Great Britain: Royal Mail employees fight the government’s plans to sell the public company

Members of the CWU communications union have voted in a ballot by 92% on a 74% turnout to oppose the privatisation of Royal Mail through a boycott of competitors’ mail as well as through industrial action like strikes. The significance of the consultative, non-binding ballot is that although it is a not a lawfully constituted ballot for industrial action, its use is the central plank of a strategy of the union to scare off potential investors.  (Ref.  130415)
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The 112,000 members working for Royal Mail were balloted as part of the union’s ongoing campaign against the Coalition government’s attempts to find a buyer or buyers for the public company following the passing of legislation allowing the privatisation. The government hopes to raise £3 billion (about €3.5 billion) with the sale. The vote stands in the context of each postal worker being promised around £1,500 (€1,750) in shares by the government as part of the flotation of the company on the

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