Royal Mail is far from a bankrupt service costing the state a huge debt. The company’s operating profit increased a massive 26% this year to £404million. This move by the Tory/Lib Dem government is to hand their friends in the private sector millions of pounds annually in profit.
The privatisation of our postal service will only benefit big business who will make a fortune while our postal services disintegrate. Royal Mail currently delivers a service to all parts of the country, with delivery services six days a week. TNT, one of the private companies previously lined up to take over parts of Royal Mail operates postal services in some parts of the Netherlands which only has deliveries twice a week!
Privatisation will also lead to higher prices. For example, a 50g letter costs nearly twice as much to post in the Netherlands than the United Kingdom.
The Socialist Party stands for defending our postal service from privatisation. The Communication Workers Union must now launch a campaign to fight for its members for whom everything is now on the line. The current Royal Mail management has already launched attacks on the workforce in preparation for privatisation. The trade union movement must act now to stop this and other attacks on workers and their services.
Opposing the privatisation of Royal Mail must now become one of the central demands of the protests taking place on 29th September as part of a Europe-wide day of action.”
For more information on 29th September Belfast Protest against cuts click here.
Make ETUC 29 September "Day of action" decisive workers’ mobilisation
University and College Union (UCU) is to begin a process of sustained industrial action on the 10th October in defense of USS pensions.