Royal Mail to be privatised by UK Government

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.snp.org/node/17623" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The passing of Royal Mail privatisation plans have been condemned by the SNP who warned that delivery services as well as the future local post office branches were under threat.


Speaking after the vote in the House of Commons, Mike Weir said:


“This is the wrong decision at the worst possible time, and will put delivery services as well as the future of local post office branches under threat. This is yet another betrayal by Lib Dem MPs which will haunt them at the Holyrood elections.

“Privatisation not only threatens the future of deliveries, jobs and services but also the sustainability of the post office network which has already seen closures under the last Labour government.


“It is inevitable that the pressures from a fully privatised Royal Mail – operated for profit and not public service - will lead to a reduction in the universal service obligation. The impact of cuts will be worst felt by rural communities which have already endured the closure of local amenities.


After SNP intervention, the UK Government confirmed that it would protect distinct national designs on stamps in Scotland and Wales. Commenting, Mr Weir said:


“Distinctive national designs have long been a key and collectable feature of Royal Mail stamps and I am pleased with this assurance that they will not be replaced with corporate logos.


“Just as the government acted to ensure the Queen’s head stays on stamps, it is right to protect the future of much-loved national designs like the lion rampant and Saltire on Scottish stamps and the dragon on Welsh stamps."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

319 ayes. 238 no.

[dvbuk55]

Was there ever a doubt that this would go through.................only in the minds of the pie munchers mortified that the queens head may be lost forever.

[fishtank]

Was there ever a doubt that this would go through.................only in the minds of the pie munchers mortified that the queens head may be lost forever.

No...there never was much doubt..unfortunately.
When privatisation was defeated in the past it was done so against a Government in disarray.
Not so this time...it's a black day for Royal Mail and an even blacker one for the CWU and it's members.
It's not through entirely yet but it's a runaway train....
I'm getting off at the next available station.

[dvbuk55]

Was there ever a doubt that this would go through.................only in the minds of the pie munchers mortified that the queens head may be lost forever.

No...there never was much doubt..unfortunately.
When privatisation was defeated in the past it was done so against a Government in disarray.
Not so this time...it's a black day for Royal Mail and an even blacker one for the CWU and it's members.
It's not through entirely yet but it's a runaway train....
I'm getting off at the next available station.

Privatisation for deliveries is not the bogeyman it may appear to be you know. Think of the massive changes already, the fact that almost every DM and WSM is in crisis.......for those that have carried them out. Those who have most to fear are the ones who have been hiding out for years under one pretext or another, special case, unusual circumstances. I believe that some of the services in house now, won't be in the near future, they'll be put out to tender

Will there be changes? Of course there will, will they all be pleasant, of course not. At the end of the day if your day is full now it won't get worse but if you're managing to scam the delivery times...............those offices are in deep doo doo. I think the CWU is going to have its work cut out dealing with all the disagreements coming their way...........let's hope they're up to it....................it may depend on what's on offer of course

[Gills_Postie]

“It is inevitable that the pressures from a fully privatised Royal Mail – operated for profit and not public service - will lead to a reduction in the universal service obligation"


Sounds horrible, i cannot begin to imagine what thats like

[LDV 350]

The Scottish government should apply to buy Royal Mail Scotland and save it for the nation due to the fears of zonal pricing and the Welsh should try the same

[Martin Walsh]

Dvbuk are you serious , I heard some silly comments in my time but yours takes the biscuit. Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement. Do you really think any new owner will think that delivery offices have now reached their peak in terms of cost and producitivity.

Do you really think that the 15 ways they can remove the USO helps improve delivery postman jobs or the fact they any new owner cannot have a pension defcit going forward which means that our current pension scheme will finish as an employer funds it and therefore is at risk.

So I know plenty on here like a banter but keep it real.

[fishtank]

Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement.

And the union said what exactly dingo?
Shouldn't the membership be made aware of Royal Mail's position?
Shouldn't perhaps the union have responded to this ridiculous statement with some kind of official position?
Are we simply going to sit back and allow Royal Mail to push ahead with these revisions at a pace which is obviously causing many of them to fail and piling pressure on our members?
We don't want to be accused of being weak and feeble in the face of a management onslaught....do we?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement.

And the union said what exactly dingo?
Shouldn't the membership be made aware of Royal Mail's position?
Shouldn't perhaps the union have responded to this ridiculous statement with some kind of official position?
Are we simply going to sit back and allow Royal Mail to push ahead with these revisions at a pace which is obviously causing many of them to fail and piling pressure on our members?
We don't want to be accused of being weak and feeble in the face of a management onslaught....do we?

Perhaps without meaning to Dingo has highlighted what at least some believe, that the CWU cannot communicate (though give Dingo his due he does even if we don't like the message), that there is a disengagement between Ordinary members and the top table, and that perhaps some senior reps do not understand the new realities of working within the current ethos of RM. Although I think they do understand, in so much as being told war stories by your grandad but they have ever experienced being shot at except by 3rd hand.

[dvbuk55]

Dvbuk are you serious , I heard some silly comments in my time but yours takes the biscuit. Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement. Do you really think any new owner will think that delivery offices have now reached their peak in terms of cost and producitivity.

Do you really think that the 15 ways they can remove the USO helps improve delivery postman jobs or the fact they any new owner cannot have a pension defcit going forward which means that our current pension scheme will finish as an employer funds it and therefore is at risk.

So I know plenty on here like a banter but keep it real.

Keep it real that's a bit rich coming from the "deal of the century" merchant.

You see Dingo nothing highlights your shortcomings more than your total lack of understanding of what is happening outside your back garden. You move in HQ circles, which to my mind is reminiscent of the Berlin Bunker in 1945. Of course the revisions aren't moving quickly enough because the agreement was deficient. Lack of planners........lack of the will to move forward more like. Are those 10,000 vehicles still there, the warehouses full of HCTs that just had to be utilised because they had been paid for. As for the pension scheme, trotted out like some ageing relative to impress the neighbours. The last time the pension was in jeopardy there was NO action taken.

[gb93]

Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement.

What! How dare she after all them DM & WSM revisions in London.

[fishtank]

Moya is even stating now that delivery revisions are not moving quickly enough and they might consider withdrawing from the agreement.

What! How dare she after all them DM & WSM revisions in London.

[gb93]

Couldn't believe it hadn't been pointed out previously by the dastardly "serial posters'.
And I couldn't resist myself any longer.

[dvbuk55]

Couldn't believe it hadn't been pointed out previously by the dastardly "serial posters'.
And I couldn't resist myself any longer.

Wait a minute there gb93, there was nothing in the agreement to say you didn't need to use all this equipment that had cost £1.5Bn or that you couldn't continue on your merry way as before even if Moya was miffed about it..............of course it may prove to be a master stroke........because we are still waiting to hear if there HAS been a successful DM and WSM Revision. We have heard of multiple failures of course.