wouldn't want to see it go into private hands and the dutch model that is being held up as the way to go is not that popular in Holland apparently
RE: Just think about TNT Thanks for all your views. Personally, I'd rather see TNT buy a 30% stake than let the taxpayer bail them and their pension out because that is the only alternative. I don't beleive RM are in the position they are because the cream has been skimmed by the likes of TNT Post and DHL etc. RM still pick up 3/4's of the revenue from this so called stolen cream yet they only fulfill the final 1/3 of the over all job in hand. OK, delivery is the most cost intensive element but they still make money from it. If TNT can collect and transport mail around the country, pay RM to deliver it and undercut RM's prices, there is no reason why RM can't but only if they have the cash to bring the network into the 21stC. In my view RM are up the swanny thanks to the previous Conservative Governments insistance that they paid the treasury £millions in dividends whilst RM invested what cash they had in half thought out ideas, schemes and companies overseas that ultimately failed. Remember Consignia? If only you knew how much that costs them. All the while this was going on, domestic opperations were left to fester with outdated equipment and processes and logistics networks that hadn't had any money thrown at them since the glory days of the 70's. No. For me, RM have only got themselves to blame. They saw themselves as a global player and tried to buy up the postal world while the Dutch and Germans invested in their home market first. Only when this was done did they start to look and invest overseas. I also their staff and union are also living in cloud cookoo land. It's all very well protecting your staff but how far do you take it. It seems to me that they will take it to the point that the group collapses and UK Gov PLC has no option but to hand the 100% of it to TNT or DHL. Sorry for that. Rant over.
I don't live in Penzance or John O'Groats As a "Townie", do I need to be concerned about whether the mail service to "remote areas" will be affected (maybe switching to once a week collections / deliveries). Just interested if anyone has a view on this....
I think you'll find...... the vast majority of the population have little or no understanding of the situation and haven't got the inclination to go out and learn anything about it.
Get rid of the Union Milliatancy and final salary pension schemes. allow whole sale automation and stop the unions from preventing modernisation and start paying the right money i.e. peanuts for frankly monkey work and the RM would be a half decent business. The militancy of the unions there is once more forcing the govt. down a certian route. i.e. privatisation. When are the unions going to see the wood for the trees. Countless industries, steel, coal, cars, shipbuilding, all ruined by union intransigence and short sightedness. RM only survived becuase of it's monopoly...Now that is coming to an end. Unless RM can get rid of the union influecne - and which lazy DVD / birthday card robbing sicknote posty is going to vote for that, then privatisation is inevitable.
Should be state owned, there's no doubt about that. Have we not learnt a thing? Privatisation has not improved other utilities IMHO
"all ruined by union intransigence and short sightedness" Depends on your point of view.... I think that you are completley wrong of course
RE: Get rid of the Union Milliatancy and final salary pension schemes. You missed out "killing spree" Nowt like a sweeping statement eh??
RE: Should be state owned, there's no doubt about that. I don't see any of the utilities going under, do you? Royal Mail, if Private wouldn't exist now.
Hats off to that man... It's the same with the car manufacturers in America. The workers there are earning silly money due to interference with the free market and now they can't compete. There's no such thing as the weak failing anymore. By propping up all these companies, evolution is being stifled.
RE: Should be state owned, there's no doubt about that. There are not going under because they still basically have a monpoly and all the so called competition that was brought in has not really improved things for the consumer and as a consequence of privatisations and a desire to destroy social unity through decimating our heavy industry we now rely on foreign energy sources and our utility companies are also foreign owned. It's a great state of affairs.
I wonder how many in this thread actually work for Royal Mail.... a lot of experts it seems who know nothing of the dealings going on.
Maybe they do.... and that is an extreme. But the situation we are in now and seem insistent on making the same mistakes again is pathetic. Short Term Greed over longer term benefit
RE: Hats off to that man... The car workers in the US aren't exactly earning "silly money", however the right wing media in the US will lead you to believe that with claims of $70 a hour, however this is the complete cost to employ a worker, and a large part of this is the health insurance plan that the company provide because the US have an immoral approach to healthcare, but any suggestion of a social healthcare programme gets shot down in flames.