Statement on Royal Mail Universal Service Improvement Plan

COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION

21/04/2026

EMBARGOED UNTIL 09:00 21/04/2026

Statement on Royal Mail Universal Service Improvement Plan

Commenting on the Universal Service Improvement Plan announced by Royal Mail today (21/04/2026), Communication Workers Union General Secretary Dave Ward said: “We welcome any serious proposal that seeks to reverse customer service failings at Royal Mail, but what really matters is what happens on the ground to make that change happen.

“Postal workers remain committed to delivering for the communities they serve, but they need the tools to do this.

“They need answers over whether the workforce will be properly resourced and retained, whether they will have a real say over how change is deployed, what manageable workloads look like, and how serious issues are fixed.

“Royal Mail’s current attitude of running the company with top-down, command and control methods, and prioritising finance over staffing and customer quality must end.

“We have reached a negotiators agreement that says these things will be delivered, and we are currently explaining this to our representatives and members before we hold a ballot.

“But Royal Mail’s track record of sticking to their promises is not great, which is why as part of this agreement we have asked the Government and Parliament to oversee affairs and continue holding the company to account.

“To give Royal Mail any chance at future success, we must also see a change in the remit of Ofcom, and an end to the exploitative labour models our competitors use to undercut Royal Mail and our posties.

“We urgently await discussions with the Government on all these issues.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact CWU Press Officer Marcus Barnett at mbarnett@cwu.org.