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The cost a first class stamp could hit £1 unless Royal Mail axes Saturday deliveries, it has been revealed. Royal Mail is warning the costs of a stamp – which rose to 95p in March, up ten pence from 85p previously – could hit a quid. 2nd Class stamp rose to 68p.
In March, the cost of a second class stamp rose to above 80p. Royal Mail boss Keith Williams predicted a “considerable” increase – warning: “You’re delivering the same number of letters over six days when you could be doing it over five.
“So that is forcing up stamp prices.” Ministers were told last week that transforming the Royal Mail into a “gig economy courier” would have huge implications for its future and the Commons must debate it.
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Royal Mail workers, nurses, paramedics, rail workers and Border Force officials will all stage walkouts over jobs, pay and conditions this month. Labour MP Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) said: “Today is the fifth day this month that members of the Communication Workers Union are taking industrial action at the Royal Mail, and having spoken to a number of superb postal workers in my constituency I have real concerns about the way the company is being run.
“It has gone from making a huge profit to losing hundreds of millions of pounds in 12 months. It has prioritised parcels over letter delivery and it now wants to drop the universal service obligation.
“I think that if the future of the Royal Mail is to become a gig economy courier company, that will have huge implications not only for the quality of service but also postal workers’ terms and conditions and I think that is something this House ought to have an opinion on.”
Royal Mail said it is “doing everything we can to deliver Christmas for our customers”, and thanked an “increasing number of posties returning to work each strike day, temporary workers and managers from across the business who are helping to keep the mail moving”.
