The potential time line for Mon-Fri letters.

[Rommagic]

Bring on Monday -friday letters as it was too light today.customers seem happy 2 receive parcels only on Saturdays.

[Woody Guthrie]

Not all 4 of the UK Parliments will agree to what could be proposed / Implemented

I don't think the devolved governments have any jurisdiction over the Postal Services Act.

It's a Westminster thing.

[wallan]

Possibly not , but it would still not go down well with some of them

[GRS]

Quick couple of questions for you Woody:

I was under the impression that the current license RM operates under runs until 2022. At which point of 2022 I’m not sure. Are you saying that this review and the necessary rubber stamping in Parliament can basically rip up the license here and now if RM wanted?

If RM did only deliver letters 1-3 times a week how do you see that matching up when urgent mail is needed to go out ASAP? For example, we are seeing Covid letters coming through the system and obviously these can’t wait for a week before being delivered as they contain vaccination info etc.

[Woody Guthrie]

The licence is separate to the terms of the USO.
The terms can be changed at any point subject to the conditions in the legislation including an Ofcom review and obviously part of that review involved Royal Mail's input.

I'm not saying this will happen I'm saying this could happen with very little warning.

The union seems to think nothing can happen until the overall review of the postal market in 2022 but at least legally that's not the case, whether it's in Royal Mail’s plans or not is a different matter but if I'm honest I don't think HQ has a clue what Royal Mail’s real plans are.

[gary1975]

Royal Mail are still building the super Hubs, so I would doubt Royal mails end game has changed much since Rico. A reduction in letter delivery would suit them just nicely.

[mr hil.]

Just because the USO changes to 5 days a week doesn't mean that RM only deliver letters 5 days a week, they could still opt to deliver 6 days if they wanted to. The five days is the minimum.

[Woody Guthrie]

Just because the USO changes to 5 days a week doesn't mean that RM only deliver letters 5 days a week, they could still opt to deliver 6 days if they wanted to. The five days is the minimum.

It's Royal Mail that are saying that 6 day letters is unsustainable.

[postslippete]

Look at in now. You ever have an issue with your round the response you get is “take your parcels”. Mon-fri letters is coming ASAP for them.
I’ll be bang honest if that means it’s a skeleton staff sat and sun then happy days. More time with the family.

Everyone assumes that we all won't be delivering letters on a Saturday. However, in this early stage the company simply has regulatory backing to reduce the number of days that it delivers letters to from 6 to 5.

We work 5 days a week in our office with a rotating day so what is stopping Royal Mail from simply not getting the letters delivered on our day off?? Its the easiest thing for them to do as they don't have to change people's shifts.

[daveyeff]

Look at in now. You ever have an issue with your round the response you get is “take your parcels”. Mon-fri letters is coming ASAP for them.
I’ll be bang honest if that means it’s a skeleton staff sat and sun then happy days. More time with the family.

Everyone assumes that we all won't be delivering letters on a Saturday. However, in this early stage the company simply has regulatory backing to reduce the number of days that it delivers letters to from 6 to 5.

We work 5 days a week in our office with a rotating day so what is stopping Royal Mail from simply not getting the letters delivered on our day off?? Its the easiest thing for them to do as they don't have to change people's shifts.

so what will they do with the floaters/reserves on your day off if they have nothing to do?

[postslippete]

so what will they do with the floaters/reserves on your day off if they have nothing to do?

If the company did away with Saturday and if everyone worked a Monday to Friday delivering letters they won't really need floaters.

However, there will always be reserves and spares in some form or another to cover annual leave and sickness.


Personally, I do not favour a 5 day USO on letters.

[adamanti]

It's time to forget about service, quality, right and wrongs etc. Moving forward is now only about profit. If savings can be made and ofcom have shown this, it's not if but when. Longer deliveries over less day's using less staff= savings. Hard to argue against that as realistically what we do now is unsustainable long term. As always it's about detail now, much if which we are not privy to.

[SpacePhoenix]

It's time to forget about service, quality, right and wrongs etc. Moving forward is now only about profit. If savings can be made and ofcom have shown this, it's not if but when. Longer deliveries over less day's using less staff= savings. Hard to argue against that as realistically what we do now is unsustainable long term. As always it's about detail now, much if which we are not privy to.

One potential thing could be if the number of delivery days for letters and flats is cut back, could we see RM investing in machines (if they exist) that can sequence flats, letters and d2d together so in theory those without packets on their walks could spend their entire shift out delivering

[Aquarius]

It's time to forget about service, quality, right and wrongs etc. Moving forward is now only about profit. If savings can be made and ofcom have shown this, it's not if but when. Longer deliveries over less day's using less staff= savings. Hard to argue against that as realistically what we do now is unsustainable long term. As always it's about detail now, much if which we are not privy to.

One potential thing could be if the number of delivery days for letters and flats is cut back, could we see RM investing in machines (if they exist) that can sequence flats, letters and d2d together so in theory those without packets on their walks could spend their entire shift out delivering

I may be wrong - but i am sure there was/is a machine that did that...i think RM tested it not long ago...someone can correct me on this - i think it was made by Solystic