This Royal Mail privatisation will harm us all

End of an institution: We can all wave goodbye to friendly Postman Pat; the new post-privatisation Royal Mail will be run according to strict for-profit rules and rural areas in particular are likely to suffer.

End of an institution: We can all wave goodbye to friendly Postman Pat; the new post-privatisation Royal Mail will be run according to strict for-profit rules and rural areas in particular are likely to suffer.

Is anybody happy that the Royal Mail is to be privatised?

Personally, I see no cause for celebration. Polls show that 70 per cent of the public are against privatisation – no matter which political party they support – and 96 per cent of the workforce don’t want it either, despite being offered shares in the new company. They’re not stupid. They know that workers in other privatised services have not been able to keep their shares. Will they be able to take the shares with them if they leave?

And what will happen to workforce terms and conditions?

Other people buying shares will have to pay at least £750 to get the smallest stake in the new company – that puts the sell-off well out of the reach of most people in these depressed times. It is a privatisation for financiers, lawyers and accountants. They won’t want to share the profit pot with staff – and profits are at a record high of £400 million per year.

Meanwhile, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government recently nationalised the Royal Mail’s pension fund obligations (its debt) so that taxpayers across the country will have to pay for it. The privatisation means any profits will go to those who can afford to buy the shares. This is bad business. Don’t these two political parties always claim they are the experts when it comes to money? It seems a strange claim to make in the light of such reckless endangerment of public funds.

What of the future? We have seen where privatisation leads, with the flotation of the railways, the energy and water companies on the stock exchange – shares have ended up in the hands of foreign multinationals who have pushed prices up and up, while providing ever-poorer services, and the companies concerned have continued to demand money from the government for any investment; this is because all the profits go to shareholders, who then feel justified in granting huge pay packets to their chief officers.

So the taxpayer continues shelling out for these so-called private utilities while the new owners have the time of their lives at our expense. The workers – and the service – suffer.

This is a change that will affect everyone. I hope everyone remembers who inflicted it on us, when they come to vote at the general election in 2015.

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14 Comments

  1. Samwise Gamgee September 16, 2013 at 12:08 pm - Reply

    Don’t we already own the Royal Mail? What right do the government have to privatise it (steal it from us) and offer us the chance to buy back what we used to own anyway?

    This is just the same as all the previous privatisations, and will go the same way – inflated service charges, poorer conditions for employees, and most of the company/companies will end up in the hands of overseas shareholders.

    Bang goes another of the country’s family silver…

    • Damien Willey September 16, 2013 at 1:47 pm - Reply

      when 70% of the public don’t want it and they’re doing it anyway it shows quite clearly what they think – born to rule!
      Nothing democratic about it, its an authoritarian fascist dictatorship

  2. Thomas M September 16, 2013 at 2:17 pm - Reply

    Selling the Royal Mail is theft from the people of this country in general, no matter what rank they are. Working conditions will go down, prices will shoot up, and people on zero hours contracts or workfare will deliver our mail. Mail theft will go up as well, and renationalizing it will be either legally impossible or hugely expensive. This government clearly don’t care about the people, and we’re stuck with it until 2015.

  3. gingerblokeblog September 16, 2013 at 2:49 pm - Reply

    Whilst I’m not a fan of Royal Mail, using it as a business customer, from a member of the public’s point of view, this sell off is an absolute sham.

    As people have said above, it currently belongs to the public, so how can it be sold back to us and at such a high cost per share, it is hardly being priced for the public to purchase; unless you happen to be one of the top one percent of the richest members of the public that is.

    Next will be the NHS, mark my words. So much of it has already been privatised via the back door and if this government has there way, we shall all be the property of the private sector in coming years.

    The fight for democracy is growing every day that this government is in power.

  4. gingerblokeblog September 16, 2013 at 2:50 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on gingerblokeblog.

  5. johncresswellplant September 16, 2013 at 3:14 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on johncresswellplant.

  6. Murray September 16, 2013 at 4:22 pm - Reply

    If labour commit now to renationalise the Royal Mail, then the sale would be scuppered,before it goes ahead.

    • Colin M. Taylor September 16, 2013 at 6:59 pm - Reply

      NeoLabour? You’re joking- Millibean will do nothing to upset the bankers

  7. Editor September 16, 2013 at 4:35 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on kickingthecat.

  8. Colin M. Taylor September 16, 2013 at 5:33 pm - Reply

    Only a conman would sell you something that you already own

  9. beetleypete September 16, 2013 at 8:07 pm - Reply

    Mike, here is my own take on this issue, from my ‘other’ blog. http://redflagflying.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/goodbye-postman-pat/
    Regards, Pete.

    • Mike Sivier September 16, 2013 at 8:41 pm - Reply

      Okay – I’ve reblogged it so everyone can find it easily.

  10. […] Is anybody happy that the Royal Mail is to be privatised? Personally, I see no cause for celebration. Polls show that 70 per cent of the public are against privatisation – no matter which political…  […]

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