Letter to local paper re: Privatisation

[lovejoy]

In Whose Name?

I write following the recent announcement by the Government that they are set to push ahead with Privatisation of the Royal Mail. I hope to set out the case for the Mail to remain in public hands, challenge the lack of democratic action shown by our Conservative MPs and invite those individuals to debate this issue in public.

I do not write this letter with a political mandate because it isn’t about party politics it is about the Government of the day moving ahead with the privatisation of Royal Mail with no public input, no mandate from the people of this Country and a totally flawed policy dusted off straight from the 1980s.

Not one single poll of the public has backed the selloff, the Conservative think tank the Bow Group have come out against it and the very same Minister pushing the sale (Michael Fallon) has previously stood against it. Locally we have met Oliver Colville and despite friendly exchanges where his position was clearly exposed he has towed the party line. We have invited Gary Streeter to meet us and received a reply which can only be described as rude. Neither of these MPs has polled their constituents in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. Neither has openly debated the issue with the 2000 postal workers in the City boundaries and neither has had the courage to move away from an ideological position taken by their leadership. With this in mind I ask in whose name are our MPs making these decisions in Westminster? This is a crass abuse of democracy and one that postal workers, their friends and families will not forget at the next election.

The Government (and our Conservative MPs) have been busy pedalling a lot of reasons why the Royal Mail needs to be privatised. It could be profitable they say. Well, it already is. The company made £404m profit this year alone and this has been rising year on year. This money goes into the treasury and back to the people that it should do – The British Public.

‘The Royal Mail is dying because of email’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, letter traffic is dropping off but packet and parcel mail is through the roof and given the fact that it is more labour intensive the make-up of a postal workers mail bag is as heavy if not heavier than ever.

We are told that we need to privatise to modernise. Again this is a myth. In 2010 the CWU and Royal Mail signed a major change agreement that has completely overhauled the business and the way we work. We did not go through this pain to simply hand over the keys to a profit driven owner with no care for the employees or the people that we serve.

Privatisation is the only way to gain investment for the company say our Government. An argument with more holes than a piece of Edam. Network Rail borrow Billions in bonds for example and why can’t consideration be given to turning Royal Mail into a not for profit organisation with all profits reinvested to improving the services we provide?

Finally and perhaps most outrageously we are told that the 6 Day Delivery service will be safe after privatisation because ‘it is protected in law’. I believe that the majority of people are wise enough to see straight through this. Under Government ownership, Royal Mail has a social obligation. It is part of the social fabric of this Country. There is no chance at all that a private owner, motivated purely by profit will want to sustain a service that loses money in rural areas and poorer areas. The very same areas that are represented by Oliver Colville and Gary Streeter. Privatisation will mean the inevitable break-up of the Royal Mail. Regional pricing (just look at how the South West suffers with Water rates) could be implemented and yet our MPs sit idly by nodding through the policy.

This sale will make a few people rich whilst the majority suffer. It seems that our Conservative MPs know the price of everything but the value of nothing. I would like to challenge Mr Colville and Mr Streeter to a public debate in Plymouth on the future of Royal Mail. You represent Plymouth and not the corridors of Westminster. We can hold the debate anywhere at any time. Via the media, in front of postal workers or I will even come and have the debate with you in front of your own party members. You’ve refused to face up to the debate before and a continuation of this will show the people of Plymouth that a vote for either of you actually means a vote for whatever the Central Party policy is rather than what matters – the views of Plymotians and the surrounding areas.

The CWU has launched a National Strike Action Ballot to defend postal workers terms and conditions. I would like to take this opportunity to assure readers that this is a very last resort. We are fighting for our lives, faced by a Government ignoring public opinion and an aggressive employer we have no option. We as a Union will do everything possible to avoid Industrial Action. Our MPs acting on behalf of their constituents would be a massive step towards that. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. You don’t need to buy shares in the Royal Mail – You already own it.

Regards

Chris Webb
Divisional Representative
Communication Workers Union

[Pete22]

[Phantom]

Mail isn't dropping off!