The Great Royal Mail Swindle

Just ten months ago, Royal Mail reported a massive 26% jump in profits (even though mail volumes had fallen and another 8,000 jobs disappeared from the service) - yet today Royal Mail claims it is virtually bankrupt. According to management talk, Royal Mail came 'dangerously close to not being able to pay wages' as staff learned they will no longer be in line for a payout.

Astonishingly Royal Mail have managed to turn millions of assets and a £404m profit (May 2010) into a business it describes as 'worthless'. Workers were told in 2007 they could 'earn' up to £5,300 each in controversial company shares. Now the same workers have been told those shares are now worth nothing. Royal Mail told workers, "The whole idea of Colleague Shares is to ensure that you are rewarded for your help in making improvements to the business." Workers went that extra mile, did all the company asked and now will be rewarded with job cuts and bigger post rounds. No wonder the CWU rightly dismissed the phantom share scheme back in 2007, workers should have been rewarded via the pay packet not in pretend shares.

Have people stopped posting letters?  -of course not! Have workers been awarded massive pay rises  - not a chance! The great Royal Mail swindle could be traced back to the £3.5m pay off awarded to Adam  Crozier for leaving, but that is only one part of the story. Since the coalition government came into power in May, they have been hell bent on dumping this much loved public service into the waste bin of the business world. What better way than offering Royal Mail for 'free' to a competitor by rendering the service 'worthless'. It came as no surprise to hear management echo the government call for privatisation of Royal Mail, especially now there is apparently no more money in the bank to even pay wages!

The real swindle can be seen when we examine the true facts about Royal Mail - workers are being conned into believing privatisation is the only way they will be able to keep jobs. Management were keen to back that up with the announcement of another 1,700 job losses and the proposed closure of two London mail centres. Hoping to strike fear into the remaining workforce, management are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of another company taking over Royal Mail. One worker rightly said, "We have done all you have asked us to do and still it isn't good enough for you!"

Let's not forget that workers at Royal Mail have transformed the way they work, seen over 40,000 fellow members lose their jobs and had their pension robbed from them. Now they are being conned about the state of the business to pave the way for privatisation. Unless the CWU get of it's backside and stops sucking up to Labour, who offer no hope for the union or it's members - then Royal Mail workers are doomed.

Privatisation will not result in a better service or a cheaper offer for the public, what it will lead to is the end of the 'one price goes anywhere' , an end to the 6 day delivery (and that doesn't mean posties will get Saturday off!) and a tearing up of terms and conditions. The best example Royal Mail workers can see, is the TNT postal workers story in Holland - as highlighted on a previous article, 'Royal Mail Workers Beware'. Only a fully nationalised public postal service will protect the public from money grabbing businesses who want to cream off the profit while killing off the service. If Royal Mail is as hard up as they say they are, maybe they should take back some of the millions paid out to former bosses.................