French postal workers vow to fight privatization

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 14 Sep 2008, 07:07

http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?JServS ... _ctrl=1261

Saturday, September 13, 2008
By: Stefanie Fisher

In brief

On Sept. 2, six trade union federations representing French postal workers announced they would be organizing a national one-day strike and demonstration for Sept. 23 to oppose the privatization of the French postal service, La Poste.

Jean-Paul Bailly, the president of the public company currently under full government control, announced that La Poste would be privatized by 2010. The French constitution says that the state must control at least 50 percent of a public service institution.

Bailly denies that selling nearly half of the company amounts to privatization, but French workers are not falling for it. Daniel Rodriguez, a spokesperson for one of the trade unions involved, said: "They put forward the same guarantees for France Télécom [the national telephone company], and we saw what happened afterwards. Today, the government has a minority stake in France Télécom, thousands of jobs have been axed, the services offered have declined and fees have gone up."

NWpostie · Post by **NWpostie** » 14 Sep 2008, 23:43

Im no big fan of the Frogs, I hate Parisians especially, even we didn't go this far, the Public will not accept privatisation of Royal Mail, privatising La Poste is never a good idea as it can also impact on us, you cannot privatise a commuity service, there is some things that are beyond price.

steviemac · Post by **steviemac** » 15 Sep 2008, 12:38

Do have a grudging respect for our gallic cousins , they can mobilise huge numbers of people and stick 2 fingers up to anything that threatens their livelyhood. History of blockading ports , protecting home markets, telling brussels to stick it and usually get their own way.

smarterdarter · Post by **smarterdarter** » 15 Sep 2008, 13:40

steviemac wrote:Do have a grudging respect for our gallic cousins , they can mobilise huge numbers of people and stick 2 fingers up to anything that threatens their livelyhood. History of blockading ports , protecting home markets, telling brussels to stick it and usually get their own way.

Maybe they could have employed the two fingered tactic in May 1940

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 15 Sep 2008, 13:59

smarterdarter wrote:
steviemac wrote:Do have a grudging respect for our gallic cousins , they can mobilise huge numbers of people and stick 2 fingers up to anything that threatens their livelyhood. History of blockading ports , protecting home markets, telling brussels to stick it and usually get their own way.
Maybe they could have employed the two fingered tactic in May 1940

Perhaps they did while they were sitting in the Maginot line and the Nazis just went round the end

steviemac · Post by **steviemac** » 15 Sep 2008, 15:24

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:
smarterdarter wrote:
steviemac wrote:Do have a grudging respect for our gallic cousins , they can mobilise huge numbers of people and stick 2 fingers up to anything that threatens their livelyhood. History of blockading ports , protecting home markets, telling brussels to stick it and usually get their own way.
Maybe they could have employed the two fingered tactic in May 1940
Perhaps they did while they were sitting in the Maginot line and the Nazis just went round the end

let it go lads, our military history is non too pleasant under close scrutiny.