Tag: Royal Mail

The Royal Mail is forcing managers to reapply for their jobs, putting it on a collision course with a leading union and at risk of industrial action.

The state-owned postal service is reviewing its management structure, and has asked a number of managers to reapply as part of the process.

A spokesman said: “Royal Mail is facing tremendous challenges and changes. This effects everybody in the company. Our managers, just as much as our postmen, are committed to making sure that we’re delivering customer service and the right leadership.

The Royal Mail has 1,500 delivery offices, each of which has at least one manager. Insiders say the Royal Mail is seeking only to shake up the management structure, and is not looking to cut jobs.

But Amicus, which represents Royal Mail managers, is worried that jobs will still be lost and has not ruled out industrial action.

Brian Scott, assistant national secretary, said the union had already held meetings with the Royal Mail but so far had failed to come to an agreement.

Post offices are in desperate need of Government support and direction if they are to survive, the network’s watchdog warned last night.

Postcomm believes the post office is becoming increasingly irrelevant as the number of services it provides are reduced – destroying its role as the social hub of a community.

The claims back up our Don’t Sound the Last Post campaign – which has now collected more than 12,000 signatures – and calls on the Government to do more to help keep post offices open.

Postcomm’s report, Post Offices at the Crossroads, paints a grim picture of the current state of the network.

The postal services regulator looked at 14,000 post offices around the country and found that the network lost GBP111 million last year despite a GBP150m subsidy to rural offices – which is being withdrawn in 2008.

It said the Department for Work and Pensions and the DVLA were withdrawing services from all post offices, which has already led to a GBP168m revenue loss over the last year.

The report also found that the rural post office network was in particular financial trouble, with only 1,500 of the 8,000 rural offices making money.