UK communications regulator Ofcom announced plans to review the nation’s universal postal service on Tuesday, as a result of the changing needs and habits of postal users. Ofcom said the universal postal service, underpinned by the Postal Services Act of 2011, mandated International Distributions Services subsidiary Royal Mail to deliver …
Read More »The end of the Saturday post? After months of strikes and disrupted deliveries, watchdog paves way for end to letters on Saturday as first-class stamp cost to rise again by 15p to hit £1.25
Royal Mail is agitating to end Saturday deliveries as it hits customers with yet another increase in the price of First Class stamps. The move would fundamentally change the 500-year-old postal service, which is currently obligated to deliver letters to every address six days a week. There are fears that …
Read More »Saturday post ‘under review’ as struggling Royal Mail looks to cut costs
In a letter to the Business Select Committee in June, he wrote: “The ability to send and receive letters and parcels is important both socially and economically. This is particularly true for consumers who might be more vulnerable.” Ofcom will publish evidence later in the year on how demand is …
Read More »Royal Mail warns old stamps must make the last collection on Monday July 31 to avoid charges
Royal Mail has warned that letters posted on Monday with an old-style stamp could incur an extra charge if they do not make final collection times. July 31 is the deadline to use stamps without barcodes. From Tuesday, letters posted without barcodes will be treated as having “insufficient postage”, meaning …
Read More »Royal Mail owner chooses new boss from Dutch subsidiary
T he company behind Royal Mail has appointed its next boss from its rapidly growing Dutch subsidiary following a bruising time for the logistics giant. International Distributions Services (IDS) said that Martin Seidenberg will become chief executive of the group. Since 2020 he has run GLS – an Amsterdam-based parcel …
Read More »Prices for second class stamps to be capped amid fears over affordability
The planned cap on stamp prices is the latest blow to Royal Mail, which is trying to shift its focus to parcels as demand for letters continues to decline. Earlier this month, the Government blocked the company’s plans to axe Saturday letter deliveries. The move threatens to drive the price …
Read More »Royal Mail has no more excuses to avoid fixing its failing business
The problem is that the USO can only be scrapped with Parliament’s say-so and it is refusing to play ball, business minister Kevin Hollinrake has announced. “As you will be aware, we currently have no plans to change the minimum requirements of the universal postal service,” he said in a …
Read More »Who owns Royal Mail as CEO resigns?
R oyal Mail will be investigated by the industry watchdog Ofcom after it failed to meet its delivery targets during the past year. The postal service delivered only 73.7 per cent of First Class mail within one day, well short of its 93 per cent target. Ofcom said it would …
Read More »Ofcom launches Royal Mail performance probe
It never rains but it pours for Royal Mail, which is now under investigation by Ofcom over its failure to meet delivery targets. Yesterday, Royal Mail announced that it did not meet its performance targets in 2022/23, which included a period of industrial dispute and 18 days of strike …
Read More »Ofcom launches probe into Royal Mail’s failure to meet delivery targets in the past year
Royal Mail is facing a major investigation by an industry watchdog after failing to meet its delivery targets over the past year. The British postal giant fell short of its performance targets across the 2022 to 2023 financial year for first and second class mail and deliveries, following 18 days …
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