Tag: Royal Mail

The Royal Mail is facing growing political opposition to its proposals to transfer its ownership from the state to its employees, only days before a government-commissioned review that will determine the postal operator’s future ownership. A parliamentary motion calling on ministers to ensure the Royal Mail remains publicly owned with “all shares continuing to be owned by the government” has been signed by 57 Labour MPs. This suggests Tony Blair, the prime minister, could struggle to get the parliamentary approval needed to part-privatise the postal operator by giving a 51 per cent stake to staff. The government has a majority of only 67 in the Commons and the Tories have said they are “sceptical” about the part-privatisation plan.

Royal Mail is attempting to pre-empt this week’s potentially damaging Channel 4 Dispatches programme, by claiming it is on course to beat its minimum delivery targets for the year. The documentary, Reopening the Post, shows various incompetent practices, such as agency staff being drafted in to sort mail and then told to deliver it without the aid of a map. Postwatch chairman Peter Carr also appears on the programme, accepting that progress is being made. He says: “Customers will be confused by the contrast between the good quality of service results published and the Dispatches revelations. Changing culture takes time.”

Royal Mail produced its best performance in a decade during the first quarter of the year with more than nine out of 10 first and second class letters arriving on time, according to independent research results published yesterday.
The national postal operator delivered 93.4 per cent of first class letters the day after posting, beating its target of 93 per cent. Second class mail beat its target level of 98.5 per cent delivered within three working days with a 98.6 per cent performance. Although the figures did not cover all 14 of the performance goals set by Postcomm, the regulator, they reflect service levels for 90 per cent of Royal Mail’s volumes. Adam Crozier, Royal Mail’s chief executive, said: “Royal Mail is determined to do even better than the record quality of service our postmen and women are delivering. Independent research is showing our performance running at a world-class level but Royal Mail wants to be demonstrably the very best and most trusted postal service in the world.”