Pressure mounting on Royal Mail chief Simon Thompson after he is slammed by MPs and regulators
Pressure is mounting on Royal Mail chief Simon Thompson after he has been criticized by MPs and regulators
Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson’s future is in doubt after he was criticized by MPs and regulators.
In a damning report released today, the House of Commons Affairs Committee accused him of “either an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of ignorance.”
It also said Thompson ‘intentionally or unintentionally’ misled MPs and called on Ofcom to investigate – leading to further broadside from the regulator.
Whims: Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson (pictured) was accused of ‘an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of ignorance’
“Royal Mail’s recent performance is clearly well short of what it should be,” Ofcom said. “We are very concerned about this and have asked the company to explain what it is doing to urgently restore service levels.”
Ofcom is preparing its own assessment and will not hesitate to take enforcement action.
The comments put pressure on Thompson as he struggles to turn Royal Mail around in the face of a spate of strikes and mounting losses.
In its report, the commission said it had violated its universal service obligation (USO), which requires it to deliver letters six days a week.
It cited evidence that some employees were told to prioritize packages over letters. MPs also asked the Information Commissioner to investigate allegations that Royal Mail used personal digital assistants (PDAs) data to track employees.
The company denies that this is its policy. But the report accused Thompson of ‘intentionally or unintentionally’ misleading MPs when he said he did not understand that PDA data was being used to monitor performance.
“I find it hard to believe that such widespread violations of company policy and legal obligations are due to a national network of rogue states conspiring against management,” said committee chair Darren Jones MP.
“We were inundated with evidence from postal workers disputing the accuracy of Simon Thompson’s answers.
“The shortcomings in company policy that Mr Thompson has admitted can only be due to an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of ignorance about what is happening at Royal Mail.
Hiding behind the pandemic as a driver of failure is not enough.
“Ofcom must initiate enforcement procedures to ensure that everyone receives consistent service wherever they are.”
Royal Mail rejected claims it had misled the committee, saying it had ‘answered in detail the questions asked’ and was reviewing delivery policies.
It said ‘challenges’ facing the company and the USO ‘cannot be ignored’. “We urge the Government, Ofcom and all stakeholders to work with us to ensure we have a financially sustainable universal service for many years to come,” a spokesman said.