Royal Mail questions in parliment 14th Jan

[Big Daz]

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... htm#hddr_9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oral Answers to Questions
BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS
The Minister of State was asked—
Royal Mail

1. John Robertson (Glasgow, North-West) (Lab): Whether he has had discussions with Royal Mail on job security for its employees. [310575]

The Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr. Pat McFadden): During the dispute before Christmas, we kept in touch with both sides, encouraging an agreement on the modernisation of Royal Mail. Those talks are continuing, and I believe that in the context of falling mail volumes and the greater use of new technology, both Royal Mail and representatives of the work force understand that there are likely to be fewer people working for Royal Mail in the future.

John Robertson: I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer, although I am disappointed that he is perhaps not taking a more active part in the discussions. What does he plan to do about the apparently ever-growing pensions deficit? Do the Government not have something to do on that? Should they not be helping Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union and its members to ensure that they get a better settlement?

Mr. McFadden: We have certainly helped Royal Mail and its work force by putting considerable finance, on behalf of the taxpayer, into it over the past decade. Just three years ago, we lent the company £1.2 billion to finance its much-needed modernisation. The mediator in the talks taking place now is Roger Poole, with whom I regularly keep in touch. The important thing is that both the work force and management reach an agreement to carry forward the modernisation.

My hon. Friend also mentioned the pension deficit. That is an issue for Royal Mail. We put forward a proposal to deal with it, as part of the Postal Services Bill, but I am afraid that many people were opposed to that package, although we made it clear that it was a package, and not something from which items could be picked out one by one.
Peter Luff (Mid-Worcestershire) (Con): Job security for Royal Mail’s employees, and indeed the security of its competitors’ employees, is threatened by the continuing regulatory uncertainty in the sector. Will the Government use the Digital Economy Bill to introduce the regulatory change aspects in the Postal Services Bill, because those particular issues are not related to the wider issues of the future ownership of Royal Mail?

Mr. McFadden: We do not plan to separate out the regulation part of the postal services package that we proposed, as is the case with the pension proposals, which I just mentioned. The priority for Royal Mail now is that the talks succeed in reaching an agreement on the much-needed modernisation, because mail volumes are falling around the world and new technology is not going to go away. That is definitely in the interests of Royal Mail, its work force and the general public.

John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): May I take this opportunity to pay tribute to postmen and women, certainly in my part of the world, who were pretty valiant in the cold weather, getting the mail through?

The regulatory aspect of the postal service is critical, as the Hooper report made clear. At the moment, Postcomm is in limbo from having half departed but not arrived at its new destination. What are the Government doing to ensure that in the limbo created by abandoning the Bill the regulatory framework will be improved in the way needed?

Mr. McFadden: I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the valiant work that postmen and women do. They underpin the universal service at the heart of our postal system, and we are determined to preserve that for the future. However, I am afraid that I cannot agree with him that the regulatory system is in limbo. It is true that we had plans to change the regulatory system, but Postcomm is in place, it is the established regulator, it has a job to do, and it should continue to do it.

Mr. Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon) (Con): As the hon. Member for Glasgow, North-West (John Robertson) and my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) have said, Royal Mail requires structural reform if it and its employees are to move forward. However, the unions and Labour Back Benchers have forced a weak Government to pull the Postal Services Bill, so what, other than a Conservative Government, will deliver any action for reform?

Mr. McFadden: We did not proceed with the Postal Services Bill because the market conditions did not allow us to get the best value for money for the taxpayer. The hon. Gentleman spoke about his plans, but the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) has been clear about those: the Conservatives would privatise the Royal Mail. That is not our proposal and it was not our proposal in the past.

[Big Daz]

Bye bye pension

To Pat McFadden

for a miracle comrades we need one more than ever

:mfo

[MinisterofCucumber]

Tories will blatently privatise us.

Labour will privatise us but will tell us that we are not technically privatised.

It seems that the CWU's strategy for survival is to become indispensible as the enforcers of the management's will.

[BELIAL]

Tick tock But there's more of us than them And they've only got 30,000 enforcers; and half of them are off on holiday;and 20% of them are short of limbs Who knows what could happen if we all got seriously pissed off with the lies ,corruption and exploitation

[Night Tonic]

And your proposal is?

[MinisterofCucumber]

We should all come out of the union and form another one.

We could call it the Freedom, Unity, Communications and Knowledge Union or F.U.C.K.U. for short.

[Night Tonic]

Now thats good.

[Yahoorsur]

We should all come out of the union and form another one.

We could call it the Freedom, Unity, Communications and Knowledge Union or F.U.C.K.U. for short.

now that made me laugh

[bexhil palace]

We should all come out of the union and form another one.

We could call it the Freedom, Unity, Communications and Knowledge Union or F.U.C.K.U. for short.

I'm in

[BELIAL]

And your proposal is?

Just ringing the bell for Pavlovs doggies So glad you did not disappoint

[Darren Bent]

Any evidence on tories plan for privatisation. Just asking.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Any evidence on tories plan for privatisation. Just asking.

Guardian - Tories plan to sell off all of strike-hit Royal Mail http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/2 ... vatisation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Conservatives are backing the total privatisation of Royal Mail and believe bidders will be more willing to come forward if the dispute ends with the union forced to accept modernisation.

ROYAL MAIL STRIKE - Tories meet with potential bidders for Royal Mail http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/94744 ... oyal-Mail/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Conservative party would privatise Royal Mail if it got into power, the shadow business secretary Kenneth Clarke said this morning.

and from their own mouths

http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_ ... _Mail.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken said part-privatisation would give the taxpayer a “fully modernised and efficient postal service that can compete with the best in the world”, and ensure we can send mail anywhere in the country for the same price.

and their 1997 manifesto said http://www.conservative-party.net/manif ... esto.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Post Office occupies an important part in national life. It comprises Counter Services, the Royal Mail and Parcelforce. The network of sub-post offices is vital and most are already run as private businesses. The Royal Mail provides a universal service at a standard price in every part of the United Kingdom. No one can imagine a stamp that does not bear the Queen's head. These characteristics must continue, but reforms are needed to allow the services to develop. The Royal Mail must face up to the challenges and opportunities that are arising from increasing competition and the international liberalisation of services.

We will guarantee to preserve the national identity, universal service and distinctive characteristics of the Royal Mail, while considering options - including different forms of privatisation - to introduce private capital and management skills into its operations.

We will transfer Parcelforce to the private sector whilst ensuring that every Post Office in the land continues to provide a full parcel service at an economical price.

Privatisation works. We will therefore continue to pass government activities into private ownership where this can bring benefits to consumers and taxpayers.

[MinisterofCucumber]

Governments love privatisation because the profits generated from reducing staff T&Cs are taxed and provide revenue for the government.

[fmrPOSTIE]

Dont forget though that shed loads of MPs will stand down at the next election,you may get a more sympathetic bunch of newbies. RM always proves to be a tough beast to privatise. No govt has successfully done it.

[MinisterofCucumber]

Labour should want to keep public services in the public sector.

Tories should support workers getting a fair wage so they can be independent and not have to rely on state benefits like Tax Credits to survive.

The argument that the consumers benefit from lower prices resulting from privatisation is bollocks.