility that a potential default could lead to the loss of 200,000 jobs. Jennings says the situation is grave in the US but it’s not the only country facing crisis in its postal sector



“UNI is attached to a wonderful ethic – universal postal services at an affordable price. We have seen this great ethic, this great value, this great goal, perverted by an ideological approach to globalisation which I thought we had overcome to a certain extent as a result of the financial crisis but which has in fact become even worse”, says Jennings.



During an interview with Faryal Mirza, Communication Expert, Universal Postal Union (UPU) Jennings argues that misguided politicians are killing off the postal services through privatisation, deregulation and inappropriate application of the free market principle.



“We are not just fighting for the workers we are fighting for the broader public and that's why we don't mind taking on regulators and taking on governments and taking on some of this crazy thinking we can see which is that we can provide a universal service at an affordable price with a free market approach - it doesn't work,” Jennings told Mirza.



Jennings says postal unions need to embrace innovation by building on their unique face to face networks. “Delivering Innovation” is the theme of UNI’s postal and logistics meeting this week in Washington.



“When was the last time that you went to a union conference and was asked ‘What would Google do?’ What we are saying is you have Google and all these new social media and these internet connections across the world - there is a new connectivity built on the tradition of physical connectivity - there must be space in these two worlds from which these postal services can benefit.”



There is a huge space for the postal services to provide financial services, according to Jennings. He points to the untapped market in remittances with 265 million migrant workers around the world and challenges UPU to develop a global remittance service. Jennings says a recent meeting with President Aquino of the Philippines brought home to him how important the remittance market is to the economic development of countries. The Philippines alone has 3 million migrant workers.



“I don't like the way the postal service operators are going because they are down the track of casualisation, de-skilling, temporary work and de-professionalisation. That is not the way to go. We have this rare asset - a group of people who know their communities - have a face to face relationship with their communities - I would like to see more government business put through this network.”



Jennings does not buy the argument that the postal services are not up to the task of taking on these new opportunities. He says it’s the role of the unions and employees to get organised, citing the pressing need for a stronger union voice among the new big logistic carriers such as DHL who are failing their workforce.



“The terms of entry into any of these new logistics or postal markets should be the right to negotiate a collective agreement and it’s the role of the unions to give them a voice,” says Jennings.



Finally, Jennings says UNI and UPU are two organisations which have a unique relationship and must continue to push together for change in the labour market especially in the key areas of social responsibility and sustainable growth.