Warning to 'shrill' mail critics

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7935600.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The row over the government's plans to part-privatise Royal Mail could make it harder to attract a partner, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said.

He told peers it was now "balance sheet insolvent" but ministers believed it could have a profitable future.

"The shrill nature of the current debate is making it hard to make this case to potential partners," he added.

The plan is opposed by trade unions and many Labour MPs who want the Royal Mail to remain entirely in public ownership.

Debating the plans in the House of Lords, Lord Mandelson also said the "embarrassing truth" was that in 2007, Royal Mail accounted for 60% of all days lost to industrial action in the British economy.

Industrial relations

It "lags behind" European competitors and did not make sufficient profit to modernise its services - for example by investing in sorting and sequencing machines rather than sorting post by hand.

He told peers attracting a partner to make the necessary investment would not be easy - adding the "shrill nature" of opposition to the plans made it even harder.

He added: "The tone and content of the opposition levelled at our policy is a clear indication if one was needed of the depth and severity of the industrial relations challenge at the Royal Mail and the risks that it generates."

The government wants to sell a 30% stake of the Royal Mail, to help fund modernisation but insist overall its ownership will stay in public hands.

Meanwhile it would take on responsibility for the pension scheme, the deficit of which was "already massive", Lord Mandelson warned.

'Political interference'

He told peers that the exact size of the stake to be sold off would not be set out in the bill "before commercial negotiations take place". But he said ministers expected it to be "around 30%".

Lord Mandelson said the Royal Mail would remain "publicly owned" adding "publicly owned means the Crown must own more than half of the company at all times".

He told peers having a private partner would not threaten the universal service obligation to deliver to all homes.

Among those opposing the plan is Labour peer Lord Clarke - a former postman - who moved an amendment to "kill off" the bill.

He said: "I believe the bill as it stands is unnecessary, not in the best interests of the Royal Mail or the British public."

He said the government's plan had been clouded by "misinformation", "camouflage and smokescreen" in an effort to "care and frighten postal workers".

He said the Royal Mail was making a £1m profit a day and the universal service obligation was already protected under existing legislation.

Peers were told delivering a 100g letter in Holland cost twice as much as it did in the UK - yet that was being held up as an example of a good service by ministers.

"Political interference" over the years had stopped the Royal Mail being able to change their pricing, he added.

He said the government should "stick to the manifesto commitment" to keep the Royal Mail in public hands.

[DGP1]

Mandy's really starting to throw his toys out of the pram

But I really liked this

It "lags behind" European competitors and did not make sufficient profit to modernise its services - for example by investing in sorting and sequencing machines rather than sorting post by hand.

Who took all that money that our competitors used to 'modernise' that's right, it was the Government (both Tory and BlueLabour).

[norbert]

Mandy's really starting to throw his toys out of the pram

But I really liked this

It "lags behind" European competitors and did not make sufficient profit to modernise its services - for example by investing in sorting and sequencing machines rather than sorting post by hand.

Who took all that money that our competitors used to 'modernise' that's right, it was the Government (both Tory and BlueLabour).

it was the Unions must cooperate yesterday with the Old Queen of Darkness

[BELIAL]

Mandy's really starting to throw his toys out of the pram

But I really liked this

It "lags behind" European competitors and did not make sufficient profit to modernise its services - for example by investing in sorting and sequencing machines rather than sorting post by hand.

Who took all that money that our competitors used to 'modernise' that's right, it was the Government (both Tory and BlueLabour).

Probably a bit down cos the boy from Brazil told him Punta Arenas was a place not a pastime

[IWW Fellow Worker]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7935600.stm
He said the Royal Mail was making a £1m profit a day

And all earned postmen and postwomen who then have it stolen from us by a series of bone idle line managers, cluster managers, area managers etc. etc. right up to the bums at the very top who are appointed by the Government and to whom the thought of an honest days work would cause great anxiety.
You know: Bloody parasites!

[DGP1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7935600.stm
He said the Royal Mail was making a £1m profit a day

And all earned postmen and postwomen who then have it stolen from us by a series of bone idle line managers, cluster managers, area managers etc. etc. right up to the bums at the very top who are appointed by the Government and to whom the thought of an honest days work would cause great anxiety.
You know: Bloody parasites!

IWW brother I object to two things in your post..........firstly, I like bums and to equate nice thing with those at the top is just wrong and you can't call them parasites because a parasite knows when to stop draining the life out of you, I would class them as viruses- they only cause damage and are only interested in replicating and destroying

[apple]

first it was if we don't privatise then your pensions are stuffed, then it was if we don't privatise the conservatives will fully privatise, now they start to hold up the strikes as a reason, no reason to privatise at all

if it goes through will not be voting for them ever again, can't vote conservative [from the North] big no no after the miners and i still remember that
so doesn't leave me with much choice eh?

[IWW Fellow Worker]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7935600.stm
He said the Royal Mail was making a £1m profit a day

And all earned postmen and postwomen who then have it stolen from us by a series of bone idle line managers, cluster managers, area managers etc. etc. right up to the bums at the very top who are appointed by the Government and to whom the thought of an honest days work would cause great anxiety.
You know: Bloody parasites!

IWW brother I object to two things in your post..........firstly, I like bums and to equate nice thing with those at the top is just wrong and you can't call them parasites because a parasite knows when to stop draining the life out of you, I would class them as viruses- they only cause damage and are only interested in replicating and destroying

I meant the word 'bum' in its American sense. We would use the word 'scrounger' on this side of the Atlantic. I like your use of the word 'viruses'. Entirely appropriate that. I often think of the managers I've come across as 'sexually transmitted diseases'. They could hardly be described as human beings.

[DGP1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7935600.stm
He said the Royal Mail was making a £1m profit a day

And all earned postmen and postwomen who then have it stolen from us by a series of bone idle line managers, cluster managers, area managers etc. etc. right up to the bums at the very top who are appointed by the Government and to whom the thought of an honest days work would cause great anxiety.
You know: Bloody parasites!

IWW brother I object to two things in your post..........firstly, I like bums and to equate nice thing with those at the top is just wrong and you can't call them parasites because a parasite knows when to stop draining the life out of you, I would class them as viruses- they only cause damage and are only interested in replicating and destroying

I meant the word 'bum' in its American sense. We would use the word 'scrounger' on this side of the Atlantic. I like your use of the word 'viruses'. Entirely appropriate that. I often think of the managers I've come across as 'sexually transmitted diseases'. They could hardly be described as human beings.

True, they're more like something you step in and spend ages trying to wipe it off or anal warts (because they are a real pain in the arse).

[BELIAL]

How about Tumours ,deviant abnormal parts that will suck the life out of you and inflict terrible pain without remorse or a second thought as long as they satisfy their needs. It's just what they do ;best treatment is to cut them out and stop them spreading

[fmrPOSTIE]

Lord Mandelson: "While we believe the company has a profitable long-term future if the correct decisions are taken, the shrill nature of some of the current debate is making it harder to make this case to potential partners."

So he's accepting that Royal Mail can be profitable, and will be in the future - his argument is flawed. Wouldn't it be better for the nation to keep hold of a profitable organisation and why cant this be done within Royal Mail?

I think i've just answered my own question...

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Another Rumour Stamped Out

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/maguire/2009/ ... d-out.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LORD Mandelson was his usual mixture of mischief and menace yesterday when he introduced the Postal Services Bill.
The "shrill" opposition to his proposals was putting off private firms potentially interested in buying a minority stake in the Royal Mail, he claimed.

Is this true?

I put in a quick call to Dutch firm TNT, the front-runner to buy part of the postal group.
Its press officer told me the firm was still interested in a "strategic partnership" and this position had not changed despite the intensity of the debate over here.

[trythat]

"Industrial relations

Debating the plans in the House of Lords, Lord Mandelson also said the "embarrassing truth" was that in 2007, Royal Mail accounted for 60% of all days lost to industrial action in the British economy."

Again he's using 2007, of course most of the days lost was by RM workers, we had a national strike, what about last year, or even 2006, were we the largest source of lost days through strike action?

[DGP1]

"Industrial relations

Debating the plans in the House of Lords, Lord Mandelson also said the "embarrassing truth" was that in 2007, Royal Mail accounted for 60% of all days lost to industrial action in the British economy."

Again he's using 2007, of course most of the days lost was by RM workers, we had a national strike, what about last year, or even 2006, were we the largest source of lost days through strike action?

Mandy is very selective about the examples he uses (just like Brown always announcing budget increases whenever they were the same thing over and over again).

Now, I'm going to write a letter to my wife asking her what's for dinner (I'll show them that people still write letters).

[stokes11eg]

So, When Mandy says 'IT 'will take over the pension defecit' who does he mean--