Democrat June 2000 (Number 44)
Ken Knapman says
Oppose Post Office privatisation
The Commission is making new arrangements to break
up national postal services. The previous Conservative Government
made several attempts to sell off the Post Office and the present
Government is still active in formulating new arrangements for the
postal services. As new Labour are also keen to play a leading
role in European Union they cannot be seen as separate from the working
out of new plans. New Labour want to increase profitability
and have never hidden this even when in opposition.
The announcement by Brussels of new proposals comes
at a time when rural post offices are under threat of closing with
many people, including pensioners in particular, being affected. The
new arrangements will escalate the danger in rural areas. Post Office
Unions have warned the proposals will cost 50,000 of the Royal Mail's
160,000 jobs.
The postal service itself has said the new arrangements
would "inevitably" lead to higher prices for posting letters and "dramatically"
hit investment in new technology. The Chief executive, John Roberts
is not showing he is altogether opposed to the plans for privatisation.
He has only said the proposals are going, "too far, too quickly" by
proposing all mail weighing more than 50 grams should be open to full
competition by 2003 compared to the present 350 grams.
Wokers see the issue, not only of endangering jobs
but also affecting the service to ordinary people. It is a question
of rights; the service should be fully funded as an important pro-social
programme.
The Post Office has called for the 350g limit to be
lowered to 150g from 2003, which it said would introduce greater competition
into postal services. It has said EU proposals would eliminate Royal
Mail's profit and allow "Cherry Picking" of the most profitable postal
business in urban areas.
They go on to say:"That will ultimately make it impossible
to continue with the bedrock principle of an affordable and uniform
postal service available to every customer, no matter how remote their
address, and irrespective of what distance their domestic mail travels."
This principle of practical democracy cannot be upheld
by talking about capitalist competition and profitability. Making
profits and rationalisation is an attempt to exploit those who work
in the service. As far as competition goes, whether it is privatised
or not, it leads to workers competing against workers, undermining
solidarity and proletarian internationalism.
The new privatisation arrangements proposed by Brussels
must be opposed and instead have in place properly organised and fully
fnded post offices.
See also comment in editorial about Government announcement that the Post Office would not be privatised.