Union calls for ‘honest debate’ over Royal Mail
Postal workers have warned that the UK’s universal delivery system is under threat as “never before”, amid fears that the Royal Mail could be privatised.
Launching its own blueprint for a publicly owned postal service at Labour’s spring conference in Gateshead, the Communication Workers Union called for an “honest debate” about the future of the Royal Mail.
The union claims the reputation of the Royal Mail has been tarnished by liberalisation and warns that cost cutting, job losses and restrictive regulation have called into question the long-term viability of the service.
The Government has said it has no plans to privatise Royal Mail, but the CWU said public confidence in the service needed to be restored in order to protect the 350-year-old practice of delivering mail anywhere in the country for a standard price.
CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes said: “Privatisation is once again being uttered in some quarters as a panacea for a business which, it is claimed, has lost its way.”
“The truth is that none of the key problems Royal Mail faces have anything to do with ownership. They are related directly to the regulatory environment in which the company operates and the massive cost-cutting drive presently being implemented by Royal Mail.”
“As such the future of Britain’s universal service is under threat as never before,” he warned.
Defending its record, Royal Mail stressed that its business had gone from losing more than £1 million a day three years ago to making more than £1 million a day, following a major modernisation programme.
“This is essential to ensure that Royal Mail is in a position to compete effectively – providing a sound financial base to invest in its services, its people and its customers”, said a spokesperson for the service.
“The quality of service Royal Mail is delivering is improving and it is committed to providing its customers with high quality services, day-in, day-out, while generating profits to reinvest in the business and its people.”
