Clair Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Protests against the changes at La Poste will bring a national strike next Tuesday (22nd Sept).Several unions have called fro post offices in Paris to start an indefinite from Monday 21st Sept.What changes? I hear you ask [:D]Through changes demanded by the European Commission, in Jan. 2010 La Poste will become a private company whose shares will be held by the state. The change of status will bring fresh capital and allow a modernisation of the service in readiness for the opening of the market to competition in Jan. 2011.According to the government, the employees' status will not change, be they fonctionnaires or on contracts, nor will the public service mission of a universal postal service, access to banking and press distribution, as it is enshrined by law.Needless to say, this is not how the unions see things and they fear the "privatisation" will lead to job losses and pay cuts.Hence the protests.You did ask! [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Yes, Clair, I did sign a petition against privatisation. Not that I knew what all the issues were about but I just don't think that privatisation of the postal system is the way to go here in France.You've always prided yourselves on delivering everybody's mail, however remote the address and I do think that that is worth preserving.As for there being "no changes", that's not been my experience with any privatisation [:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 The change in status is imposed by the European Commission, something about opening the market to competition...This article explains the constraints under which the service is operating at present (translation). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekJ Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 This is classic. I decided not to post my Fonciere payment from the UK due to the UK industrial action and thought I'd pop it in the post in France when I come over this Sunday. Now this! You can't win. Looks like I'll be driving over to deliver it by hand. Would you Adam and Eve it.[:(][:'(][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]You did ask! [:P][/quote]Oh no we didnt! (in a pantomine accent[:)]) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]Yes, Clair, I did sign a petition against privatisation. Not that I knew what all the issues were about but I just don't think that privatisation of the postal system is the way to go here in France.You've always prided yourselves on delivering everybody's mail, however remote the address and I do think that that is worth preserving.As for there being "no changes", that's not been my experience with any privatisation [:'(] [/quote]Seconded 100 % Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Thirded (I don't think that's actually a real word!). I attended my first Manifestation last year at our local La Poste! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonrouge Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I am in agreement but the alternative argument is that with this digital age that postal use is dropping by up to 10% pa. It is supply demand economics perfect markets and all of that stuff.You cannot beat the market.Who is going to pay for the shortfall in the Pension Fund pot for the Post Office in the UK.When you answer that question you may not wish to protest too much.In Normandie where we used to live a postman who delivered mail was allowed to retire at 50 years of age. Pose again yourselves a question on that point.True markets work under competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonrouge Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Here a small matter. We all value the services that these good folk provide for us. But in the UK such matters as telecoms electricity water et al are exposed to competition and EDF obviously own a lot of our utilities.Please can someone kindly let me know if one of our utilities has had the opportunity of competing with EDF in France. Protectionism prevails here. If Brittany Ferries had to compete in the pure market place without some of their ferries being owned by certain Departments within France there would not be ferries on the Western Crossings. Simlaire argument on the budget airline front. Balance folks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 [quote user="dragonrouge"]... in the UK such matters as telecoms electricity water et al are exposed to competition and EDF obviously own a lot of our utilities.Please can someone kindly let me know if one of our utilities has had the opportunity of competing with EDF in France. Protectionism prevails here.[/quote]The energy market has ben open in France since 1st July 2007 (see here).The changes are necessary if the French postal services want to compete with other postal services when the market opens in France on 1st Jan 2011, as per the demands of the European Commission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonrouge Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Clair how do you define open in the French language. It is not the same as in England or Germany. They look after themselves here.Ok so if you can agree that the market is open and I do not why are they no new entrants to the market. I think we all know the answer to that particular question. So why are Thames Water not in say Paris Lille Lyon or wherever?Do you truly see competition against EDF here in France?This is not Margaret Thatcher land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 [quote user="dragonrouge"]Clair how do you define open in the French language. It is not the same as in England or Germany. They look after themselves here.Ok so if you can agree that the market is open and I do not why are they no new entrants to the market. I think we all know the answer to that particular question. So why are Thames Water not in say Paris Lille Lyon or wherever?Do you truly see competition against EDF here in France?This is not Margaret Thatcher land.[/quote]There are plenty of new entrants in the energy market: You must have been asleep the last couple of years to have missed the big hooha about these changes! [:D]THESE come up in a search for electricity and the same choice exists for gas.As an example, Poweo is owned by Verbund AG @ 44.8%, Ecofin Ltd @ 25.2%, Luxempart SA @ 9.5% and has 20.5% floating shares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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