Starmer faces clash with unions over Royal Mail takeover

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/starmer- ... 24906.html

Sir Keir Starmer is braced for a clash with unions as a Czech billionaire’s proposed takeover of Royal Mail reignites calls for nationalisation.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postal workers, is due to speak to Labour Party officials on Friday to discuss a £3.1bn takeover bid for the 500-year-old postal service by Daniel Kretinsky.

The swoop has highlighted tensions between union bosses and the Labour Party over the renationalisation of privately-owned assets.

In an emergency motion tabled at its conference on Thursday, the CWU said its policy was to bring Royal Mail back into public ownership.

However, it admitted that “the current political climate makes delivering this very difficult”.

The Labour Party is understood to oppose nationalisation. A Labour source said bringing the postal service under public ownership was “not an option”, adding that the party was instead interested in ways of boosting investment in its creaking network.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds met Mr Kretinsky, dubbed the Czech sphinx, in Davos earlier this year and the party is said to have developed a working relationship with the tycoon.

Daniel Kretinsky signalled he will continue his pursuit for full control of Royal Mail's parent company IDS - Joel Saget/AFP
Labour’s apparent openness to the takeover comes despite concerns about a critical British asset falling into the hands of a foreign investor.

While his initial offer was rebuffed, the Czech tycoon is expected to return with a fresh offer ahead of a deadline of May 15 under City takeover rules.

Sir Vince Cable, who oversaw Royal Mail’s privatisation in 2013, called for Mr Kretinsky to face a fit and proper person test and said any deal should be reviewed on national security grounds.

In its motion this week, the CWU called for a “new ownership and governance model” for Royal Mail and vowed to campaign for change.

Should the takeover go ahead, the union also said it would oppose any efforts to break up the company, introduce franchising or outsourcing, or cut down Royal Mail’s obligations to deliver letters six days a week.

Dave Ward, general secretary of the CWU, said: “Handing over the ownership of Royal Mail to a foreign private equity investor cannot be right.

“Royal Mail’s vulnerability to this type of bid can’t demonstrate more clearly how privatisation has failed one of Britain’s most important institutions.

“Royal Mail needs a new ownership and governance model with its focus on delivering a postal service for workers and customers, not one simply about shareholder payouts and running down conditions.”

The row over nationalisation comes even as Labour pledged to renationalise the UK’s rail network within five years of coming to power.

The party had previously included Royal Mail in its policy of nationalising key industries alongside energy suppliers and water companies, but pulled back from the pledge last year.

The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.

[Barnacle]

Isn’t nationalisation inevitable as the owners have made it clear that they aren’t interested in letters and have simply used RM like a parasite to extract a parcel company from it?

The UK has to have a mail service so nationalisation will have to happen.

[Dorset Plodder]

The argument is that only about 14% of what we deliver is actually covered by the USO (i.e letters). The rest can be delivered by our competitors in the event of us folding (i.e Parcels)

So unfortunately the USO is not the Ace in the Hand that we've always thought it was.

On another point I think SIR Vince Cable should wind his neck in. He was the Dickhead that Undervalued us in the first place and sold us off cheap to his budddies in the city. He's got a Bloody Cheek to start banging on about "Fit & Proper Person"

[SpacePhoenix]

The argument is that only about 14% of what we deliver is actually covered by the USO (i.e letters). The rest can be delivered by our competitors in the event of us folding (i.e Parcels)

So unfortunately the USO is not the Ace in the Hand that we've always thought it was.

On another point I think SIR Vince Cable should wind his neck in. He was the Dickhead that Undervalued us in the first place and sold us off cheap to his budddies in the city. He's got a Bloody Cheek to start banging on about "Fit & Proper Person"

A good few of what we send out to DOs as "small packets" are technically large letters

[Barnacle]

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[Barnacle]

The argument is that only about 14% of what we deliver is actually covered by the USO (i.e letters). The rest can be delivered by our competitors in the event of us folding (i.e Parcels)

So unfortunately the USO is not the Ace in the Hand that we've always thought it was.

On another point I think SIR Vince Cable should wind his neck in. He was the Dickhead that Undervalued us in the first place and sold us off cheap to his budddies in the city. He's got a Bloody Cheek to start banging on about "Fit & Proper Person"

A good few of what we send out to DOs as "small packets" are technically large letters

RM have a way of counting stuff to favour their argument about letters and parcels

[Dorset Plodder]

I'm not Spouting RM propaganda Barnacle they were the CWU's figures. And I'm sure they trust RM about as much as we do.

I think the point for people to take on board is we aren't as irreplaceable as we like to think we are.

We all know we're run by a bunch of Greedy, Money Grubbing Assholes and that's all they think about. With the New VESA takeover challenge we're in no better place, they're Greedy Asset Stripping Assholes! I'm as cynical about the Labour Party as I am about the CONservatives. I'm not holding my breath expecting Starmer to bail us out.

[clashcityrocker]

With the New VESA takeover challenge we're in no better place, they're Greedy Asset Stripping Assholes!

Where exactly have they been asset strippers?
West Ham? Sainsburys? Sparta Prague? Le Monde?
Where?

[Dorset Plodder]

With the New VESA takeover challenge we're in no better place, they're Greedy Asset Stripping Assholes!

Where exactly have they been asset strippers?
West Ham? Sainsburys? Sparta Prague? Le Monde?
Where?

Why so touchy Clash? Don't forget Macy's and Post NL.
I don't work at any of these companies, I have no idea what their Pay or T&Cs are like.

I know that the Company I do work for has a £1BILLION Pension Surplus, which can be legally STOLEN ..... sorry CLAIMED by it's "OWNERS" and I find that VERY worrying.

Perhaps Daniel Kretinsky is just a compassionate ethical investor who wants to own us because he loves the history of our business...... I somehow doubt it. If he turns out to be a honourable man, and turns this company around, I'll apologise .... in the meantime ... I'll keep my hand on my wallet!