Renewed threat to Royal Mail

"The future of postal services in the UK is again under threat," the general secretary of the CWU communications workers’ union, Dave Ward, warned in response to the latest developments in a potential buy-out of Royal Mail.

Reports say that the owner of Royal Mail, International Distribution Services, was on the verge of accepting an improved takeover bid from foreign private equity investor EP Corporate Group.

Ward said: "The current Royal Mail Board have grossly mismanaged the company and have not done enough to move away from the approach of the previous CEO, which saw an all-out assault on their own employees.

"EP Group must immediately demonstrate an up-front and open commitment to working with the union and completely change the culture in workplaces across the UK, rule out any break-up of the company or raid of the pension surplus."

The union also called for "a completely new ownership model" based on innovation, growth and "maintaining over 500 years of public service ethos".

An emergency motion to the CWU annual conference in April reaffirmed its policy to bring Royal Mail back into public ownership, although it recognised this would be difficult in "the current political climate".