No-one in Greater Manchester will benefit from the Government’s plans to privatise Royal Mail, according to a local postal workers chief.
It was announced on Thursday that the service would be floated within the coming weeks, making it the most controversial sell-off since the privatisation of the nation’s railways in the 1990s.
Jim McNicholls, secretary of the Greater Manchester branch of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) believes that the move is of little benefit to anyone and that taxpayers have been given a raw deal.
“We’re against privatisation, quite simply because we don’t think it’s necessary” Mr McNicholls said.
“The Post Office is now in profit and any privatisation will mean that the owners of the company, which will be the shareholders, will do everything they can to maximise profit at the expense of service.
“For years the taxpayers subsidised the Post Office, and the minute it’s back in profit, and therefore able to pay back into the coffers of the Government, the Government decides to sell it off.”
“Initially [the public] won’t see any difference, but long term there will be a change because it will become too expensive to deliver in smaller communities, particularly in rural areas.
“It will gradually decline because it’s far too expensive to deliver to rural areas compared to town centres.
“The competition will be in town centres, which will drive down prices in town centres, but what that means is there’s no cross subsidies there for those who are in rural areas.”
These comments fly in the face of Business Secretary Vince Cable’s remarks on the subject.
Cable, who has already pledged that the 6-day-a-week service will be protected by the sale, said: “The Government is taking action to secure a healthy future for the company.”
Manchester City Council have already made their feelings clear. In July, they passed a motion against the move.
Councillor Amina Lone, who used to work in the postal service, made a speech on that day.
Cllr Lone said: “Royal Mail is a modern success story.
“I said at the start I was proud to be a CWU member and I am.
“I joined when I became a postie. I spent 7 years with Royal Mail walking the streets and estates in East Manchester, delivering mail.
“I know first-hand how this is a people industry, if it is privatised the new owners will clearly look for increased profits, and I wonder where they will come from, because you still need a person to deliver that letter through that door, that makes it by its nature an expensive business.”
At least 50% of Royal Mail will be sold as part of a £3bn deal, a landmark for the service, which will celebrate being half a millennium old in 2016.
And it will not just be the Manchester general public who lose out from the privatisation, according to Mr McNicholl. He is concerned that the local workers may also be worse off because of it.
“Our fear is, like with all privatisations that have taken place over the years, that there will be a drive to reduce terms and conditions and pay,” he said.
“The people on the front line, the work force, are always the ones who end up suffering with terms and conditions.
“The senior managers always do quite well for themselves, as you can see in other industries.”
Workers will now vote on whether or not to strike for the first time since 2009, and it is looking hugely likely that such action will happen. This will cause further disruption to deliveries around the area, and could take place as early as next month.
Picture courtesy of WikiCommons, with thanks.
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