CWU back Findlay and Clark for Scottish Labour leadership

The CWU have become the latest union to back Neil Findlay for Leader of Scottish Labour, and Katy Clark for Deputy Leader – taking both up to eight union nominations. The union represents 200,000 postal and telecommunication workers, including 17,000 workers in Scotland.

Announcing the nomination, Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary, said:

“We give our full support to Neil Findlay and Katy Clark in their leadership bids for the Scottish Labour Party.

“We need a leadership team in Scotland that can unite the party and take Labour to victory next May. We know Neil and Katy will be leaders who are committed to defending the rights of working people in Scotland and will work with trade unions to fight for social justice. We are pleased to support them.”

In a statement issued following the GMB’s endorsement, Clark expressed her gratutude for the union nominations she has received so far:

“I am delighted to have received the support of the CWU. I have campaigned alongside postal workers to fight this Government’s shambolic privatisation of Royal Mail, heading up the campaign against privatisation and for the post office network in Parliament. I spoke out against Royal Mail privatisation at last year’s Labour Party conference and called for the next Labour Government to bring it back into public ownership. I am honoured that they have chosen to support me as the best candidate to challenge the failed privatisation agenda.

I have been an active trade unionist for many years and have worked with trade unions on many issues. As deputy leader I would intend to continue that relationship and continue to take up issues that trade unions and individual trade unionists raise with me. One of my priorities would be to build stronger relations between Scottish Labour and trade union members. I extremely grateful to the support that has been shown from trade unionists throughout Scotland and for the supporting nominations I have received from TSSA, Unison, BFAWU, Unite, ASLEF, UCATT and GMB for my campaign to be deputy leader.

The Labour Party’s affiliation to ordinary working people is our biggest strength, it sets us apart from every other Party. To have the support of organisations representing hundreds of thousands of Scottish workers is humbling. It was trade unionists who helped form the Labour Party and I hope that during these leadership campaigns we can engage the thousands of individual trade unionists who will have a vote with a full and frank debate about the future direction of Scottish Labour and how we can develop a policy platform which protects workers’ rights, delivers full employment and provides fair pay for all.

With our electoral college voting system it will be individual Labour Party members and trade unionists who will decide who is our next Leader and Deputy Leader and I will certainly be reaching out to them throughout my campaign.”

You can see the current state of the nominations race here.