Royal Mail privatisation would be 'disastrous' for Wales

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.plaidwerddcymru.org.uk/regio ... Wales.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jake Griffiths, Wales Green Party Leader, said: "The proposed bill to sell up to 90% of Royal Mail allows for Universal Service Provision to be stopped after 18 months, meaning large swathes of Wales could be without a daily postal service as a private firm focuses on lucrative urban deliveries. The guarantee of a daily service is a cornerstone of rural communities and it's removal would leave them isolated, it would also threaten rural post offices who rely on mail services for business."

"The Government's rhetoric on a cooperative business model sounds encouraging, but with only 10% of shares available to employees it seems private investors looking for a quick profit will carry sway under the current proposals."

He concluded:

"Working conditions for posties have become progressively worse in recent years and this would only continue under privatisation as cost-cutting managers force fewer employees to deliver more post, more quickly. The Communications Workers' Union is rightly opposed to privatisation and we will support posties in their efforts to defend their rights. The public also believes privatisation will lead to a worsened service (1). Caroline Lucas, the UK's first Green MP has signed an amendment to the bill in Parliament opposing privatisation due to its effects on rural communities (2). "


Notes:

Jake Griffiths is the Lead Green candidate for the South Wales Central Region in May's Assembly Elections. Just 7% of the regional vote would see him elected as Wales' first Green AM.

(1) Western Mail, 28/10/10, p. 10-11

(2) The text of the amendment reads:

That this house declines to give the Postal Services Bill a Second Reading because of the consequences it could have for postal services in rural areas especially in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; believe that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) is of vital importance to rural areas and it can only be properly maintained by a publicly owned service; notes the importance that sub post offices play in the delivery of postal services and believes the continuing uncertainty is undermining the confidence of sub post masters.

Wales Green Party website:
http://wales.greenparty.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Contact details:
Sam Coates 075 3157 0056
Sam.coates@walesgreenparty.org.uk
OR Jake Griffiths 077 5275 4537

[andy2007]

Ah! The reality is finally starting to dawn on people now, is it?
How many years have we predicting this for?

[ziko]

Rural areas includes not just Wales and Scotland and N ireland but Devon, Cornwall and Somerset and the rest of the UK not situated in or around a city or major town.

[barbario]

I reckon the Government know this to be true but they will still privatise us because they are desparate for the cash.

[borders]

Jake Griffiths, Wales Green Party Leader, said: "The proposed bill to sell up to 90% of Royal Mail allows for Universal Service Provision to be stopped after 18 months...
this says it all for me , a little wink, wink nudge , nudge to the privateers , hang on for 18 months and then you can charge your own prices and only deliver to the most profitable areas .

[dvbuk55]

Alright, rural areas would suffer if the universal delivery was stopped, that is if you counted 6 lots of D2D and the gas bill as suffering. As for isolating them - wtf they ARE isolated and a daily visit from the postman doesn't change that - now lets ask the vast majority of people i.e those who don't choose to live in a field in the middle of nowhere if they would like to pay extra to keep farmer Giles updated on the latest fashion from Dorothy Perkins via a D2D........

[borders]

my brother does a rural delivery and collection in Devon, one or two deliveries and collections a week and what happens to his job ??

[dvbuk55]

my brother does a rural delivery and collection in Devon, one or two deliveries and collections a week and what happens to his job ??

The same that has happened to 60,000 others and even more on the way perhaps..........the scale of economy WILL come sooner or later.