Protest at Royal Mail privatisation

(GETTY IMAGES)

Politicians, trade unions and business leaders will join hundreds of postal workers at a rally in Westminster today to protest against the Government's plans to privatise Royal Mail.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the event was aimed at giving MPs a "clear message of dissatisfaction" with the Postal Service Bill which paves the way for the privatisation.

The Bill is currently in committee stage and the union said it believed it contained "huge loopholes" which put at risk the universal pricing of deliveries and the post office network.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: "If people think the weather has been bad for deliveries, you've not seen anything if the Government gets its way."