The sit-ins of SLP CISL, SLC CGIL and UIL Poste di Ferrara continue to raise awareness among citizens about the risks of the imminent and further privatization of Poste Italiane.
The work of raising awareness among local politicians and administrators also continues: the SLP CISL writes to the mayors of Cento and Copparo, the two municipalities where the next sit-ins will be held.
Below are the reasons for our Sit Ins:
No to further disposal of Poste Italiane shares
by the Government: a big risk for workers and citizens
The “sell-off” of Poste will not benefit anyone
In the coming weeks at the House (the competent Senate committee has already expressed its opinion in July) will be discussed on the privatization criteria and the methods of disposal of a further share of the participation, held by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in the capital of Poste Italiane Spa (equal to 29.7%).
We are convinced that this discussion should not remain confined within the walls of Parliament or Palazzo Chigi but, on the contrary, precisely because of the important social function of Poste Italiane – which is, still today, the largest service company in our country – the issue of the “sell-off” of Poste should be in the public domain.
We also believe that Poste Italiane, a company with more than 160 years of history, is not only owned by the state or by some institutional investor (see sovereign funds of foreign countries etc…) but it is the "moral" property of the entire population of our country as well as being the material property of all those free citizens who purchased, last year, Poste shares convinced that they knew who held the majority of the shares (the state through the MEF) and what the company's “mission” was.
Since the date of the first tranche of the share placement (October 2015), there have been two situations that cannot but worry us, as workers' representatives, and that should worry the citizens themselves: in a short time, in fact, the Government decided (This measure has already been implemented) to transfer to Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) 35% of Poste shares and, in addition, is preparing to sell (further placement should take place in autumno) the remaining share package (29.7%)
On the first theme We would like to point out a potential conflict of interest: CDP generates 80% of its assets from the collection of postal savings and, since the relationship between the two institutions provides for periodically negotiated commissions, we wonder how it is possible to overcome, in the negotiation of the commissions themselves, the ambiguity that, in our opinion, invests CDP in the dual role of shareholder (of the placement agent) and issuer of Postal Savings Certificates and postal savings books.
To this we must add, for those who do not know, that a part of CDP is controlled by banking foundations, which are natural competitors of Poste, and which could fall into the temptation to push to put on the market, also, that 35%, prefiguring the total privatization of the group.
The second situation (second but not secondary) concerns the almost certain change in the ownership structure. Those who have bought and who will buy a significant package of shares (we are referring to institutional investors) will certainly not be interested in the universal service (a service that is by its nature expensive and does not generate profits) but on the contrary they will be oriented towards distort the DNA of Poste Italiane by increasingly moving towards the development of financial activities (Poste Italiane's vocation is not to become a Bank!!!!!).
After the total sell-off of Poste Italiane, who will have more interest in delivering mail to Gorino rather than to the small villages perched on the Emilian Apennines? Who will have an interest in keeping the small, and unprofitable, post offices open?. The capillarity of the postal network constitutes a unique opportunity to offer Italian citizens a series of services in exchange, obviously, for investments by the state. It seems to us that, if the state prefers to leave the company in private hands, this opportunity does not want to be seized.
The last aspect we want to submit to you is the reasons for the sale expressed by the Government: to reduce the public debt!!!
Do you know, given the situation of the financial markets, how much the state could collect from this sale? Maybe a little more than 2 billion euros. A drop in the ocean!! A pure “sell-off”!!!
We are doing our part at all levels, so much so that the competent Commission in the Chamber has postponed the debate to September for further study. A first result of the union action at the national level.
We therefore ask you not to put this issue on the back burner but, on the contrary, to also sensitize politicians, at all levels, in your territory, so that they express themselves and clarify whether Poste should be placed entirely in private hands or whether its social role, to the benefit of citizens, should be safeguarded and guaranteed by the state.
We believe that our doubts are legitimate and well-founded, and that equally well-founded are the concerns about what the repercussions could be, after the total privatization, on the company's staff and, at the same time, we are certain that our country does not need to wake up, one day, with one more bank and many fewer post offices.
September 2016
The provincial secretariats SLP CISL SLC CGIL UIL POSTE Ferrara
