**** Press release Tuesday 21st May 2024
The UK’s Greeting Card Association (GCA) today revealed a simple six point pledge for government as it considers the future of the Royal Mail.
The GCA, which represents a thriving creative industry that contributes £1.5bn to the UK economy, is campaigning to prevent the Royal Mail postal service being given a 21st century ‘Beeching Axe’, with second class deliveries chopped back to just three days a week and runaway prices for first class mail.
The next 10 days are crucial to the future of the Royal Mail.
- This week the government is reported to be meeting with LP Group management to consider undertakings in respect of their offer for Royal Mail through holding company IDS.
- IDS will update the market on its trading performance on 23 May
- LP Group and IDS have until 29 May to formalise any offer for the company.
Ahead of this decisive period, the GCA is now asking Ofcom, the government and MPs to renew their commitment to the Royal Mail service that British people love through six simple pledges:
In its ‘#Cardmitment’, the GCA is insisting Royal Mail, its owners, regulators and government must:
- Fix it First, then reform – insist Royal Mail meets existing performance targets before any USO changes.
- Keep Saturdays affordable– Protect the Saturday delivery service at an affordable price and make that price legally binding.
- Fully Price Protect all deliveries – Protect consumers from above-inflation price rises on 2nd class stamps, extend that protection to the first class service, and make any future price rises conditional on agreed service targets being met.
- Keep Royal Mail national – Protect an affordable single price delivery service to all UK households.
- Stop delivery discrimination – Prevent the prioritisation of parcel deliveries over letters and cards.
- Support high streets – Recognise the role a thriving postal service – including post offices – have in protecting high streets and communities up and down the country.
This #Cardmitment will be circulated this week to government, MPs and other stakeholders with a responsibility for shaping the future of the Royal Mail.
GCA chief executive Amanda Fergusson said:
“Our members, and the customers they serve, expect a postal service that’s national, reliable and affordable.
“They’re already nervous that planned regulatory reform will ignore these basic needs – and now they fear a deal with new owners that will do nothing to avoid further reductions in the quality of delivery services.
“Whoever owns Royal Mail, must be held accountable on pricing and quality of service standards, through contractual obligations that are enforceable – and delivered.”
Ofcom’s data indicates greeting cards are critical to how Royal Mail is perceived by end consumers. Cards are the most frequent things UK consumers post and 42 per cent of customers now say sending cards is the only time they use Royal Mail.
-ends-
Further information: contact Nick Agarwal on gca@arena-pr.com
