Row brews over Royal Mail privatisation plans

The government faces a protracted battle with trade unions and rebel MPs in the coming year over its proposals to part-privatise Royal Mail.

The secretary of state for business, Lord Mandelson, last week backed the controversial Hooper report, which proposed selling up to 30 per cent of the service to another operator. TNT, a Dutch company, is the favourite to buy it.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) strongly opposes the plan. Some reports even suggest that it might ballot members to disaffiliate itself from the Labour Party.
 

It’s untenable to have a normal retirement age in public-sector schemes that is significantly different from the state retirement age

Brian Bailey, Director of pensions, West Midlands Pension Fund and member of High Pay Commission