Responding to the Lib-Con coalition
government's plans published today (Thursday 20th May,
2010) to push ahead with privatisation and breaking up Royal Mail
Group, the Communication Workers Union warns of "old politics" at
play.
Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said:
"This is old politics wrapped in new language.
The British public has consistently rejected the privatisation of
Royal Mail. The move to regurgitate failed policies will be deeply
unpopular."
The brand new coalition government has
announced plans to seek a partial privatisation of Royal Mail; the
announcement comes as Royal Mail reported operating profits of £404m
for the last financial year - up 26% on the previous year.
Therefore the new government cannot be pursuing
such an ill conceived policy because economically it would be good
for the country, just the opposite in fact. Nor can the new
government be pursuing this to improve the service to the public,
because too much evidence exists from every such move in others
countries to demonstrate the fallacy of that argument.
Twice in recent history, previous governments
were forced to abandon plans to part-privatise Royal Mail because it
is in no one’s interest to do this, and definitely not in the
interest of the British Public.