‘We are not going to take this lightly. We will do whatever has to be done to hold on to every part of the business,’ E3 (Bow) Unit, east London, Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) rep Vince Micaleff told News Line yesterday.
He was responding to reports that the Dutch postal group TNT is demanding control of General Logistics Systems (GLS), Royal Mail’s profitable parcels delivery arm, as part of a multi-billion pound part-privatisation proposal that the Brown government claims is crucial to securing the future of Royal Mail.
The demand is contained in an outline plan submitted to the government in recent weeks by TNT.
GLS, Royal Mail’s European parcels operation, headquartered in Amsterdam, is viewed by Royal Mail as critical to its growth prospects.
It employs 14,500 people and handles more than one million parcels every day.
But TNT is understood to be keen to integrate GLS with its own parcels business, a move that would mean Royal Mail losing control of the operation.
Bow CWU Rep Micaleff added: ‘We won’t be ducking any action to keep the jobs of our members.
‘We will be balloting for strike action in London very soon.
‘We will fight for our leaders to get what is right for our members.’
CWU North West regional secretary Carl Webb told News Line: ‘TNT are just looking to pick off the cream.
‘The union’s position remains Royal Mail is not for sale – not any part of it.
‘It’s not necessary. You don’t need privatisation to modernise.
‘Modernisation should be about improving the service to our customers, not the loss of thousands of jobs.
‘It’s our members, postwomen and postmen who deliver the mail in all weathers.
‘We have big support among MPs and the public. We are not contemplating losing.’
CWU south east London Rep Billy Colvill said: ‘We are against any form of privatisation.
‘Reports are appearing that TNT may pull out because they may not be allowed to make mass redundancies.
‘This shows that mass sackings has been their intention all along.’
Colvill warned: ‘Despite the objections of many Labour MPs and the public, the government intends to go ahead with its privatisation plan, even if it means pushing it through with the help of the Tories.
‘On the parcels issue, TNT want the lot. They are after making huge profits at our members’ expense.
‘This has to be opposed. We have to have the full support of other unions for strike action by the CWU to defend our jobs.’