The UK government is doing the foolish act once again. It has decided and started the process of privatisation of Royal Mail. The bitter experience of the Railway privatisation, the consequent inefficiency and the demand of the people to nationalise it again has not opened the eyes of the Conservative government, which is bent upon selling the national assets as is the Manmohan Government in India.

The Royal Mail, started in 1512 at the time of King Henry VIII, is probably the oldest Postal Service in the world. The British Postal System has been declared as one of the best in the world. That is why, even when some the European countries like Germany, Holland etc. have privatised their postal system, UK did not.

I have my own experience of the Royal Mail. During my stay at London at my son’s home, the Postman used to come at almost the same time and drop the letters, parcels etc. and knock the door, if there is any item to be acknowledged. Not only letters, but e-purchases were also delivered. I saw my son posting the photo negatives to the studios and within one or two days getting back the prints. There is a Post Box near the Market near the house. The time for collecting the posts from the Post Box is 04.30 PM. Exactly at the time daily the Royal Mail van reaches there and collected the postal article from the box. I had visited some Post Offices also. It is not only stamps and other postal articles that is sold, but stationary items, foreign currency exchange and other such business are also conducted. And I was also told that the Royal Mail is not in loss, although the profit may not be very high. It is reported that the Royal Mail has posted an operating profit of 164 million pounds in the first quarter of the current financial year.

Then why the privatisation? Yes, the MNCs, Corporates and the super rich want to control every thing and maximise their profits, whatever is the way. The low pricing of the shares, which have been over-subscribed, clearly shows the pro-private policy of the government.

The Royal Mail Workers, the common people and a lot of prominent personalities are against privatisation of Royal Mail. The Secretary General of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Bill Hayes stated that there is no reason to privatise this great British company which is successful in public ownership. The CWU is preparing for industrial action against privatisation and is taking strike ballot.He also criticised the government for its dogma from old-fashioned Tories-wedded privatisation.

We strongly support the Royal Mail workers and CWU in their struggle against the privatisation of the oldest and one of the best postal services in the world.