Postal union delivers unexpected result

There was another surprise result in a union general secretary contest at the end of May when Billy Hayes was voted to the top post in the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The 280,000 members of the CWU had been expected to vote for John Keggie, the union's deputy general secretary. But he lost out in what was seen as a backlash against his leading involvement in negotiating the controversial Way Forward deal with the Post Office on restructuring working practices.

Hayes, who received 53% of the vote in the straight two-way fight, was seen as a more left-wing candidate than Keggie. Although he is a Labour Party member, he says: "There are issues where we cannot be afraid of criticising the government." He is particularly concerned about repeal of anti-trade union laws and the index linking of pensions.

He also wants to decentralise the union's structures, saying: "We need to lecture less and hear more about the real impact of management's policies."

The vote come a few months after the shock election of avowed socialist Mark Serwotka to the leadership of the Public and Commercial Services union.

The CWU vote

Ballot papers

Turnout 24.4%

Billy Hayes 36,047

John Keggie 32,279 (47%)

* Last month the 1,200 delegates to the CWU's annual conference in Bournemouth voted unanimously to support an emergency motion calling for national strike action if any part of Consignia, the newly renamed Post Office, is contracted out or sold off.