Royal mail

[iamnotcrazynow]

It's my understanding that Royal mail are nominally supposed to deliver 6 days a week. I am certain that in my neighbourhood they are only delivering on alternate days or at worst twice a week. Just interested to hear other people's experiences. I am fed up with my mail being delayed.

Same here. Even allowing for recent strikes there have been lots of days with no delivery followed next day by a bumper load of post. Also for the last couple of years it has become very unusual to have any post delivered on Saturday.

Not had any post delivered on a Monday for a few years now.

I'm in Greater Manchester and it's been like this for quite a while, COVID and strikes notwithstanding. I last had mail on Wednesday, the postman knocked with it, 6 letters that would have fitted through the letterbox. Also noticed he was not carrying a bag with him (I'm in an apartment block of 70+ properties so it was surprising he wasn't carrying mail for anybody else). They seem to have had staffing problems quite a long time. Perhaps they cannot get temps as nobody wants to work for them!

Weeks can go by without mail and then there’s a flurry of stuff through the letterbox. Much of it is junk that goes straight in the bin. Very annoying when you’re waiting for something though.

I had a delivery today. Out usual postie is back, I assume he has been sick as it’s been men in vans for the last few months.

Yes they should deliver 6 days per week but they have a huge staffing crisis due to the work conditions they're under. DH is a posite and they just can't retain new staff at his branch. Hopefully the strikes will have the desired affect and conditions will improve.

I think there are a number of issues. The private company that owns RM are emphasising that parcels take priority and putting less importance on letters.

Posties are under threat of redundancy and RM group are trying to push through by force quite radical changes to their terms and conditions, to their detriment, with very little compensation in their pay. Lots of posties do overtime to try and get post out on time, last week that was stopped although now allowed again during talks. But demoralised staff working for a company which is hostile towards them won't be wanting to go out of their way to help.

RM group is exploring going to a 5 day service for letters, 7 days for parcels soon so it may get worse.

Ultimately RM is now a private company which puts its most lucrative business (parcels) first and seems most interested in its share holders.

Saying that I'm also in Greater Manchester, haven't had a problem and send lots of letters in the post at work, also haven't noticed a problem.

Posties need our support, I would be very sorry indeed to lose mine. They're not being treated very well at present.

Deliberate understaffing in prep for the new (Amazon-style) "modernisation" of the biz under dickhead CEO Thompson. Which last night was paused when the union finally managed to get him and RM in the same room as them to talk.

Basically they want the local delivery offices to be franchised and postal worker to be self employed ("Uberisation") therefore asset stripping and selling the brand to the highest bidder (a dodgy bloke from Czechia). A deal that would have made Thompson and his board very very rich.

My husband is one of the longest serving staff and he's being harassed to quit like many of his colleagues (on 30+ years service and favourable contracts) so that RM don't have to shell out ten of thousands in redundancy payments.

Rarely get anything delivered on time by Royal Mail. They love to take things back to the post office too, rather than leaving it where you’ve asked.

Ive been known to actually change my online shop when I realise the site uses Royal Mail

Just seen this on Facebook if anyone else wants to add their support:

www.change.org/p/to-make-royal-mail-public-ownership-again

“A fitting tribute to the queen would be for the government to bring Royal Mail back into public ownership and not allow a Czech billionaire from a tax haven in Luxembourg to take over the company, break it up and sell it off, bringing to an end its 500 year old public service”.

Same here, it annoys me and it’s an 8 mile round trip, and I work full time. even if you tick the disclaimer about the safe place mine argues it isn’t safe - actually wrote it on the card ! So what’s the point of the disclaimer. I have parcels delivered To a friend who is at home all day now. I get no post just junk mail and flyers which I’ve asked them not to deliver with a notice, that gets ignored as well.

Thank you to those who have posted giving details of what is happening at RM. Have to say I do sympathise very strongly with the workers and the awful, ruthless way they are treated by management. All my delayed mail turned up this lunchtime but it was not any of the regular staff that brought it.

Don’t know why my supportive post has been hidden but might be the link to a change . org petition ?

which has now appeared!

Thanks for the petition link @Jesstaminute, I’ve signed.

OP, like you, we’re getting days with no post and then lots turn up at once. I rarely see our regular postie now. Our area usually has a very good service. While it’s a bit frustrating at the moment, I support the strikes and hope they get somewhere with the talks.

Good service here still from our great postie, obvious delays with letters due to the strike which I fully support.

Royal Mail should be brought back into public ownership as a service to all and not remain a milch cow for its owners. The service was outstandingly better back in the day. Other couriers do a good job but RM is not up to scratch.

It is all part of their cunning plan to run the business down so it can be sold off more cheaply, meanwhile the 500 years old service to the public and those who rely on it are suffering.

Same as with our other valuable public services such as NHS and railways.

This is part of the reasons for the current strikes and needs the support of the public too as once these are gone they won’t be coming back any time soon!