Postcards from the edge...
Postcards from the edge....
In the height of holiday season there is something very satisfying about sending a postcard home from your holidays, sharing precious memories with family and friends. There's just something essentially British about sending handwritten messages home knowing that they will be delivered to our nearest and dearest by our postal workers and Royal Mail, a 350 year old publicly owned institution that provides essential services to the public. Many of these services are fulfilled through post offices that are often at the heart of communities, particularly in rural areas.
Earlier this month, the government opted to float the company on the London Stock Exchange rather than sell it to a private buyer. The government says the sale is necessary in order to give Royal Mail the access to private capital it needs to grow and remain competitive. This is despite a boom in parcel delivery that helped Royal Mail to more than double its profits last year.
Three years ago the workforce agreed to support a modernisation programme with Royal Mail and it didn't include privatisation. Workers voted in big numbers against the sale and they were rightly angered by the announcement earlier this month.
Often privatisation can have a detrimental impact on the terms and conditions for workers so naturally, the Communications Workers Union have been pressing for assurances that workers' terms and conditions will be protected, and the government has a key role to play to ensure these assurances are provided and moreover, to act to save our Royal Mail.
Last week MPs from across the political spectrum came together to express concern about the future of rural postal services. 27 cross-party MPs have backed a motion that has been accepted for a three hour debate on September 2nd by the Common's Backbench Business Committee.
The Backbench Business Committee accepted the argument that there has not been sufficient Parliamentary time allocated to debating the future of Royal Mail and the post office network. The motion will enable MPs to challenge the government about the future of rural postal services. In particular they will be keen to understand how the universal postal service obligation is sustainable in the longer term, given the competitive pressures on Royal Mail in urban areas and its need to return profits to shareholders. Of equal concern is the impact the sale of Royal Mail will have on the future of the post office network.
In so many villages across the North East the Post Office is a not only a vital service, but a community hub, especially for the elderly, young parents and vulnerable people, so this important debate can't happen soon enough; it's never too late to change direction.
Beth Farhat
Regional Secretary
Northern TUC
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