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The majority of the 2m people that voted in the unofficial citizens’ poll were against the plans, according to the group of unions, left-wing parties and community groups that organised the vote.



The government has said it will not scrap the plan but the opposition Socialists want an official referendum”.



Referendum campaigners want the plan put on hold after 2,123,717 people took part in the vote.



They answered the question: “The government wants to change the status of the La Poste to privatise it, do you agree with the project?”



“Over 90% voted no,” said to Jean Souleil of the CGT and spokesperson of the National Committee against the Privatisation of the Post (CNPP). The committee will now discuss what to do next, he said.



The French government, plans to turn the French postal service into a shareholding company at the start of 2010, and open it up to competition in the European market by 2011.



While this was an unofficial poll, French law does allow a citizen referendum to be called by one-fifth of MPs, supported by one-tenth of registered voters, some 4.5m people.



The Socialist Party announced on 3 October that it would propose a popular referendum in parliament by mid-October.