Total liberalisation in Europe’s postal services will mean the end of universal and affordable postal services, warned Philippos Thomas, president of the Greek postal union. The only way to guarantee a universal postal service is to retain the current, limited monopoly, which allows operators to cross subsidise services to customers in rural areas.

UNI general secretary Philip Jennings attacked postal regulators for being “postal wreckers” and promised UNI’s full support for the campaign to change European Union plans. They were both addressing the opening session of UNI Postal global union’s World Conference, being held in Athens last month.

UNI-Europa Postal is lobbying hard against the European Commission’s draft directive and said it planned a lobby in Berlin on May 30 and a Europe-wide postal day of action on June 6. “We cannot accept that our post offices and their workers should be left in the hands of the Commission alone – we have to ensure that the workers’ voice is heard.” Many jobs are at risk – 30,000 jobs went in just two years under Europe’s current, partial postal liberalisation. Concern over the Commission’s latest plan is not confined to postal unions.