Royal Mail launches internal review into poor Christmas service

Royal Mail is carrying out a root-and-branch review of its operations after very poor service during the Christmas peak season.

Both senior management and union leaders admit that the quality of service for end customers was unacceptably poor and will work together to address the issue.

In a video to Communication Workers Union (CWU) members, CWU Deputy General Secretary Terry Pullinger said, “This plan, mobilising everyone, each division, will now start analysing what’s going on, what offices are failing, prioritise support. Get in there and get it right. There can be no excuse, there can be no hiding place.”

Pullinger said his members had cited a number of issues that lead to poor service. Recruiting good staff had been a problem, while the pandemic had forced many to take time off work, and consequent re-routing of postal staffs’ routes to manage such shortages. He said that the coming review will attempt to establish the truth of the matter.

In the video he also called for a devolution of control of operations from middle management to delivery offices. “Our whole vision for the future is about decision making at local level, getting down to the coal-face.

“Our vision is to grow this company, to reinvent Royal Mail for the next generation but we’re not going to do that successfully unless we do it from a foundation of excellent service.” 

During the Omicron covid-19 outbreak, 77 of the 1,200 delivery offices say delays in deliveries due to sickness, and around 15,000 staff absent.

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