Helen Martin: Privatisation will hit the customers hard

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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THE words "privatisation" and "deregulation" always bring me out in a cold sweat. It's not that I want everything to be nationalised or preserved in aspic, but I have lived through so many privatisations and deregulations of vital institutions that I no longer believe the hype and sales spiels about "opening up the industry", "creating a competitive market", and "modernisation".

It's all hogwash, designed to make us think the result will be something better at lower cost to the consumer. The carrot for us is that all these terribly efficient private companies will, in a free market, strive to win over customers by undercutting each other to give us the best price possible.

Instead we become obliging prey for sharp operators who baffle us with conflicting tariffs and rates until we – literally – forget who we've signed up with, let alone what we are paying.

Take utilities for instance. Do you know anyone (apart from the likes of TV money expert Martin Lewis) who seeks and finds the best deal and changes regularly to keep ahead of the game?

Oh yes, it might be crucial expenditure to you and me, but to the utility firms, it's a game. Take out a contract with any one of them and soon you will find yourself pounced on in supermarket malls, at the receiving end of junk mail, cold-called by phone, door-stepped in the middle of EastEnders etc by all the other players.

Sooner or later you will fall for one of their pitches because it seems glaringly obvious that by switching, you are going to save hundreds of pounds a year. It rarely works out like that because to be accurate in your calculations you need to know what kind of tariff you are on and which package . . . usually a perplexing combination of times, discounts, limitations and conditions, cunningly put together by a savant with the talent to confuse Stephen Hawking.

So you don't really understand the deal in the first place. And even if you did, it's only a matter of time until your introductory offer (yes, that was in the small print) runs out and you are paying a new higher rate in order to fund another introductory offer for more new customers to fall for.

The last time I switched, the firm I was leaving sent a rep round to ask, in a concerned voice, if I was aware of the consequences and knew what I was doing.

I explained that I thought I was getting a better deal. He then gently scolded me for not accepting the invitation, printed prominently on every bill, to take up their money-saving "challenge" which would, it appears, have under-cut my new supplier.

I told him this wasn't a TV game show. If they could have given me a better price, they should have done so. Then, fed up with being treated like a moron, I very slowly explained to him: "People – don't-have-time-for-this-messing-about. Get it right first time or be gone."

The same process applies to TV packages, internet, telephone calls, insurance, private pensions, bank accounts, credit cards, gas, electricity, flights, train tickets . . . to get the best deal on them all would require so much time we couldn't go to work to pay for anything.

Now, with the likely privatisation and deregulation of the Royal Mail, it's only a matter of time before posting a letter becomes just as complex: and "competitive", but in a bad way. And it won't be cheaper.

It will be goodbye to Postman Pat. His cap has already been consigned to history. Health and Safety would never let him drive round with a cat loose in his vehicle. Now his little red and yellow van will have a different livery and will be driven by someone in a branded polo-shirt and baseball cap who, according to Business Secretary Vince Cable, might work for a company based in Moscow, and who will deliver a letter to Mrs McTavish in a remote island village only if it is economically viable to do so.

Privatisation and deregulation makes sense for the government, removing as it does two major headaches – accountability and financing. It doesn't create jobs because we already have postmen and women. If a foreign company wins the deal, it's of even less benefit to the country.

And for the poor customer, it's going to be another nightmare in which we are left at the mercy of a commercial organisation where profit comes before service and alternative "suppliers" spring up to bewilder us with allegedly competitive rates.

Maybe there really is no alternative. But don't believe anyone who says it will improve anything for consumers.

[belle smith]

Now, with the likely privatisation and deregulation of the Royal Mail, it's only a matter of time before posting a letter becomes just as complex: and "competitive", but in a bad way. And it won't be cheaper.

eh.. no it won't be.
There will be no competition for you only baulk posters. But you will pay more your right about that.

[Wessex]

The regulator is to increase the price of stamps to the general public(above the rate of inflation) to maintain the uso.In other words the taxpayer will continue to support the leechmail companies.One presumes they must have a vested interest in keeping the uso.By having to go to every address we are there when they need us to deliver their letters at our expense.Naturally they dont have to provide a uso themselves.If we didnt provide a uso they would all be f....d

[Danelectro]

The regulator is to increase the price of stamps to the general public(above the rate of inflation) to maintain the uso.In other words the taxpayer will continue to support the leechmail companies.One presumes they must have a vested interest in keeping the uso.By having to go to every address we are there when they need us to deliver their letters at our expense.Naturally they dont have to provide a uso themselves.If we didnt provide a uso they would all be f....d

Thats why we should have been on strike for one thing and one thing only and that was to change the DSA terms,if we had had done that and won, then the whole modernisation/pension/declining mail volumes fiasco would have been shown up for what
is-political agenda masquerading as economic necessity.

[Broxi51]

Whats to stop a privatised RM from refusing the USO on the grounds that others dont have to provide one?
They could just collect & deliver to money making areas only and stick 2 fingers up to the rest.
The twats in power will have to put in legislation stating that a privatised RM will have to provide a USO
and no doubt the twats in power will probably have to fund it.
A privatised RM should have the same power & same requirements as any other privatised courier firm
otherwise the twats in power are favouring one firm over another

[BELIAL]

Well Coca Cola only dish up their stuff in profitable locations ,and they certainly don't distribute Iron Bru for a loss

[S6 Stroller]

The regulator is to increase the price of stamps to the general public(above the rate of inflation) to maintain the uso.In other words the taxpayer will continue to support the leechmail companies.One presumes they must have a vested interest in keeping the uso.By having to go to every address we are there when they need us to deliver their letters at our expense.Naturally they dont have to provide a uso themselves.If we didnt provide a uso they would all be f....d

Thats why we should have been on strike for one thing and one thing only and that was to change the DSA terms,if we had had done that and won, then the whole modernisation/pension/declining mail volumes fiasco would have been shown up for what
is-political agenda masquerading as economic necessity.

I have to agree. The entire f**k up begins and ends with DSA.

[Darren Bent]

DSA and USO is worst thing happens to Royal Mail.

I would like to raise the price for every USO by 10p to destroy all the competition as they won't be able to make money and contract to honour.

No one mention no matter what we still be delivering it.

[ziko]

I agree with Danelectro and stroller66,

DSA has destroyed the Royal Mail.
And the worst thing is no-one has stood up and faught a fight worth fighting Bye guys

[Wessex]

DSA is costing Royal Mail £195 million loss every year.Add on the potential profit loss,what are we talking about 1/2 billion perhaps taken from the taxpayer ? ayear.
Royal Mail predict leechmail to increase to c. 9 billion items by the end of the year.No decline in that sector .I wonder why :cfo :lfo :mfo

[Darren Bent]

DSA is costing Royal Mail £195 million loss every year.Add on the potential profit loss,what are we talking about 1/2 billion perhaps taken from the taxpayer ? ayear.
Royal Mail predict leechmail to increase to c. 9 billion items by the end of the year.No decline in that sector .I wonder why :cfo :lfo :mfo

This is why we need to put up the price for DSA

[webtrekker]

Speaking as an outsider working for a shyster company (Hermes) I can only say that, if I was a Royal Mail worker I would be doing everything I could to stamp out privatisation.

You will ALL end up losing your jobs, to be replaced by Agency workers and bogus Self Employed (like myself) and working for well below the National Minimum Wage, with no holiday payments, no sick pay, no maternity leave ....... This is the future, make no mistake!

[Wessex]

That's why we have a Union ,webtrekker,you might be able to join it.This coming battle is the big one and I hope our Union leaders are ready to hit the plate.From what I've read they have got off to a good start,my only concern why is it only at the last moment do they appear to be tackling the Access agreements that have so royally turned us over.

[bexhil palace]

That's why we have a Union ,webtrekker,you might be able to join it.This coming battle is the big one and I hope our Union leaders are ready to hit the plate.From what I've read they have got off to a good start,my only concern why is it only at the last moment do they appear to be tackling the Access agreements that have so royally turned us over.

Perhaps now BIG BILLY has no chance of a place in a ruling goverment for at lest 5 years. He has finally decided not to worry about embaressing
his masters, and is doing what we as a union require of him,namely representing our views at last.

[Edward Hunter]

Have i missed something - Hayes has played a blinder, where? when?,how? Someone explain, i cant wait