Could 200,000 Royal Mail workers lose their pensions?

[POSTMAN]

http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/01 ... -pensions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One advantage of a blog is you can flag up curiosities before they become mainstream news. Take the threat of industrial action over foreign workers, which I mentioned here three weeks ago.

I mention this before drawing your attention to a small and obscure clause in the Hooper report on the modernisation of the Royal Mail.

Lord Mandelson, who wants to bring in a private investor into the public group, is at odds with unions who want to see some form of state aid instead. But Hooper makes clear (I think it’s on page 64) that state aid would have to get past Brussels. To do this, he explains, the company would have to carry out options which could include a] radical restructuring and b] closing the final salary pension scheme to existing members.

As pensions guru John Ralfe points out, b] would be politically explosive. Even in the private sector this has hardly ever been tried before. (Rentokil did it a couple of years ago and kicked up a furore.)

It wouldn’t surprise me if we see Mandelson using this threat to cow the unions into submission later in the year. I can already see the headline now: “Two hundred thousand Royal Mail workers to lose their pensions if they resist part-privatisation, says business secretary“. Remember: you read it here first.

[k979aaa]

http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/01 ... -pensions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One advantage of a blog is you can flag up curiosities before they become mainstream news. Take the threat of industrial action over foreign workers, which I mentioned here three weeks ago.

I mention this before drawing your attention to a small and obscure clause in the Hooper report on the modernisation of the Royal Mail.

Lord Mandelson, who wants to bring in a private investor into the public group, is at odds with unions who want to see some form of state aid instead. But Hooper makes clear (I think it’s on page 64) that state aid would have to get past Brussels. To do this, he explains, the company would have to carry out options which could include a] radical restructuring and b] closing the final salary pension scheme to existing members.

As pensions guru John Ralfe points out, b] would be politically explosive. Even in the private sector this has hardly ever been tried before. (Rentokil did it a couple of years ago and kicked up a furore.)

It wouldn’t surprise me if we see Mandelson using this threat to cow the unions into submission later in the year. I can already see the headline now: “Two hundred thousand Royal Mail workers to lose their pensions if they resist part-privatisation, says business secretary“. Remember: you read it here first.

We have already had our final salary pension scheme cut to existing members and are now all enrolled in a career average related scheme as such it is like being raped for a second time but would not surprise me with the bugger's in charge at the moment!. :mfo :mfo :mfo

[Big Daz]

The current loan from government is still under investgation from the EU!!

[k979aaa]

The current loan from government is still under investgation from the EU!!

What did you expect with :mfo him and his ilk!

[Big Daz]

TNT are the main culprit, I belive they complained to Europe.

[k979aaa]

TNT are the main culprit, I belive they complained to Europe.

Would not you if you ran a buisness but royalmail is more than a business it is a service which they (TNT) cannont run as they have no concept of running a service only a buisness!.

[Big Daz]

TNT motives have been exposed by them declaring they want to buy part of RML its profit for them instead of the UK taxpayer

[k979aaa]

TNT motives have been exposed by them declaring they want to buy part of RML its profit for them instead of the UK taxpayer

Profit before service that is what it all come down to i wonder if any politicians have have had a backhand dutch flip and it ain't pim fortuyn any guesses on a post card to :mfo !.

[janitor]

We could always leave the EU . End of problem.

[k979aaa]

We could always leave the EU . End of problem.

NO it will not get rid of the greedy capitalist pig's :mfo & :cfo & :lfo only give them more room to screw us all harder and faster!.

[DGP1]

We could always leave the EU . End of problem.

NO it will not get rid of the greedy capitalist pig's :mfo & :cfo & :lfo only give them more room to screw us all harder and faster!.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of the French book and have a riot and burn some pigs

[Broxi51]

http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/01 ... -pensions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“Two hundred thousand Royal Mail workers to lose their pensions if they resist part-privatisation, says business secretary“. Remember: you read it here first.

"200,000 Royal Mail workers castrate Mandy and shove his B*lls up his ar*e" says skint postie.

[k979aaa]

We could always leave the EU . End of problem.

NO it will not get rid of the greedy capitalist pig's :mfo & :cfo & :lfo only give them more room to screw us all harder and faster!.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of the French book and have a riot and burn some pigs

I love the smell of bacon :cfo or a roasted pork joint :lfo or even frickadellen :mfo!.

[heapsy]

The UK government should do exactly as our EU counterparts do. They should apply the laws that suit, and ignore the ones that don't. For years the French and Spanish have blocked anything that threatens the jobs of their own people, or caused too much in the way of red tape. Remember when the French banned our beef and then were fined? They didn't pay the fine and they also covered up the fact that THEY had mad cow disease in their own back yard.It's about time WE did the same here, otherwise there will be no end to the mayhem that is happening now.

[fmrPOSTIE]

The UK government should do exactly as our EU counterparts do. They should apply the laws that suit, and ignore the ones that don't. For years the French and Spanish have blocked anything that threatens the jobs of their own people, or caused too much in the way of red tape. Remember when the French banned our beef and then were fined? They didn't pay the fine and they also covered up the fact that THEY had mad cow disease in their own back yard.It's about time WE did the same here, otherwise there will be no end to the mayhem that is happening now.

Good point Mr. We always play by the rules in this country yet the French stick 2 fingers up at the EU. Time for us to play thier game me thinks...otherwise strikes/riots just *might* come to the streets of the UK.