Royal Mail Responds to “Misleading Statements” by CWU Leadership
Royal Mail has released a statement to say that “recent statements by the leadership of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) do not reflect the state of the business, the progress Royal Mail is making in improving service quality or its preparations for Christmas.”
Royal Mail is ready to successfully deliver Christmas across the UK once again and there should be no concerns for customers ahead of the busy peak season. Furthermore, we are hiring an additional 22,000 seasonal workers for Christmas, with over 100,000 applications having already been received for these temporary roles.
While still below Ofcom’s targets, Royal Mail’s quality of service performance is the best it has been for many years. In the most recent reporting period, 85% of First Class letters were delivered on time, up from 76% in the same period last year. 91.4% of Second Class letters were delivered on time in the same period, up from 89.3% last year. We recognise that customers expect further improvement and we remain focused on delivering it.
This performance has been driven by the successful deployment of Universal Service reform in around 90% of delivery offices. We recognise that this has been one of the biggest changes to the way Royal Mail operates in its history and that it has not been easy. We are very grateful to colleagues across the country for their efforts as this once in a generation change is deployed.
Royal Mail has been working constructively with CWU members and representatives at operational levels, including a major reset announced internally three weeks ago, and will continue to do so. This includes listening to colleagues’ comments and suggestions for further improvements in the rollout of the new delivery model. We urge the CWU leadership to do the same and to stop using public commentary talking down the business as a way of trying to achieve their own tactical objectives.
The launch of the Government’s consultation on employment status reform is a significant opportunity for Royal Mail to finally be able to compete on a more level playing field with competitors relying on self-employed or casual workers. Royal Mail and the CWU have a shared interest in securing fair employment standards and a sustainable future for the business.
Our focus is clear: delivering Christmas, further improving service quality and building a stronger Royal Mail. We urge the CWU leadership to work with us towards these shared goals.
