ROYAL MAIL: Anger at part privatisation plan

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/39811 ... tion_plan/

POSTAL workers are considering their next move after the Government announced its support of a plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail.

Business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson made the announcement this afternoon (December 16) in the House of Lords.

It is believed that around 30 per cent of the state-owned firm could be sold off and Dutch postal giant TNT has already expressed an interest.

Lord Mandelson said he would also welcome other expressions of interest from other "credible partners", should they come forward.

The announcement followed the publication of an independent study by Richard Hopper, a former deputy chairman of media watchdog Ofcom.

Multibillion-pound deficit

It called for a major overhaul of the firm which faces a multibillion-pound pension deficit.

The new partnership will not include the local post offices network, which Lord Mandelson said combined a "unique" set of commercial, public and social roles.

But he says part privatisation will help the Post Office.

The business secretary told the Lords: “Today's announcement will help underpin our existing commitment to the Post Office network.

"We are providing £1.7 billion to 2011 to support a network of around 11,500 branches.

“We will continue to support the non-commercial network beyond that time.

"I believe that Royal Mail and the postal market can thrive in the future - provided that decisive action is taken now.

“Without far-reaching change, the opportunities brought by technology will become overwhelming threats.

"This need not be the case. I believe that there are benefits for everybody in the package of measures that we intend to take forward."

Union ‘outraged’ at proposal

But the Communication Workers Union (CWU) is not happy about the proposal.

New Cross delivery office union representative Vincent Kelly said: “I’m outraged to be frank.

“The Government said it would be fully owned by the public and they have gone back on that commitment.

“We have had a number of efficiency drives over the past few years and everybody is busting a gut.

“I cannot see how you can be more efficient and I do not know where they are going to make their savings.”

Mr Kelly, 42, from Crayford, added: “We need to get a steer from the leadership of the union.

“I will get a reaction from the staff and take the feelings from the staff to a meeting and area level and take things further.

“The leadership needs to think long and hard about what our next move is going to be.”

* Around 2,000 CWU members in Liverpool, Coventry, Stockport, Oxford, Crewe and Bolton will stage a 24 hour walkout on Friday (December 19) in a row over delivery office closures.

Friday is the day before the last Christmas posting day for first class letters.