After Royal Mail announced that it could cut as many as 10,000 jobs by next August, blaming current strike action among staff and increasing losses across the business a petition has been circulating on social media calling on Simon Thompson to be removed from the role of Chief Executive Officer at the company.
The gloomy announcement says that Royal Mail says it expects to post a £350m loss for the full-year, though the company warned this could reach as much as £450m.
Over 22,000 people have put their name to the petition saying:
“Simon Thompson has a history of damaging businesses and the workforce for his own gratification. He was also managing director of Track and Trace which failed. According to the business Royal Mail have allegedly suffered losses as a result of the recent industrial action. They are now threatening job losses as a result! Remove the annual bonuses and get rid of the source problem instead of penalising the frontline workers who keep the business going. Simon Thompson is a self indulgent man and has no empathy or apathy for the workers.”
The General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union, Dave Ward hit back saying:
“The 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 courier. What the company should be doing is abandoning its asset-stripping strategy and building the future based on utilising the competitive edge it already has in its deliveries to 32 million addresses across the country.”
He added:
“This announcement is holding postal workers to ransom for taking legal industrial action against a business approach that is not in the interests of workers, customers or the future of Royal Mail. This is no way to build a company.”
However, the Royal Mail trading statement contained some good news for shareholders by revealing: “Notwithstanding challenging trading conditions across its markets, the performance of GLS remains on track to meet full year expectations of an adjusted operating profit between €370 – €410 million.”
SIMON Thompson has refused to negotiate with the CWU even though he has said that he is available at any time, in one breath, then in another, has said that there is nothing to negotiate about, because he is IMPOSING the pay offer which is NOT 9% and the draconian changes in their Terms and Conditions, while also negotiating with another private company which is not even based in the UK, to sell RM, and the Government have given the go ahead to do that, but state that they cannot be involved in the dispute as it is a private company! It will be sold on as a parcel delivery only. No Universal delivery of letters and cards, for the same price regardless of where they are being posted to, in the UK These are the issues which the postal workers are on strike about, not just the pay! I have been urging people to email their MP’s, and even if it is only a quarter of the electorate, they will be inundated with emails, landing onto their computers. The share price is at a low level so the Government should buy RM BACK so that it is run for the benefit of the taxpayer, and not to put millions of pounds into the CEO’s and shareholders pockets. Thomson does not care, as he has already made millions on the backs of the postal workers hard work
Simon Thompson is discusting track and trace failed when he was in charge.
That man does not care about the postal staff and they are told to leave the letters and deliver the parcels. So anything that Royal Mail puts in the press are lies. All Simon Thompson and the board are concerned about is filling their pockets with money they don’t deserve. Simon Thompsons intention is to ruin the Royal Mail because he is just after running a parcel business. The Government know what is going on but they do not want to get involved. Shame on all of them, the postal workers worked all through covid they deserve a decent pay rise and better working conditions. Royal Mail is a 500 year old business and deserves better.
I lodged a very serious complaint regarding a first class, recorded delivery parcel for my granddaughter’s 13th birthday. I received notification from Royal mail that it had been delivered. This was not the case, the delivery driver Gordon had signed as the recipient of the parcel. The parcel was “missing” from the 21st May to the 25th July. The silver pendant Tiffany necklace I had sent had been removed, the parcel showed evidence of having been tampered with. I reported the missing parcel to Simon Thompson, a thorough investigation did not take place. I continue with my complaint and will do so until I am told the truth which I doubt will happen. I quote from the Chief Constable’s office that customers are ten a penny and theft is rife so much for “Royal Mail”