Royal Mail to be investigated for missed delivery targets

Royal Mail is facing an probe by the manufacture watchdog aft it failed to conscionable its transportation targets implicit the past year.

Ofcom said it would see whether immoderate "exceptional events" explained wherefore Royal Mail fell short.

But if determination were nary "satisfactory explanation", the regulator said it would see imposing a fine.

The postal work delivered lone 73.7% of First Class message wrong a time - acold abbreviated of the 93% target.

Ofcom said the interaction of Covid was nary longer "an excuse for mediocre transportation performance".

If Royal Mail is fined, it would beryllium its 2nd punishment since 2019 erstwhile it paid retired £1.5m for failing to present archetypal people letters connected time.

It besides missed a 2nd cardinal target, delivering lone 90.7% of 2nd people message wrong 3 days, erstwhile it should present 98.5%.

On Friday, Royal Mail's main enforcement Simon Thompson announced that helium would leave, meaning the institution volition soon beryllium searching for its 3rd brag successful 5 years.

Royal Mail said its services had been affected by 18 days of onslaught enactment and that precocious levels of unit lack continued to hamper operations.

It said it hoped an statement reached past period with Communication Workers Union (CWU) would resoluteness the substance and let it to "rapidly improve" its services.

Royal Mail's main operating serviceman Grant McPherson apologised to customers who were affected by the missed targets, but added the past twelvemonth had been "one of the astir challenging successful [Royal Mail's] history".

"With the plans we person successful spot to thrust work levels and trim absence, we anticipation and expect to spot further advancement successful the coming months," helium said.

Royal Mail has antecedently said the onslaught enactment was costing £200m and could endanger its survival. In addition, successful January the steadfast faced a ransomware onslaught which disrupted overseas message for much than a month.