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Royal Mail sale around the corner?

Mooted for a long time but general feeling is it's going ahead as they've engaged with the inv banks to do the IPO. Be v. interesting to read what the prospectus says about pension liabilities.

Also expect a shed load of spin from all sides. I notice Hayes said "the public don't want it"...not sure that's correct, I don't think 'the public' really give a shit, sadly.
 
No it isn't going to be good either for the workforce or the ordinary public. Same as other privatisations, prices will go up, services will be worsened, and jobs will be slashed and conditions for the workforce attacked.
If it does go through I foresee daily deliveries being abandoned within a couple of years, and replaced with deliveries every other day, Monday to Friday, with no delivery on Saturday. And probably even more infrequently in remote areas.
Prices will likely depend on where the item is going to with higher prices for places outside big cities.
Despite Postcom claiming that the Universal Service regulations requires daily delivery to every UK address at a uniform price, a private company will probably be demanding equal treatment with other private postal companies such as TNT who only do deliveries every other day, Monday-Friday, in the UK and in Holland where they are the national postal carrier.
 
g force said:
I notice Hayes said "the public don't want it"...not sure that's correct, I don't think 'the public' really give a shit, sadly.
Click to expand...

Maybe not now - but they will once the prices go through the roof, daily collections and deliveries become a thing of the past, and the rate of Post Office closures increases even more than it is now. Good news for the likes of Goldmans though.
 
g force said:
I don't think 'the public' really give a shit, sadly.
Click to expand...
That's probably true though I believe most polls have shown a majority against privatisation of Royal Mail. And the online 'Comment' sections are overwhelmingly hostile, even the Daily Mail readers. But the public won't kick off about it, and will only moan belatedly when things get worse.
You don't miss what you have until it's gone.
 
tony.c said:
That's probably true though I believe most polls have shown a majority against privatisation of Royal Mail. But the public won't kick off about it, and will only moan belatedly when things get worse.
You don't miss what you have until it's gone.
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the way they do all privitisations- sell off the profitable bits, underfund the ones that just tick and then call it unworkable after you have quite deliberately fucked it up.
 
Virtual Blue said:
are there only 100,000 postal workers?
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I think there are around 130,000 uniformed sorting,driving and delivery postal workers including part time staff. Plus office workers, counter staff, engineers, managers, etc. Approaching 180,000 in total probably.
 
tony.c said:
No it isn't going to be good either for the workforce or the ordinary public. Same as other privatisations, prices will go up, services will be worsened, and jobs will be slashed and conditions for the workforce attacked.
If it does go through I foresee daily deliveries being abandoned within a couple of years, and replaced with deliveries every other day, Monday to Friday, with no delivery on Saturday. And probably even more infrequently in remote areas.
Prices will likely depend on where the item is going to with higher prices for places outside big cities.
Despite Postcom claiming that the Universal Service regulations requires daily delivery to every UK address at a uniform price, a private company will probably be demanding equal treatment with other private postal companies such as TNT who only do deliveries every other day, Monday-Friday, in the UK and in Holland where they are the national postal carrier.
Click to expand...


when the EU/US Free Trade agreement comes into force, all U.S carriers will have full access to all UK service industries, they can't wait..
 
treelover said:
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/vince-cable-save-our-royal-mail


twitter @darrenrow


100,000 in two days, this Govt is doing many things that are just not popular/supported, but the official opposition is failing, just watch Chuka's lukewarm challenge on the news...
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I'll sign it to show my support to the posties but it's not a very good petition.

"If you do sell the Royal Mail, promise not to cut services and/or increase prices please?"

The Royal Mail is legally obliged to deliver a universal service. I believe there is an expiry date on this though as I vaguely remember it being renewed recently. They will just point to this law as a safeguard in place to ensure universal service. Of course, it will never be renewed.

And I can see him easily sidestep the cutting services question, too. "We will of course endeavor to protect as many services as possible, but I cannot make promises as the Royal Mail will need to be able to react to whatever economic conditions prevail in the future."

And of course, as the RM will be a private company, he couldn't promise those things if he wanted to. And he doesn't want to, anyway.
 
And its worked so well in the past - just look how successful it has been for water,gas,bt,electricity and british steel. :mad:

So Vince thinks he can buy the compliance of the workforce with an offer of 10% of shares for free :rolleyes:
 
The odd thing is RM is now turning itself around, arguably because it's publicly owned. It's realised delivering letters is now a niche business and focused on package delivery from online retailers. I don't really see how being able to get private finance / lending as a listed company will help it more than today.

agricola - not too sure on that. Prices - yes. Daily delivery/collection - not sure. I think people would choose a cheaper service over the convenience of guaranteed daily. Already I can go days without any post already and when it does arrive it's usually a bill or a circular from Virgin Media.
 
marty21 said:
Get Miliband to talk about something other than the union stuff which is pleasing Cameron, he should demand a referendum - not tear himself into knots because the tories don't like unions
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He can't call for a referendum even if he wanted to - or even credibly oppose the sale - as the last Government tried to flog Royal Mail off.
 
happie chappie said:
He can't call for a referendum even if he wanted to - or even credibly oppose the sale - as the last Government tried to flog Royal Mail off.
Click to expand...
but he is a new leader - new broom and all that - he can blame brown for that - he can still call for a referendum even if he doesn't get one
 
A lot of us are in urban areas were there is houses in streets close together .most of the tories live in rural areas so they will be the ones to suffer.our postie does one street with more than three hundred houses ,flats
 
shagnasty said:
A lot of us are in urban areas were there is houses in streets close together .most of the tories live in rural areas so they will be the ones to suffer.our postie does one street with more than three hundred houses ,flats
Click to expand...


In a few years' time there won't be any doorstep deliveries anyway :(
 
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