Give Royal Mail to the postmen

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://dofonline.co.uk/index.php/the-ed ... ares-43534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postmen are threatening to strike over the privatisation of Royal Mail. They wouldn’t strike if they owned it.

The £3bn the government hopes to raise from this sale – a figure that shrinks on every strike threat – pales by comparison to the postal service’s £10bn pension fund deficit. The state has taken the whole of the fund’s £38bn liability onto its books to make this sale possible but as the years roll on, the Treasury will remain exposed long after the business has been sold.

Rather than sell the shares, the government should hand Royal Mail to the pension fund in return for cancelling any future funding liability. Rather than try to damage their employer, the workers would then have a close interest in boosting its value.

Not only would there be no pre-flotation strike, there would be a more sensible reaction to proposals to increase productivity and reduce manning levels. The workers would have to consider the balance between price and volume and the feasibility of six-day universal delivery.

If the pension fund wants to float off all or part of the Mail business – or sell a stake to private-equity or accept a takeover - that would be its business. The proceeds would be re-invested to pay workers’ pensions.

But the Royal Mail’s finances would no longer be the government’s problem and there would be no further exposure to the pension fund liability. Forfeiting £3bn (at best) would be cheap.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

This article completely misses the point.

I think most of us don't want privatisation full stop, not even if we get the whole stake.

and

Rather than try to damage their employer, the workers would then have a close interest in boosting its value.

This shows his arrogant view of posties. We are not trying to damage Royal Mail, we are trying to protect our jobs and the service. Okay RM will be damaged but thats not the aim, its a result of the actions not the reason for it.

Also I don't want to boost its value, I want to boost its service to everyone, not just the shareholders.