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

L'articolo Continuano i sit-in contro la privatizzazione di Poste sembra essere il primo su Cisl Ferrara - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei Lavoratori.

 Who benefits from the total privatization of Poste Italiane?

An appeal to Ferrara politicians

These days, the permanent committees (competent for the subject matter) of the Chamber and Senate are discussing the draft decree of the President of the Council of Ministers containing the definition of the privatization criteria and the methods of divestment 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%).

The Government (through the Ministry of Economy and Finance) assures that it will maintain, after this further sale of shares (the first trance was placed in October last year), however, the power of control over the Poste company through the Cassa e Depositi e Prestiti (The MEF is the majority shareholder, the rest of CDP's shares are held by some banking foundations) to whom, a few weeks ago, he “sent” the 35% of Poste Italiane shares.

Having said this, I think it is my duty to point out to the citizens of our territory that, if today they perceive a decline in the quality of the postal service (see delivery every other day) and they foresee the risk that, little by little, Poste Italiane will go in a direction that is not the one contained in its DNA, that is, it will become more and more a Bank. Tomorrow, if and when the sale of that additional share of shares owned by the MEF on the market will materialize, these elements will begin to take shape, concretely and unpleasantly.

Who has an interest and convenience, in fact, in delivering mail to Gorino rather than in the villages perched on our Alps and Apennines? How many of those individuals, who are part of the banking and financial world, once they become owners (even if only in part) and within the governance of Poste will try to use, like a Trojan horse, the good name or, if you prefer, the "brand" of Poste Italiane to "disseminate" certain products that today circulate only in banks?

Poste Italiane is the largest service company in our country which, once it assumed the status of SpA (1998), continued to provide the universal service, and much more, without weighing in the slightest on the pockets of citizens.

Since this is a practically healthy company that for years has been providing significant profits to the State shareholder (first the sole shareholder, then the majority shareholder), the reasons for its sale, or rather, the sell-off, are not understood.

Is this perhaps a fundamental operation for the public debt? Do you really think that a little more than 2 billion euros, which could be collected from the further sale of shares, would be relevant in the face of the enormous Italian public debt?

So what? I don't want to answer these questions for fear of being accused of playing political fantasy, but I'll just say: let's avoid repeating the Telecom mistake, let's avoid the postal disasters that have already occurred in other countries, let's avoid Poste abandoning the social role it has always played, let's avoid, in all ways, this outrage!

For the reasons and considerations set out above, I appeal to all the political forces of Ferrara, especially those who sit in Parliament, to express themselves, take an official position and let the citizens know what they think of this privatization that would put an end to 160 years of Postal history and that will certainly put at risk many jobs and a whole series of benefits for the citizens themselves who, tomorrow, could wake up with one more bank (and I don't think there's any need for it) and many fewer post offices.

Ferrara, July 27, 2016

L'articolo Privatizzazione di Poste Italiane: a chi giova? Un appello ai politici ferraresi sembra essere il primo su Cisl Ferrara - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei Lavoratori.