Bombshell plan for Royal Mail to axe Saturday submit deliveries may very well be blocked
A bombshell plan for Royal Mail to axe Saturday submit deliveries may very well be blocked by Rishi Sunak.
The PM has voiced his “strong view” in favour of Saturday deliveries, emphasising their significance for companies. He has stated he wouldn’t settle for seeing them scrapped.
Royal Mail has requested Ofcom to axe Saturday deliveries, lowering the service from six days every week to 5. Ofcom is predicted to publish its suggestions on the common service this week.
Asked about plans, Mr Sunak’s official spokesman stated: “The Prime Minister’s strong view is that Saturday deliveries provide flexibility and convenience. They’re important for businesses and particularly publishers. The Prime Minister would not countenance seeing Saturday deliveries scrapped.” He added “we’ll see exactly what Ofcom’s recommendations are” earlier than taking the following steps.
Industry regulator Ofcom is about to stipulate its choices to reform Royal Mail. It is known a part of the plans embrace cancelling deliveries on the weekend. Another possibility is to repeat companies in nations reminiscent of Germany which ship mail on alternate days. It comes after Royal Mail was referred to Ofcom final 12 months when MPs accused the agency of failing to ship letters six days every week.
Royal Mail bosses have been pushing for a five-day week from Monday to Friday after it reported big losses to income. In June final 12 months the Government blocked the corporate from stopping Saturday deliveries.
Kevin Hollinrake, a minister on the Department for Business and Trade, wrote: “We currently have no plans to change the minimum requirements of the universal postal service as set out in the Postal Services Act 2011 … including six-day letter deliveries.”
At the time, a Royal Mail spokesman stated: “The government has said before that it has no current plans to change the USO, but it is clear that when letter volumes have declined by more than 60% since their peak in 2004-05, in order to be financially sustainable, the [USO] requires urgent reform.” Continuing to deliver post on Saturdays “increases the threat to the sustainability of the universal service”, they added.
