[News] Royal Mail household delivery service.

[Brian Fantana]

Why are posters talking here as if it’s decided?

Ofcom suggested it, then dismissed by politicians/ministers.

Ultimately, Ofcom as the industry regulator will have a large amount of sway in this. Whilst it will require legislation to make any changes, the weight given to Ofcom’s recommendations will be significant. What RM obviously haven’t actually announced yet is what changes they’ll seek to make. I suspect it will be parcels 7 days per week but letters 3-4 maximum.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Royal Mail won’t deliver 3 days a week , it’ll be an alternate day service where the postie does round A on Monday, Wednesday and Friday then round B Tuesday , Thursday and Saturday. You’ll get a delivery 3 days a week but there are still deliveries for 6 . A massive saving for RM in staff costs.

The slight issue with that is the company will want to be delivering parcels 7 days per week, so they’d have to re-shape how delivery rounds would work to accommodate an alternative day model for each postie. Not saying it won’t work, but it would be a fundamental shift in how they operate.

 

[beorhthelm]

Ultimately, Ofcom as the industry regulator will have a large amount of sway in this. Whilst it will require legislation to make any changes, the weight given to Ofcom’s recommendations will be significant. What RM obviously haven’t actually announced yet is what changes they’ll seek to make. I suspect it will be parcels 7 days per week but letters 3-4 maximum.

as it needs legislation, with an election coming up and no time to schedule that legislation, it's easy for this government to fade the recommendation of an generally unpopular idea. even if it's a good idea to do. two years back they'd have grabbed it.

 

[Brian Fantana]

as it needs legislation, with an election coming up and no time to schedule that legislation, it's easy for this government to fade the recommendation of an generally unpopular idea. even if it's a good idea to do. two years back they'd have grabbed it.

Agree with the principle, but I think this is a longer-term thing. I’m not certain RM are ready to fully present their preferred options/changes (if any at this stage).

 

[Weststander]

So then it’ll be whether (10 years of?) Labour will agree to postal delivery days being halved.

I can’t see that. It’s a de facto public service, they won’t want to be seen to shrink it. Imho.

 

[Brian Fantana]

So then it’ll be whether (10 years of?) Labour will agree to postal delivery days being halved.

I can’t see that. It’s a de facto public service, they won’t want to be seen to shrink it. Imho.

As discussed on another Royal Mail thread, a lot of other European countries have already cut the number of days that they deliver letters in response to falling volumes.

Whilst RM still deliver single digit billions of letters each year, the volumes will soon reach the stage where the economics of a six days per week delivery service don’t make sense.

As an employer of more than 100,000 people, it is in the interest of any government that the business survives (and thrives). Hopefully the government will allow Ofcom and Royal Mail to work together to deliver changes that both suit the economics of a changing postal market but whilst also preserving a regular, dependable one-price-goes-anywhere service. It certainly can be done, but it 100% requires a change to the USO, IMO.

 

[the wanderbus]

The slight issue with that is the company will want to be delivering parcels 7 days per week, so they’d have to re-shape how delivery rounds would work to accommodate an alternative day model for each postie. Not saying it won’t work, but it would be a fundamental shift in how they operate.

Not really an issue as all new staff have weekend working in their contracts . They’ll have to revise all the routes anyway .