Royal Mail to be privatised or sold, government says

custardy

olly300 wrote: »

there is a massive lack of any form of management problem in rm.

...............................

marklv

bendix wrote: »

Do they? Perhaps in the public sector, but not in the real world, marky warky, my old dear.

As for private companies not doing it competitive prices, on the contrary. The private company we use is much more competitive than RM, both on price and service.

Otherwise we wouldn't use it. Stands to reason.

OK. You always insist on being right, so let's wait and see. This isn't a simple business that can be privatised and bingo - magic results and sudden improvement. It will be long and painful, and the consumer will pay for it in the meantime with much higher postage costs.

Wookster

marklv wrote: »

OK. You always insist on being right, so let's wait and see. This isn't a simple business that can be privatised and bingo - magic results and sudden improvement. It will be long and painful, and the consumer will pay for it in the meantime with much higher postage costs.

You mean pay with higher postage costs as opposed to higher tax costs?

Rochdale_Pioneers

Problem is that RM is broke - in both figurative and monetary senses. So I am fine with a sell off that restructures the business and brings in cash and expertese - as long as its regulated.

Because we all know that if its not we'll get a couple of deliveries a week, and if you live in the country/north of Scotland you'll get no service at all. Privatisation can work - look at BT. It just needs a regulatory framework so that service comes first, license to print money on the back of slashing services and hiking bills second.

A._Badger

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

Problem is that RM is broke - in both figurative and monetary senses. So I am fine with a sell off that restructures the business and brings in cash and expertese - as long as its regulated.

Because we all know that if its not we'll get a couple of deliveries a week, and if you live in the country/north of Scotland you'll get no service at all. Privatisation can work - look at BT. It just needs a regulatory framework so that service comes first, license to print money on the back of slashing services and hiking bills second.

Dear God! You think BT works?!

Rochdale_Pioneers

A._Badger wrote: »

Dear God! You think BT works?!

It did. Then mobiles came along and sent landlines the way of the letter.

I think BTPLC worked better than the old nationalised monolith, yes

A._Badger

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

It did. Then mobiles came along and sent landlines the way of the letter.

It may have escaped your notice, but BT had a mobile network. And sold it to the Spanish. It's called O2.

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

I think BTPLC worked better than the old nationalised monolith, yes

Of course it did - but not without howls of protest along the way from your ideological soul mates on the Left who promised us a living hell.

That aside, wholly inadequate regulation, lack of competition and a corporate mentality cast in monopolistic bronze has seen the UK slip far behind competitor countries in broadband speeds and availability, with every advance or semblance of competition having to be wrest from it, delivering an expensive, inferior system with a customer service ethos that begins (and ends) with tenth rate call centres in India.

BT isn't an advert for privatisation - it's the poster girl for how not to do it.

lemonjelly

Bullfighter wrote: »

Since when is posting a letter a public duty?

As another wise poster has observed, posting a letter in itself is not a public duty. However many public & private institutions require sending correspondence in order to fulfil their duties and obligations. Ask any of the 6 million reciving letters from the taxman...

But we digress, and you drastically miss the point. The public duty is the role fulfilled by the royal mail. The right to send and recieve written correspondence, such as a bank or mortgage statement for example. Or any court documents. Or a council tax bill.

macaque_2

marklv wrote: »

Loads of people still post letters, you arrogant lawyer p-r-i-c-k.

Privatising RM will mean mail being delivered less frequently (i.e. twice a week probably if you are a residential address), more mail being lost or stolen and higher delivery prices.

Thank you Postman Pat. Are you aware that some of the people who work for the post office are being paid over £1/2m a year?

custardy

macaque wrote: »

Thank you Postman Pat. Are you aware that some of the people who work for the post office are being paid over £1/2m a year?

so that wont happen in a privatised RM?