Posted on 10/22/2009 2:13:43 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
Mr Clarke said the company needed private capital and private management to bring it up to date and change it from being "old-fashioned".
The shadow minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Royal Mail was "broke" and its future had to involve a change of culture to stop business "draining away".
"We propose to bring in private capital, assuming it is not in too disastrous a state by next May."
Mr Clarke said the Royal Mail was becoming a "total disaster", attacking the Prime Minister for "changing his mind" over the stalled part-privatisation plans.
"The Government has done nothing about the Royal Mail and we now have what could be a truly disastrous strike."
CWU general secretary Billy Hayes told the same programme that the union was "quite happy" to hold talks at Acas, but urged Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier to become involved.
He also repeated his strong criticism of Lord Mandelson, describing him as the "minister without responsibility".
Mr Hayes bumped into Royal Mail's operations director Paul Tolhurst at the BBC studios and the two men had a cup of tea together.
It comes as union leaders announced that Royal Mail customers will be hit with further postal strikes next week, as thousands of their workers prepared to man picket lines.
The postal service will be crippled on Thursday and Friday as 120,000 workers start the first national postal strike in two years in protest over pay, working conditions and the Royal Mail's plans to modernise the service.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
It may not be viable when the Conservatives take power (as they probably will).
Brown - another fine mess you have got us into!
Mr Clarke must fancy a directorship at the privatised Royal Mail, 100k a year for a couple of hours a week not a bad job if you can get it.
Postal Ping
US postal workers can’t strike (though there were strikes around 1970). I know Canada Post has had some strikes but I
think we’re considered essential workers.
During the ‘70 postal strike National Guard had to be brought in to sort mail, etc
>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._postal_strike_of_1970
>>The strike crippled the nation’s mail system, disrupting delivery of pension and welfare checks, tax refunds, census forms, and draft notices. Businesses hired planes and trucks to deliver publications and letters.
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