Royal Mail bosses to be called to Parliament over letter delivery failures

Royal Mail bosses to be called to Parliament over letter delivery failures

Royal Mail executives are set to appear before Parliament to address concerns about widespread problems with the company’s letter delivery service, according to information obtained by the BBC. This development follows serious allegations indicating that parcels are being prioritized over letters, which has resulted in delays affecting important and time-sensitive mail.

The Business and Trade Committee initially granted Royal Mail a two-week period to respond to these claims, which were first brought to light by the BBC. Despite the deadline officially concluding on Monday, the committee’s chair, Liam Byrne, has deemed the situation so concerning that it requires immediate explanations from Royal Mail’s leadership. The company has indicated that attending the committee meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss ongoing efforts to transform the business.

This scrutiny occurs after hundreds of people contacted the BBC to express frustration over late deliveries, with some missing critical appointments or failing to receive vital documents such as school certificates and bank statements. Furthermore, over a dozen postal workers from various delivery offices reported that daily delivery rounds were often skipped and that parcels were given precedence over letters due to staff being overstretched.

In a letter sent earlier this month, the committee urged Royal Mail to commit to improvements, describing the current state of service as “chaos.” Byrne emphasized his concern over increasing reports of significant failures in the letter delivery network, pointing out that despite the company’s recent acquisition by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group, the promised focus on customers and employees has yet to translate into reliable service. Byrne also reminded that the takeover came with a legal commitment to uphold the Universal Service Obligation, a fundamental element of the UK’s postal system, yet even first-class mail deliveries remain severely delayed. In response, a Royal Mail spokesperson said attending the committee would allow the company to outline its transformation plans and address the urgent need to update the Universal Service framework to meet customer expectations while ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Previously, Royal Mail attributed disruptions mainly to adverse weather and staff sickness but maintained that the majority of mail was still delivered on schedule

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