Tories plan to sell off all of strike-hit Royal Mail

[Geezer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/2 ... vatisation


* Patrick Wintour and Tim Webb
* The Guardian, Friday 30 October 2009



The Conservatives are backing the total privatisation of Royal Mail and believe bidders will be more willing to come forward if the dispute ends with the union forced to accept modernisation.

The move risks further inflaming the increasingly bitter dispute as the second wave of national strikes kicked off today after last-ditch talks collapsed on Wednesday.

Billy Hayes, the Communication Workers Union leader, raised the prospect of longer strikes although the union's postal executive held back from naming fresh strike dates amid reports that the two sides would meet today for fresh talks.

The Tories expect more than 30,000 jobs will have to be cut as part of introducing new machinery into the service. Ken Clarke, the shadow business secretary, has held talks on the sale of Royal Mail with potential bidders, and the party believes there is still a desire in the private sector to take over the company. The Conservatives' resolve has hardened over the last few days as union leaders and management remain deadlocked. But they remain committed as part of the deal to funding a pension deficit that could reach £10bn by next year.

The Tories are looking at introducing laws setting new minimum turnout thresholds for strike ballots on the basis that they can only be lawful disputes if a majority of those being called out on strike have voted for it in a ballot. In the case of the Royal Mail dispute there was a clear majority for the strike among those voting, but not among the total workforce.

Clarke has not promised that the sale of Royal Mail would be included in a Tory government's first Queen's speech but that is the intention, sources say.

Senior Conservatives argue that unless the government takes itself out of Royal Mail altogether while protecting the universal delivery service, politics will be continually dragged into the business. "You cannot have ministers appearing on politics TV programmes discussing how to run the Royal Mail," one source said.

The revelation about Tory thinking will put pressure on the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, who attempted to part-privatise Royal Mail by selling a 30% stake in the company, but shelved the plans in the summer after vehement opposition from the CWU and backbenchers.

The plans by the Conservatives risk pushing the union further into a corner and make a resolution of the current dispute even more difficult. Dave Ward, the deputy general secretary of the CWU, has said unreasonable workloads and looming compulsory redundancies mean many members feel they have little to lose by going on strike. "Our people do not see any light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Hitting back at accusations from Royal Mail and ministers that the strikes are "suicidal" because of the damage being done to Royal Mail's already precarious finances, he said that mismanagement of the company would result in the business being run down whether the union went on strike or not. "What would be suicidal would be to do nothing," he added.

CWU members are likely to be less prepared to make any concessions to resolve the dispute if any agreement is torn up and their conditions deteriorate further in the event of a Tory general election win.

The Conservatives see the dispute as centred on the introduction of new sorting machines that Royal Mail has been trying to bring into mail centres, whose adoption were a key part of the 2007 modernisation agreement negotiated by the TUC. More than 80% of mail would be sorted by these machines, halving sorting time and leading to fears that mail delivery would become a part-time job.

The Tories never accepted Mandelson's argument that he shelved the part-privatisation bill in the summer because of adverse market conditions, arguing that it could have been put on the statute book and the sale deferred. They believe Gordon Brown pulled the bill solely because of backbench opposition. Senior Tories had thought that Mandelson would reintroduce the bill in response to the strikes as part of an attempt to restore New Labour's reformist credentials.

They also believe that there are deep divisions within the CWU – a view shared by ministers – but are amazed that in a newspaper interview Hayes described his union as more powerful than Arthur Scargill at the start of the 1984 miners' strike. The CWU said the article had twisted his words.

[pcb]

I do hope that the Tories are gong to use the same proposed changes to industrial ballots as to general elections! If this went through the political class would never be voted in! It shows what the Tories are all about when trying to stop workers from defending their pay and working conditions.
The Tories always go on about markets and competition, which they believe provides a better service but in laymens terms means more profit for shareholders. State monopoly = competition = private monopoly result is higher bills, ex workers on state benefits and a lucky few at the top of these private concerns extremely rich! Yep! Tories are going to privatise if they get in!

[geoffum]

Regardless who wins the next general election the great ship Royal Mail and all who sail on her is well and trully SUNK
except :cfo and Higson of course, they will have jumped ship by then.

[Post Off]

There is a belief circulating of a possible hung parliament if the conservatives aren't able to win a clear majority in the next general election. And I have been reading that such a parliament might be short-lived, which may forestall any rash plans to privatise the Royal Mail...

Wishful thinking, I know, but at least we won't (hopefully) be torn to shreds overnight by a government wracked with ruinous vengeance.

[The Bigamist]

There is a belief circulating of a possible hung parliament if the conservatives aren't able to win a clear majority in the next general election. And I have been reading that such a parliament might be short-lived, which may forestall any rash plans to privatise the Royal Mail...

Wishful thinking, I know, but at least we won't (hopefully) be torn to shreds overnight by a government wracked with ruinous vengeance.

Even that w****r Baron Heseltine said thats the most likely outcome when he was on Hard Talk the other night.

[bexhil palace]

God do i need to win the lottery, so i can f..k off out of this sh.t hole of a country.
I'm just glad that i'm an old twat, i would not like to be a youngster starting out.

[DirtyHarry]

God do i need to win the lottery, so i can f..k off out of this sh.t hole of a country.
I'm just glad that i'm an old twat, i would not like to be a youngster starting out.

Same here, mate. "Gangster's Paradise", that should be the new national anthem for Once-Great Britain.

[Stormproof]

I can't wait to leave this country, all I need now is a big lottery win (is that emoticon PC? )

[Post Off]

God do i need to win the lottery, so i can f..k off out of this sh.t hole of a country.
I'm just glad that i'm an old twat, i would not like to be a youngster starting out.

I'm right with you there, though the only people who should be exiled from our shores are that shower of sh*t currently running the country six feet under. And as for that other lot... Well, I think they have definitely shot themselves in the foot by bringing back Ken Clarke, that ancient, mad, old fart. With a bit of luck it will confuse the hell out of the electorate.

[fishtank]

There is a belief circulating of a possible hung parliament if the conservatives aren't able to win a clear majority in the next general election. And I have been reading that such a parliament might be short-lived, which may forestall any rash plans to privatise the Royal Mail...

Wishful thinking, I know, but at least we won't (hopefully) be torn to shreds overnight by a government wracked with ruinous vengeance.

It's not really wishful thinking it's the most likely outcome.

Even a deep hatred of the whole Blair/Brown new labour regime will not make me vote Conservative,
and if they did get in they would need a large majority as no Labour M.P(except Maybe Mandleson if he makes it) would vote for a Tory privatisation Bill

[redspartapost]

anyone know what the scottish national partys plans are for postal deliveries in scotland are, if we ever gain independence.asked an snp activist who i deliver to and he couldnt answer ,saying royal mail is london govt. owned and not sure what a free (sorry independent)scotland would mean reguarding mail deliveries

[fishtank]

anyone know what the scottish national partys plans are for postal deliveries in scotland are, if we ever gain independence.asked an snp activist who i deliver to and he couldnt answer ,saying royal mail is london govt. owned and not sure what a free (sorry independent)scotland would mean reguarding mail deliveries

This might give you an idea

SNP CONFERENCE CONDEMNS ROYAL MAIL STITCH UP

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF LABOUR’S TORY AGENDA

The SNP conference has passed a topical resolution condemning moves by the Royal Mail and UK government to seek confrontation with the post office workers’ union – the Communications Workers Union – as a means to press ahead with privatization plans.

The revelations were outlined in Royal Mail documents obtained by the BBC's Newsnight showing the company planning to exclude union members in their plans to try and privatise the Royal Mail.

Welcoming the passing of the resolution Christina McKelvie MSP – the SNP Trade Union Group’s Parliamentary representative – said the disclosures highlighted why trade union members should dump the Labour party and ensure they did not pay a political levy to Labour.

Commenting Ms McKelvie said:

“This week’s revelations showing collusion between Royal Mail the Labour government to exclude the trade unions from their privatisation proposals expose the depths which the Labour party will now go. That they will provoke a dispute deliberately is shocking.

“It also shows the contempt they have for union members who have been funding the Labour party. Many of them I know will be looking at stopping those donations.

“Royal Mail must remain in public hands and the SNP will continue to fight for the retention of publicly-owned postal services.”

ENDS

[redspartapost]

thanks fishtank,i know the snp are to the left of labour,but if scotland was to leave the u.k. would their be some sort of scottish royal(snp want to keep the queen as head of state i think?)mail and perhaps (wishful thinking)it wouldnt be run as badly as current bunch of :cfo :mfo .idiots.

[fishtank]

thanks fishtank,i know the snp are to the left of labour,but if scotland was to leave the u.k. would their be some sort of scottish royal(snp want to keep the queen as head of state i think?)mail and perhaps (wishful thinking)it wouldnt be run as badly as current bunch of :cfo :mfo .idiots.

I don't see why their would'nt be a seperate Scottish Royal Mail in the same way as we had Scottish Gas (pre-privatisation).

Whether it would be run any better is anybodys guess,
I think more managers have been suspended in Scotland then anywhere else in the U.K.

[Destroyer]

I don't see why their would'nt be a seperate Scottish Royal Mail in the same way as we had Scottish Gas (pre-privatisation).

Then you could have your own Scottish Royal Mail Management & Scottish CWU Reps ie - Crozier & Keggie !!!