BEERG Newsletter - UK: Royal Mail announced 10,000 job cuts

Royal Mail has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs by next August, with its plan set to include up to 6,000 redundancies. It said the cuts were needed due to strike action by its workers and the continuing decline of its core business. On top of the redundancies, the postal company will cut roles through natural attrition, for example by not replacing workers who leave. Jobs are to be reduced by an estimated 5,000 full time roles by March 2023 and 10,000 by end of August 2023 to achieve short-term cost efficiencies. Royal Mail's chief executive Simon Thompson said: "This is a very sad day. I regret that we are announcing these job losses. We will do all we can to avoid compulsory redundancies and support everyone affected." 

Communication Workers Union general secretary Dave Ward said Royal Mail's announcement "is the result of gross mismanagement and a failed business agenda of ending daily deliveries, a wholesale levelling-down of the terms, pay and conditions of postal workers, and turning Royal Mail into a gig economy style parcel courier." Royal Mail workers this week started a fresh round of strikes over pay and conditions which will include 19 days of industrial action.