Royal Mail staff announce further 19 strikes over next two months

[rebbonk]

Looks like they have just lost quite a large customer...

British electricals retailer Currys (CURY.L) will not use Royal Mail as a delivery provider "for now" to reduce any impact from strike action, the company's chief executive officer Alex Baldock said on Sunday.

Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Baldock confirmed a report by the Telegraph newspaper that his company would not use the post and parcel company as a temporary measure.

Asked whether the report was true, Baldock said: "For now, yes. Obviously our first responsibility is to the four in five UK households who want to get hold of their technology, particularly at this time of year," he said.

"There's no great drama operationally for us. We plan for this sort of thing all the time and the relatively few, smaller parcels that we distribute through Royal Mail are pretty easily switchable to another provider."

Postal workers have already staged walk outs and plan another wave of strikes later this month over pay and conditions, arguing that they want a rise that matches increasing prices and the cost of living.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-currys-avoid-using-royal-mail-for-now-over-strikes-2022-12-04/

In my experience, temporary fixes like this often become permanent!

[dutchman]

I notice that they're still delivering 'junk' mail. Surely that ought to be taking a back-seat? - Unless the junk mailers are the only ones that use Royal Mail these days?

The only mail I've had the last few weeks has been junk mail!

[dutchman]

Royal Mail strikes lead to surge in returned Christmas presents



Christmas returns have hit an all-time high after Royal Mail strikes meant many gifts arrived too late to give on the big day.

Almost 40pc more packages were returned between Christmas and New Year this year compared to last year, according to figures from ReBound, which processes millions of returns every year from retailers including River Island and John Lewis.

Laura Garrett at ReBound said retailers were dealing with the fall-out from last month's postal strikes, which meant many online orders arrived too late to give to loved ones on December 25. Postal workers took part in industrial action on December 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24, leading to widespread disruption.

“Strikes certainly contributed to the increase,” Ms Garrett said. “Despite widespread publicity of the strike action by the Royal Mail, there will have been some people who left Christmas shopping to the last minute and presents ended up arriving too late.”

Millions of letters and packages reportedly piled up during the strikes, with union sources telling the Telegraph that rats and foxes had been found chewing Christmas deliveries left outside a depot.

In a bid to avoid disappointment for customers, retailers warned shoppers in the run-up to Christmas that they should be coming into stores if they wanted to guarantee that they would have gifts in time.

Waterstones brought forward its last delivery days for Christmas, while others such as the Entertainer were forced to scrap next-day delivery offers as 100,000 Royal Mail workers staged a series of walk-outs.

ReBound said swirling concerns over household finances likely also contributed to the sharp increase in returns.

Ms Garrett said: “The cost-of-living crisis will have impacted some returns decisions. Previously some may have kept a present they didn’t really want, but now with finances tighter than ever, this will have influenced decisions to return gifts.

“The strain on budgets will also impact the urgency to return products. Whereas previously customers may have waited a few days to return, the need for a refund will have jump-started some into action.”

Shoppers wanting to return items are facing steeper costs, with a growing number of retailers bringing in fees for sending parcels back.

[rebbonk]

Not exactly endearing themselves to the general public, are they?

[dutchman]

Royal Mail pay offer accepted by Communication Workers Union leaders



Postal workers are being recommended to accept a new pay deal that would end the long-running dispute with the Royal Mail.

If members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) accept a 10% pay rise over three years it will signal an end to the row over jobs and conditions which led to a series of walkouts last year.

Union members will be balloted on the offer in the coming weeks.

Both the Royal Mail and the CWU said it was a "good" deal.

Royal Mail said the agreement included a 10% salary increase and a one-off lump sum of £500. This includes a previous 2% pay rise from April 2022, a consolidated 6% pay rise from April 2023 and a 2% increase next April.

Royal Mail's parent company, International Distributions Services, said if the deal was approved by the CWU membership it would represent a "good outcome for customers, employees and shareholders".

Dave Ward, the general secretary of the CWU, said: ''We are completely satisfied that if people look at this agreement in the context of the magnitude of this dispute they will see this as a good agreement that will stand the test of time.''

The agreement also includes a commitment to no compulsory redundancies and covers later start times, changes to sick pay, attendance standards, ill health retirement and revised contracts for new starters.

New employees will also be required to regularly work on Sundays.