Posties vote to 'boycott' up to half of all letters

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Posties vote to 'boycott' up to half of all letters: Items handled by third party firms will not be delivered

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Britain could be hit by postal chaos ‘in the next few months’ after postmen yesterday voted to boycott up to half of all the letters posted every day.

Around one in two letters delivered through your letterbox are currently handled by one of Royal Mail’s privately owned rivals.

Royal Mail is only responsible for the ‘final mile’ of the delivery.

But major companies such as BT, Thames Water, E.On, Sky, Barclays, Npower, O2 and Talk Talk currently use the postal giant’s rivals to handle all or some of their mail.

Yesterday members of the militant Communication Workers’ Union voted unanimously to ‘boycott’ any mail which has been handled by its rivals, such as TNT Post and UK Mail.


The CWU warned postmen will ‘refuse to handle third-party mail in the next few months’. A date will be announced at its annual conference in Bournemouth next month.

It raises the threat of vast mountains of post piling up in Royal Mail’s delivery offices around Britain.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: ‘Competition is being allowed on the basis of low pay and unreliable job security in private companies.

‘That will be a disaster for the sector, if it continues. We will take this action to protect jobs and services if the regulator doesn’t fulfil its duty.’

Since 2005, Royal Mail has rapidly lost its key business customers, according to data published recently by Ofcom.

Just 5.2 per cent of all letters had been handled by a rival in 2005. Last year, it hit 44 per cent and Royal Mail says it is now close to 50 per cent.

The CWU fears the haemorrhaging of business to its rivals will hit the universal service obligation, and could lead to the all-important service being diluted.

This is the promise that Royal Mail will pick up and deliver letters six days a week for a uniform price anywhere in Britain from the Shetlands to St Austell.

There is a significant pay gap between Royal Mail and its rivals, which concerns the CWU which warns of ‘a race to the bottom on the pay and conditions of postal workers.’

Last night, a Royal Mail spokesman said it is ‘fully committed’ to delivering its rivals’ mail, adding: ‘All of our customers’ mail is important to us and needs to be delivered.’

Yesterday an Ofcom spokesman said: ‘Ofcom has not made proposals to reduce the universal service requirement from six days a week, and nor do we have any legal powers to implement such a change.

‘To say we are consulting on such a proposal is simply untrue.’

A Department for Business spokesman said the Government is totally committed to the current universal service obligation, and said it could not be diluted without a vote in Parliament.

TNT Post currently poses an even bigger threat to Royal Mail because it began a trial of its own postal service in west London last April in which it no longer uses Royal Mail postmen at all.

Around 300,000 families and businesses in areas such as Ealing, Hammersmith and Victoria currently get some of their mail delivered by TNT’s 600 postmen dressed in a distinctive orange uniform.

They have no obligation to meet strict targets set down by the regulator, such as the rule which says Royal Mail must aim to deliver 93 per cent of first-class mail the next day.

[Hitcher]

We had a vote?

[rhino49]

I didn't realise which paper the article was from until I saw "Militant" - silly me ....The Daily Male is at it again :)

[vigilante]

I didn't realise which paper the article was from until I saw "Militant" - silly me ....The Daily Male is at it again :)

Yes, had to be.
Perhaps ole Moya has 'interests' in The Mail as well.
These executives seem to have irons in the fire all over------alledgedly of course.