Friday 27 February 2009

TNT taking liberties

The Leech that is TNT has been successfully opposing the opening-up of its own domestic market while campaigning for full competition in Britain.

The Dutch Government is on their side as as they have given backing that 50% of local postal services should be retained as a TNT monopoly until the British and German governments make their markets more accessible.

TNT last year also helped get a court ruling that the German minimum wage for postal workers was too high,the minimum hourly wage of €9.80 was wanted by the Germans,TNT at the moment pay their workers over there €7.50 an hour.

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Thursday 26 February 2009

Royal Mail partial sell-off Bill published

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has published the Postal Services Bill, which confirms moves for a partial sell-off of Royal Mail.

The Bill said the Royal Mail will be enshrined in legislation as a publicly-owned company. No Government will be able to change this status without further primary legislation in the future.

Post Office Ltd will be entirely owned by the Government, and this status will not be changed without further primary legislation in the future.

The universal service - letters collected and delivered anywhere in the UK, six days a week, for a single, affordable price - will be written into the legislation.

There will be new powers to allow Royal Mail to charge higher fees for deliveries it carries out on behalf of rival post companies.

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Wednesday 25 February 2009

The privatisation plan nobody wants

Lord Mandelson has introduced the Bill to part privatise the Royal Mail in The House of Lords a day earlier than expected, telling peers it would "make provision for the restructuring of the Royal Mail Group and of the Royal Mail pension plan"

But it seems to be the privatisation plan nobody nobody wants.

From the workers,to the unions,rebel Labour MPs,other parties MPs,cabinet ministers,the Chief Whip,parliamentary private secretaries,Lords,the voting public,small businesses...

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Monday 23 February 2009

Royal Mail bankrupt?

Jane Newell, chairman of the Royal Mail pension trustees, admitted that the company is 'effectively bust' and cannot afford to plug the black hole in its pension fund,which is between £6bn-£9bn depending on what you read.

In a letter to the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, she warned of 'potentially devastating consequences' for the 450,000 Royal Mail pension holders if the Government does not bail out Royal Mail.Even winding-up the Plan it would not even be able to provide as much as 50 per cent of members benefits.

Mrs Newell warned that the Government must press ahead with recommendations made by the independent Hooper report.

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Privatisation plans to be revealed this week

Privatisation plans for Royal Mail will be introduced in Parliament on Thursday,the issue has caused deep concern at the heart of Government with some Cabinet ministers urging Mr Brown to ditch the plans altogether.

The former Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain yesterday became the most high profile figure to join the revolt after he added his name to an early day motion opposing the plans.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson hinted that the Government could be prepared to offer some last-minute concessions to the rebels - including a provision in the bill requiring the Royal Mail to remain majority public owned.

Ministers want to sell a stake of about 30% to the private sector to help pay for the modernisation of the service.

Dutch postal group TNT has expressed an interest in taking a stake.

Other foreign companies who have been eye up its assets include the German parcel courier DHM, American giant FedEx and the Danish and Swedish post offices.

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Sunday 8 February 2009

Crozier lies?

Incredibly Royal Mail CEO Adam Crozier has allegedly lied to a Daily Mirror reporter over Royal Mail cost cutting plans.

Claiming "I don't know what you're talking about" Crozier seems to have no idea that his senior managers across the UK have ordered a savings spree in delivery offices with executive action in abundance,and delivery office managers threatened with the sack if they don't get the savings the business wants.

Royal Mail have claimed that the cuts are "about central costs and overheads and certainly not about our front-line people".

In a document leaked to the Mirror marked 'In Strictest Confidence' and headed 'The Journey To Get Us There',it says "a requirement to cut 10% from our cost base, including people costs".

This is despite royalmailchat being inundated with postal workers talking about their delivery office cuts in the last few months.

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Sunday 1 February 2009

Posties on ice

Ironic,as i'm writing this there is that very popular TV show on now,where perhaps in the next few days Royal Mail postal workers could give them a run for their money.

The met office issued a severe weather warning this week forecasting heavy snow affecting all of the UK especially the east.

Described as the worst winter for 10 years,where usually Planes Trains and Automobiles are stopped in their tracks,Britains army of posties will,as always do their best to make sure the mail gets through.

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Post Office chat

Seems RMC could have a rival at last in the message board stakes as The Business and Enterprise Committee has launched a web forum on the future of the Post Office.

Through the forum members of the public can submit their views on postal services and help shape the future of the network.

Well they could if they knew the bloody thing was about,as it doesn't seem to be publicised anywhere!

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