A British parliamentary spokesperson announced on May 13 that the world’s oldest postal service would be privatized this fall. Royal Mail opened to the public in 1635.
The U.S. Postal Service, originally part of the British postal system, is also threatened with privatization by powerful congressional and corporate forces.
Postal workers, however, are organizing resistance to the for-profit theft of the “people’s post office” in both countries. “Save our post office!” will be a main chant in nationally coordinated protests against privatization on July 26 and 27, the USPS’s 238th birthday.
Ten protesters blocked a private mail truck leaving the Mt. Hood, Ore., USPS Distribution Center on July 18, demanding that postal management stop subcontracting the trucking of “the people’s mail.” The blockaders left after police ordered them to disperse. No arrests were made.
The 10 self-named “postal protectors” included retired postal workers, seniors, a pastor, a small business owner, a teacher and a union organizer. They declared they were impacted by postal privatization.
There will be a noon protest on July 26 at 1800 Thibodo Rd. in Vista, Calif., which will target Rep. Darrell Issa, the congressional leader of the effort to dismantle and privatize the Postal Service.
On July 27, a “Rally in Direct Defense of our Post Office” will take place in Berkeley, Calif., at 1 p.m. at 2000 Allston Way. A broad coalition opposed to the closing of their historic 1916 post office called it. The USPS denied an appeal against that facility’s closing, even though there is widespread community opposition, elected officials have protested, and attorneys and historic preservationists have made legal arguments against it.
Other July 27 West Coast protests will take place in Portland, Ore., and in Tacoma, Wash., where activists will rally in front of a post office slated for 2014 closure.
On the East Coast, a July 27 noon rally will take place in the Bronx, N.Y., at 149th Street and the Grand Concourse. It will highlight community opposition to the planned shuttering of the historic 1935 Bronx General Post Office. Bronx residents, the Community/Labor United for Postal Jobs & Services, and Save the Post Office have appealed the closure, arguing that the USPS is violating federal regulations governing the shutting of historic postal properties.
Fighting against Royal Mail privatization
The British Parliament has chosen Barclays, UBS, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs to lead a banking syndicate in overseeing the privatization of the Royal Mail, valued at $4.8 billion. Some of the same banks are involved in efforts to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. For example, Rep. Issa hired Peter Haller, a former Goldman Sachs executive, to serve on the House Oversight Committee that oversees the USPS.
Malcolm Curry, one of 120,000 Royal Mail workers, told the July 10 Guardian, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. … I don’t think there’s any benefits for us and none for the customers.”
Communication Workers Union leaders, who represent Royal Mail workers, say for-profit owners would end universal mail service, raise postage rates, worsen working conditions, cut wages and benefits, and threaten workers’ earned pensions.
Mario Dunn, who leads the union’s anti-sale campaign, said: “Banks are set to make up to £30 million ($45 million) when the government sells off Royal Mail. Once again consumers will lose out when prices rise and deliveries are reduced but banks make millions.” (New York Times, May 29)
British postal workers are gathering petition signatures, placing posters on small business storefront windows and staging community rallies in their campaign to prevent privatization of the world’s oldest postal service.
The CWU organized a weeklong tour of London in a “Save our Royal Mail” bus, stopping for protest rallies in front of banks involved in the privatization. Union leaders warned officials that unless ministers “think again” about selling off Royal Mail, industrial action would be “inevitable.” A decision on whether to strike may be made as soon as July 31, reported Post & Parcel, on July 10.
Centuries may divide the two postal work forces, but in the 21st century, they are brothers and sisters in the same struggle against privatization.
Joseph Piette is a retired letter carrier and a member of Community-Labor United for Postal Jobs & Services.
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