Tag: Royal Mail

MPs condemn Royal Mail’s lack of vision over post offices

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

MPs condemned Royal Mail for lacking imagination and entrepreneurial flair in the way in which it manages its loss-making post office network.

The Trade and Industry Select Committee criticised the Government for not taking more responsibility for looking after the network rather than leaving it to Royal Mail.

It said that the postal group had “failed to show sufficient imagination or entrepreneurial flair in developing services so far, or properly to understand the realities of managing a network of often very small businesses”.

The criticism comes as 2,500 more post offices are about to close because the network is unprofitable. The programme of closures was agreed by the Department of Trade and Industry ahead of a GBP 3.9 billion rescue package for the postal group.

Although the all-party group of MPs said that new management at Royal Mail’s post office division “seems to be awakening from its lethargy”, they added: “We think that the Government, as sole shareholder and representative of the taxpayer, has a responsibility to ensure that Royal Mail Group as a whole gives proper attention to increasing the competitiveness of the network rather than just managing its decline.”

The committee said that there could be more closures “sooner rather than later” unless the Government gave proper attention to maintaining the network after its restructuring.

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Postal workers have voted to hold their first nationwide strike in more than a decade.

Posted by | Jun 8, 2007 | |

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) yesterday voted almost four to one in favour of industrial action over pay.

The Royal Mail has offered a 2.5% pay rise, while the CWU is holding out for a 4.8% increase.

A series of walkouts will now be held by up to 130,000 CWU members unless a compromise is reached.

CWU deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said: “This yes vote shows clearly that Royal Mail workers have rejected the company’s business plan, the company’s leadership and the unacceptable pay offer.

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A Portable Post Office For Marlow

Posted by | Jun 8, 2007 | |

A Portable building in a car park could be a temporary solution to the loss of Marlow’s High Street post office, the town council says.

The proposal would mean the loss of six car parking spaces, but councillors say it is a necessary measure while the High Street branch remains closed.

The branch shut in April forcing customers to travel all the way to High Wycombe or Maidenhead for the nearest full-service post office.

The latest proposal was revealed at Marlow Town Council’s Finance Services Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Howard Bellairs, council clerk, said the portable building idea had been initially refused by Wycombe District Council after an approach was made by Post Office Ltd. But he insisted it was the best way forward and that pressure from the town council could change the situation.

He said: “I think Post Office Ltd, when they got in touch with Wycombe were dismissed by an officer acting in good faith on the grounds that there was problems with parking spaces.

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eBay signs e-stamp deal with Royal Mail

Posted by | Jun 7, 2007 | |

eBay and Royal Mail have teamed up to allow online sellers to pay for and print postage stamps direct from the auction site.

The partnership aims to allow sellers to accurately price, book for collection and arrange postage without the need to leave the eBay website.

The electronic stamps are compatible with the Royal Mail and Parcelforce delivery networks.

Portal Technology Systems, which has worked with Royal Mail over the past five years, was commissioned to design and build the online postage systems and to construct the software infrastructure to support the eBay service

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Royal Mail faces strike on pay and jobs

Posted by | Jun 7, 2007 | |

The Royal Mail is facing its first national strike in 11 years after the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said its members had voted in favour of industrial action.

The CWU said on Thursday that 77.5 percent voted in favour of action due to Royal Mail’s “below inflation pay offer” and its plans to reduce the workforce by around 40,000, or around 27 percent, by automating mail-sorting processes.

“A series of walkouts will now be held by about 130,000 CWU members unless new talks can lead to a breakthrough in the dispute,” the union said.

The CWU members range from post men and women to sorters in distribution centres, and the union said 66,064 of its 127,000 members balloted voted for action, with 19,190 voting against. More than 20,000 employees are not members of the union.

The Royal Mail said it had to modernise to prevent the business from failing and that the only way it could improve pay, protect pensions and deliver customer service was by modernising.

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