Royal Mail sale

[Robches]

Selling off national postal services is an EU requirement. Our governments pretend they are making decisions, but in reality they are obeying European rules. It is the same with HS2: the EU wants a European wide high speed rail network, that is why the British government has to pretend it is its own idea, or else admit how powerless they truly are.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"Selling off national postal services is an EU requirement. Our governments pretend they are making decisions, but in reality they are obeying European rules. It is the same with HS2: the EU wants a European wide high speed rail network, that is why the British government has to pretend it is its own idea, or else admit how powerless they truly are."

Have you got any believable conspiracy theories?

[Robches]

If you can be bothered to check it out you will find it is true. Why do you think the German and Dutch post offices have been sold off? Fashion?

Norway is a part of the EEA, but has refused to sell off its post office. It still has that power, not being in the EU.

[Zorro]

"Can't? We will see."

Well they can, but wont get the business as other do a better job cheaper, so wont in order to get market share of a booming business in parcels.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"If you can be bothered to check it out you will find it is true. Why do you think the German and Dutch post offices have been sold off? Fashion?"

Can't be bothered to to waste my time checking out made up conspiracy theories.

[Robches]

Cockney:

Not being bothered does not disprove anything. What I've said is fact, your thinking is lazy. Go on believing anything you like, it won't make it true.

[Robches]

Cockney:

By the way, if you can be bothered, it's the EU's Third Postal Directive. Takes two seconds to find on Google. It's no conspiracy, the EU always acts in plain sight, it just relies on people like you not bothering to read anything.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"Go on believing anything you like, it won't make it true."

My point exactly.

[David Johnson]

"Well they can, but wont get the business as other do a better job cheaper, so wont in order to get market share of a booming business in parcels".

I think this issue is more complex than you appear to realise. When I mention putting up the prices of parcels I do not say when. I am certainly not expecting it to happen anytime soon.

The reasons for this as follows:

1. The Royal Mail has a very strong union.
2. The agreement to take strike action taken today is the first salvo in the post-privatisation battle with the new owners of the Royal Mail.
3. The key battleground areas are stuff like franchising, part-time work, the powers of the trade union, new ts and cs etc. All of those areas which the new owners, the hedge funds, investment funds would want to introduce to make the Royal Mail more "competitive".
4. If the owners win that battle then I think it is likely that we will see price increases because the Royal Mail owners will be able to defend their market share more easily as a result of the battles won.

[Zorro]

I do not see how any of your four points have the slightest to do with pricing.

Price will be dictated by what everyone else is charging. If the Royal Mail charges more, companies will just not use them. No company in their right mind would go with a more expensive option unless it was only slightly more expensive and the service was better. The Royal Mail is currently not the cheapest or the best which is why investment is needed quickly in order to grab market share or the booming area of postal delivery (parcels).