With the liberalization of the former monopoly postal service Royal Mail was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The Royal Mail UK (Royal Mail) held the first in the last 11 years a nationwide strike. It was attended by 130,000 people, demanding wage increases and a reversal of the authorities to a major staff reduction.
The main reason for the strike-May statement on the government's intention to close over the next two years, every fifth post office. In turn, head-mail Adam Crozier said that one of the arguments presented by management is that the competitors are at 25%, and operating efficiently.
During the strike the Royal Mail promises to pay money and social benefits for pensioners and vulnerable social groups. However, all business customers Royal Mail warned that the delivery and collection of mail would not be implemented, including customized administration with the special conditions of the day (so-called special delivery).
Weekly company employing 195,000 people, is losing about 4 million pounds. Royal Mail lost more than 40% of participants in the market. Her private competitor UK Mail has received a major order from the Ministry of Labour and pension policies, then give up a joint venture BT, which is transferred to another owner, TNT Post. Private competitors Royal Mail was taken from 1,2 20 billion British letters. But Royal Mail saves that firms collect letters from customers and send them via the Royal Mail distribution centres. Yet none of the contestants are not built its own extensive distribution network.
The British government is obliged to maintain its competitive form in the mail. The State is the sole owner of Her Majesty's mail. To cover the shortfall in the pension fund Royal Mail, it is necessary to allocate more 1.1 billion euros annually over the next 17 years.
Save the Royal Mail can introduce new technologies. But here is not easy for the British Post Office is the traditional place to fill any bureaucratic securities of the application for a pension to license satellite television. But offices in rural areas are not, and when another of them turn, raises storm of protest.