Royal Mail set to slash job numbers
Royal Mail is this week set to announce a further 2,000 middle management redundancies focused on those earning in excess of £40,000 a year. When you take into account these potential job cuts on top of the 62,000 workforce cuts over the last eight years there is no doubt that the UK authorities seem to be repositioning Royal Mail for a potential sale.
The UK government has made quiet moves to introduce legislation which should effectively smooth the potential sale of shares in Royal Mail or indeed an outright sale to a third party. There has been very little official comment on the future of Royal Mail but with a £10 billion pension fund deficit there is no doubt that action needs to be taken sooner rather than later. Behind closed doors the unions are well aware of the threat of compulsory and voluntary job cuts in the short to medium term but will fight tooth and nail, as you would hope and expect, for the rights of their members.
This is a high-risk strategy by the UK government but ultimately if it leads to a more efficient mail service in the UK then it may well be worth the risk. However, it is certain to attract the wrath of unions and union members up-and-down the country.
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