Czech billionaire

[daveyeff]

been in the papers today that Royal Mails ownership is under a national security review after is has emerged that Daniel Kretinsky has increased his shareholding to 25%. in one of Dave Wards videos it was mentioned that the company were in secret talks in luxembourg with investors and now it has come to light its this bloke. ive heard that Thompson and Co are hoping the share price is driven down enough so this guy will come in and complete a takeover. if this were to happen will we be f****d as a workforce/union.? will we be ''Amazonised''.? the way this CEO is going on and his sidekick Williams i think its entirely possible this could be the outcome. does anyone think the union may have underestimated this nest of C***S. .....comments?

[postieblueshirt]

i dont think anyone would know the answer to that...i have no idea

[Wolf91]

There are rumours that it seems to be the case, but just rumours, nobody here really knows for sure.

[daveyeff]

A few years back on here a poster named "fishtank" mentioned this kretinsky bloke. Said he was known as the "locust" cos he will come and asset strip everything and basically do as he wants. Apparently he's got form. Now he's knocking on our door. Hope it's all bollix but you never can tell with these people, also it's been said on here that Thompson is a narcissist which I think he is. He won't want to be beaten and humiliated by the union. I wouldn't put owt past him.

[Jefferson Starfish]

Kretinsky has been slowly buying up shares for years.

Fishtank is now known as Woody Guthrie.

[postslippete]

The company has threatened to break up it's business if the crisis worsens.


Kretinsky has links to the Russian state gas operator, Gazprom. His EP Infrastructure (EPIF) business owns a 49% holding in Eustream, which operates a system piping Russian gas to central and eastern Europe through Slovakia.

Considering that this current economic crisis seems to be borne out of problems with sanctions on Russia this cannot be ignored. The government need to know what his motives are for wanting a controlling share in Royal Mail.

[Ad_bee]

if this were to happen will we be f****d as a workforce/union.? will we be ''Amazonised''.?

I think so.

Not just "'cos Kretinsky", it could be anyone, any fund, corporation or government etc.

Isn't this what privatisation set us up for?

Why wouldn't the anarcho-capitalists asset-strip, debt-load and plunder?

This is what they do....right?

Personally I believe that the UK Government will be the first civilisation in history to destroy its own physical ability to communicate with its own citizens. Perhaps they feel that mainstream-media will suffice a supine electorate and perhaps they are right though we don't need 'ifs', 'buts' and 'maybes' when we have the harsh reality that:

~ If there were no opportunity for loot and plunder the 'Kretinskys of the world' would not be vying for dominance herein.

~ The British political establishment Lib,Lab and Con tried very, very, hard to get us into the position we are in.



The only potential 'saving-grace' is that they might not be able to get a workforce that can afford to work for them but that is true for all of the other robbed-out, over leveraged commercial enterprises but in order to find out they'll have to 'do the deed' and IMHO....they will!

[richietns]

What about the uso it has to go through government thats whats putting the brakes on at the minute and Ofcom haven't given the green light to change our days anytime soon.

[clashcityrocker]

Firstly I don't think this "drive the share price down" narrative is correct.
He can't simply mop up a controlling interest at the lowest price. Someone with more interest in the technicalities of takeovers could find out.
Anyway the share price jumped slightly on the news that he was wanting to increase his shareholding, even though some posters on here and elsewhere were predicting the share price would tank on the first day of industrial action.

Secondly Kretinsky also has interests in Le Monde. (and Sainsburys and West ham Utd)
Le Monde is an iconic brand as is Royal Mail. Maybe he just wants another brand to add to his portfolio.
Maybe that's what you do when you have that much money at your disposal - buy a newspaper, buy a supermarket chain, buy a football club, buy the Royal Mail?

Lastly whatever happens won't be good for us. It never is.

[timbo1234]

Communication , whether by letter, phone call , email etc is considered a key part of the UK infrastructure, like power, water etc. That means the companies that run them must always operate in in the UK's interest not that of a foreign government or individual. That is why the Government is looking at the security implications of it being majority owned by a foreign individual whose motives are contrary to the UK's best interests. With a war in Ukraine our government cannot by law allow a vital part of the UK's infrastructure to be in the control of an individual with strong business links to Russia.

[broughts]

This is why I can never believe the union never fought privatisation harder the first campaign when they tried to privatise it ‘save our post “we were outside post offices almost like pickets getting public support the second and final time nowhere near as much now maybe it was a battle that couldn’t be won but know a lot have sold there shares at whatever price and if it’s taken over the rest will have to give up there’s it stinks to high heaven

[yellowbelly]

Communication , whether by letter, phone call , email etc is considered a key part of the UK infrastructure, like power, water etc. That means the companies that run them must always operate in in the UK's interest not that of a foreign government or individual.

Foreign governments, companies or individuals already own or have controlling interests in many of our water/power companies.

edf - French govt.
eon - German
Scottish Power - Spanish
Northumbrian Water - Chinese
etc. etc.

Successive govts have been asleep at the wheel over ownership of these companies who have bled them dry of
billions in dividends which have disappeared overseas at the expense of the UK taxpayer.
I'd like to know how discharging raw sewage onto our beaches or our nearest neighbours
threatening to cut off the power to Jersey was in anybody's interest.

[Jb1969]

An optimists viewpoint Clash, it’s a nice thought.
It would be difficult to asset strip those businesses mentioned.
Royal Mail is a prime target for it.Strip GLS from RM, profit to be made.Strip the parcels from letters, profit to be made.
Buildings within RM he could sell, Distribution & Artics & Collections could all be separated & sold.
The only thing that’s a stumbling block is the USO.
I have no idea how he would get around that, perhaps others have?
Will Government allow it, of course, I would automatically presume many members have links to him in some description!

[stevejm]

Royal Mail is valued at 2.5 billion. If GLS existed as a separate company it'd be valued at 4 billion. There's the motivation to asset strip right there.

[datasaint]

What about the uso it has to go through government thats whats putting the brakes on at the minute and Ofcom haven't given the green light to change our days anytime soon.

Well actually they said they weren't opposed to cancelling Saturdays as it would have little impact on the customer.