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resources of all other pars carriers in the country, combined operation could no way match the Post ice system," he says. "It is trefore wrong to raise the )lic's hopes that their mail I be processed adequately private-sector parcels cornrites.
Ellis says Securicor ineered the privately handled ernight parcels concept in UK more than 20 years 3. He heads an empire of 0 depots, 4,500 radiontrolled parcels vans and re than 10,000 personnel lely involved in distributing million-plus parcels and curnents a year — and he 11 thinks that he is a minnow side the Post Office.
The Royal Mail has hit back: the threatened disruption ces place, companies like 4T are anxiously waiting in e wings eager to steal our siness, steal our customers d steal our jobs." Though it 11 look warily at any sensible fers of assistance, the Post ffice maintains that TNT uld not deliver the post to rery household in the couny.
Franchised parcels carrier terlink is taking a more direct )proach with local area manars contacting their opposite numbers in the local Post Office to see if it could help out during any industrial disruption. Interlink is confident that it can carry large chunks of Royal Mail business if the opportunity arose.
Federall Express also says that it is ready to help business customers "overcome immediate problems".
According to a series of well-publicised leaks from Whitehall, Mrs Thatcher and her ministers are not averse to ending the Post Office monopoly. Last Christmas Thatcher warned that the monopoly was not "sacrosanct" in the face of threatened industrial action.
The Government has the powers (under Section 69 of the British Telecom Act 1981) to suspend the monopoly within 24 hours if necessary. Alan Jones' request to lift that monopoly is now with Tony Newton, the minister responsible for the Post Office.
Jones is keen to stress that the current upheaval is the second example of major Post Office disruption in 12 months, and that the continuing trouble is highly damaging to the economy. "The time has come for the monopoly to be relaxed and for TNT to be allowed to offer a professional alternative," he says.