Guys have you not seen the kind of money you can get on kick starter when people really believe in your cause?
Top Gear pretty much sing RM's praises already and there are a mass of media patriots that would be willing to back a drive to make RM a true business of the people.
The money could be there if you just get people to believe. There's a clear narrative that could be used here of the greedy plutocracy pillaging public resources and real national pride in RM to sell a coop idea on.
So... who's got a mate that's into film making and/or got contacts in TV... Cause, once we'd got a solid business plan with realistic projections, some collaboration between the motivated staff across RM and someone who can write an inspiring emotive script (possibly with a splash of comedy) to create a decent pitch is all we'd need to start a campaign to drum up public support! Put it on youtube, go viral online just plug everywhere... it would be totally possible.
I'd be well up for it. You could even get a bunch of posties dancing and spelling out SOS from aerial view and have a song about being saved from privitisation by all the UK joining hands together. Aww I can see it now.
This would be great idea as I want to be able to do the delivery to fix in my lifestyle and not royal mail policy. It would be nice to be able to work hard and do the job but one question need answering if I got on long weekend to Amsterdam on Friday and come back on Monday lunchtime. Will I be able to deliver the mail on Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning without silly threats on Willful delay nonsense. I think it can work as long 6 days service is not mandatory. Imagine a job without Royal Mail, Absorbing, Managers, Regulations or CWU or politics.
Brain Fury wrote:So do you think this cooperative of people working when and how they wanted would get a licence?
No posties that have been in the business for any decent length of time would be so stupid to put forward the idea of working when and how they wanted.
We all would do as we do know, but without the bullying & harassment, and the appointed board members/workers representatives voted aboard would run the company. Any major/significant decisions could be voted on.
Why would the licence be removed for a new owner?
Brain Fury wrote:So do you think this cooperative of people working when and how they wanted would get a licence?
No posties that have been in the business for any decent length of time would be so stupid to put forward the idea of working when and how they wanted.
We all would do as we do know, but without the bullying & harassment, and the appointed board members/workers representatives voted aboard would run the company. Any major/significant decisions could be voted on.
Why would the licence be removed for a new owner?
Sorry I hadn't realised that you meant that RM would become a workers cooperative. I thought you were advocating the RM workers set up their own local cooperatives as an alternative to RM. Of course the Government expects to collect £2 - 3 billion from the IPO so they would have to waive this and give the company to the employees? I'm sorry but I can't see any Government being willing to do this
And in terms of people working when and how they wanted, I was a bit fooled by posts talking about delivering mail "to fit in with my lifestyle and not royal mail policy" and it working "as long as 6 day service is not mandatory". And you have to admit that given the stick that the CWU gets on this board , the idea that workers would be happy to leave the running of the company to elected representatives seems a bit far fetched. It all sounds a bit "Animal Farm".
It's a radical solution but I think a cooperative postal operator would need to be built from the ground up not the result of bloodless coup of workers striking their way to be allowed by a capitalist Government to take over the means of production.
Brain Fury wrote:So do you think this cooperative of people working when and how they wanted would get a licence?
No posties that have been in the business for any decent length of time would be so stupid to put forward the idea of working when and how they wanted.
We all would do as we do know, but without the bullying & harassment, and the appointed board members/workers representatives voted aboard would run the company. Any major/significant decisions could be voted on.
Why would the licence be removed for a new owner?
Sorry I hadn't realised that you meant that RM would become a workers cooperative. I thought you were advocating the RM workers set up their own local cooperatives as an alternative to RM. Of course the Government expects to collect £2 - 3 billion from the IPO so they would have to waive this and give the company to the employees? I'm sorry but I can't see any Government being willing to do this
And in terms of people working when and how they wanted, I was a bit fooled by posts talking about delivering mail "to fit in with my lifestyle and not royal mail policy" and it working "as long as 6 day service is not mandatory". And you have to admit that given the stick that the CWU gets on this board , the idea that workers would be happy to leave the running of the company to elected representatives seems a bit far fetched. It all sounds a bit "Animal Farm".
It's a radical solution but I think a cooperative postal operator would need to be built from the ground up not the result of bloodless coup of workers striking their way to be allowed by a capitalist Government to take over the means of production.
I think you need to calm down.
Whenever someone makes a comment, you seem to read between the lines and fill in whatever madness pops into your head, then rant at them about it.
I have never mentioned anything about the Government giving up £3bn and giving the company to us. I have no idea where you get that from.
Whilst people give the union stick on here, I would be quite happy to let elected representatives have control, as there would have to be policies and processes involved. They wouldn't have total autonomy, hence the vote on major issues I mentioned.
Brain Fury wrote:So do you think this cooperative of people working when and how they wanted would get a licence?
No posties that have been in the business for any decent length of time would be so stupid to put forward the idea of working when and how they wanted.
We all would do as we do know, but without the bullying & harassment, and the appointed board members/workers representatives voted aboard would run the company. Any major/significant decisions could be voted on.
Why would the licence be removed for a new owner?
Sorry I hadn't realised that you meant that RM would become a workers cooperative. I thought you were advocating the RM workers set up their own local cooperatives as an alternative to RM. Of course the Government expects to collect £2 - 3 billion from the IPO so they would have to waive this and give the company to the employees? I'm sorry but I can't see any Government being willing to do this
And in terms of people working when and how they wanted, I was a bit fooled by posts talking about delivering mail "to fit in with my lifestyle and not royal mail policy" and it working "as long as 6 day service is not mandatory". And you have to admit that given the stick that the CWU gets on this board , the idea that workers would be happy to leave the running of the company to elected representatives seems a bit far fetched. It all sounds a bit "Animal Farm".
It's a radical solution but I think a cooperative postal operator would need to be built from the ground up not the result of bloodless coup of workers striking their way to be allowed by a capitalist Government to take over the means of production.
I think you need to calm down.
Whenever someone makes a comment, you seem to read between the lines and fill in whatever madness pops into your head, then rant at them about it.
I have never mentioned anything about the Government giving up £3bn and giving the company to us. I have no idea where you get that from.
Whilst people give the union stick on here, I would be quite happy to let elected representatives have control, as there would have to be policies and processes involved. They wouldn't have total autonomy, hence the vote on major issues I mentioned.
Actually it's you that seems to be misreading things. I genuinely didn't (and still don't) understand if you are advocating RM becoming a workers cooperative which would require the Government to give the company to it's employees or if you are talking about setting up one or more cooperatives to compete with Royal Mail. That's an interesting idea. I'm not clear exactly how it would work in terms of a national network but that's beside the point. I'm not ranting at all just trying to understand what's being suggested. If it's at all sensible idea it ought to be able to stand some questions.
Brain Fury wrote:So do you think this cooperative of people working when and how they wanted would get a licence?
No posties that have been in the business for any decent length of time would be so stupid to put forward the idea of working when and how they wanted.
We all would do as we do know, but without the bullying & harassment, and the appointed board members/workers representatives voted aboard would run the company. Any major/significant decisions could be voted on.
Why would the licence be removed for a new owner?
Sorry I hadn't realised that you meant that RM would become a workers cooperative. I thought you were advocating the RM workers set up their own local cooperatives as an alternative to RM. Of course the Government expects to collect £2 - 3 billion from the IPO so they would have to waive this and give the company to the employees? I'm sorry but I can't see any Government being willing to do this
And in terms of people working when and how they wanted, I was a bit fooled by posts talking about delivering mail "to fit in with my lifestyle and not royal mail policy" and it working "as long as 6 day service is not mandatory". And you have to admit that given the stick that the CWU gets on this board , the idea that workers would be happy to leave the running of the company to elected representatives seems a bit far fetched. It all sounds a bit "Animal Farm".
It's a radical solution but I think a cooperative postal operator would need to be built from the ground up not the result of bloodless coup of workers striking their way to be allowed by a capitalist Government to take over the means of production.
I think you need to calm down.
Whenever someone makes a comment, you seem to read between the lines and fill in whatever madness pops into your head, then rant at them about it.
I have never mentioned anything about the Government giving up £3bn and giving the company to us. I have no idea where you get that from.
Whilst people give the union stick on here, I would be quite happy to let elected representatives have control, as there would have to be policies and processes involved. They wouldn't have total autonomy, hence the vote on major issues I mentioned.
Actually it's you that seems to be misreading things. I genuinely didn't (and still don't) understand if you are advocating RM becoming a workers cooperative which would require the Government to give the company to it's employees or if you are talking about setting up one or more cooperatives to compete with Royal Mail. That's an interesting idea. I'm not clear exactly how it would work in terms of a national network but that's beside the point. I'm not ranting at all just trying to understand what's being suggested. If it's at all sensible idea it ought to be able to stand some questions.
I was more referring to us buying it, or at least a controlling share.
But that won't happen, so it doesn't hold water as an idea in that sense.
A successful company is successful, irrelevant of ownership. If we can make vast profits in private hands as they seem to be suggesting, then they can make those same profits whilst in public hands.
UnhappyGremlin wrote: If we can make vast profits in private hands as they seem to be suggesting, then they can make those same profits whilst in public hands.
That's the bottom line.
We are not a public dinosaur beset with overstaffing and underinvestment.
We've been run more or less as a publicly owned private company for 20 years,the private sector offers us nothing.
The excuses don't add up.
It's an ideological sale,end of story..and it will end badly.
Would the Capitalist elite , sorry Present Government be offering the RM to its City Buddies if there was not a few quid to make out of it ? No , Privatisation is just a means for the redistribution of wealth....simple.....
Last edited by borders on 04 Aug 2013, 21:58, edited 1 time in total.
"why should it just be the bankers, politicians and the idle rich who get all the best things ? we demand a standard of living for our members that enables them to share in the fine wines and times that the likes of Cameron and his Eton buddies take for granted " - the late great Bob Crow RIP.
borders wrote:Would the Capitalist elite , sorry Present Government be offering the RM to its City Buddies if there was not a quid to make out of it ? No , Privatisation is just another means of the Redistribution of Wealth ..... simple.....
Of course not, nobody is going to buy it if there was not a quid to make out of it would they?
who is going to benefit most out of the sale, though ?
"why should it just be the bankers, politicians and the idle rich who get all the best things ? we demand a standard of living for our members that enables them to share in the fine wines and times that the likes of Cameron and his Eton buddies take for granted " - the late great Bob Crow RIP.
