Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of La Poste, yesterday met Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French prime minister, to seek political backing for the restructuring of France's state-owned post office as trades unions stepped up warnings about heavy job losses and branch closures.

Mr Bailly, appointed two years ago to prepare the public company for liberalisation of Europe's postal sector by 2009, used yesterday's meeting to seek assurances that his modernisation drive will secure government backing.