There has been a lot of talk in the News about the Royal Mail, because workers are going off on strike. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) say it's because employers will not sit around a table and discuss the issues at Acas. There is no doubt the old Royal Mail needs to be bought into the present day, but like anything else it is the "how" this is done. The mail is an integral part of the British culture and was the first in the world. So it should be given respect and it should be kept public. However, as politicians are always looking for ways to make money and we are in a recession it makes sense to sell the China, gold bullion and any other asset they can put their fingers on which the Tories didn't manage to do under the rule of a previous government.
Personally I recall leaving school and how one of the boys in the same year as me got a job with the Royal Mail. How he was guaranteed overtime whenever he wanted it and was raking in loadsa money. Particularly because I thought he didn't deserve such a good break. My own upbringing and employment prospects led me to a poor paid job and only just managing to survive. Not to mention being stung by unscrupulous bank charges whenever I went into debit. What a double whammy that was. This kid who got the job with the Mail had managed to get a job for life now. Like getting a job in other public institutions. I was perturbed over it. I couldn't understand how someone like him would get so lucky, but he was. I went on a trip for ex school pupils to Amsterdam, I recall how he was loud, how he boasted about going to see a prostitute while we were there. He certainly must of had money to burn. I could only budget enough for my food while I was on the trip and souvenirs would have to be post cards. So this is the extent of my own bitterness when thinking about the Post Office come Royal Mail. However, regardless of this and the Mail's poor decision making in employee recruitment. I believe the Royal Mail should not be privatised in any form because it is a public service and those far off or hidden homes which are not economically viable to deliver to must be delivered to under the Royal Mail service. Private companies would not bother with them.
Like the incredibly bad decision to privatise the railways, again another wonderful money earner for the few, especially managers who happened to be in the right place at the right time. And again not to mention a conservative government who's members I believe personally may have made some money out of it themselves. The Mail should be saved, and accountable to the public and kept in the public realm. Railways now charge outrageous prices to commuters. They are still being heavily subsidised by the public purse even though they are privatised. So if I get this right, we pay through our own taxes to help aid private businesses which would otherwise fail. Businesses which then cream off any profits they have but don't actually return money back into the companies to improve the infrastructure, because so much massive investment is needed they'd rather keep it to themselves. Then yes, go cap in hand to the government and as for some more porridge. The reality is, they are subsidised private businesses, subsidised to such a high amount they would otherwise go bust in a real working business environment. It probably goes to show, when you have a monopoly even if you are poorly run the government will make sure you don't go under. The prime present day example of this is a banking system. Now from which we hear the bosses are planning to give their employees the biggest bonuses ever. Absolutely wonderful. In the meantime the rest of us keep paying our taxes, then get shafted for the next 30 years with a public debt because the government had not choice but to bail out the banks. All of this has got to suggest there is something very, very wrong.
So no, Royal Mail should stay public. Even though I have no personal nostalgia for it, it should not be given to the cream tasters, who only like what floats on top and don't give a dam about the rest.
