Currys has dropped Royal Mail as one of its delivery providers “for now” because of disruption from strike action, and has switched to an alternative carrier to ensure delivery in the run up to Christmas.
The DeliveryX UK Top 100 retailer had previously used Royal Mail to deliver smaller parcels, with Currys’ chief executive Alex Baldock explaining these parcels were “easily switchable to another provider.”
Baldock said the electrical goods retailer’s first responsibility was to the “UK households who want to get hold of their technology, particularly at this time of year”.
Members of the Communications Workers Union are currently planning strike action on 09, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December, this has led to Royal Mail bringing its final postal dates forward. Last week it announced the final date for second-class deliveries is now 12 December. While for first class it is 16 December. Delivery deadlines to international destinations have also been brought forward.
Baldock told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that he understood that “the impact of the cost of living crisis is obviously at the root of these strikes”.
“On the other hand, it doesn’t help when our colleagues can’t get to work. It doesn’t help when we can’t get stuff delivered to customers, and of course a wage-price inflationary spiral is simply going to make things worse for everybody for longer.”
Currys is one of a number of retailers which has raised its pay rate, with a 16% increase over the past year and nearly 40% over the past five years.
“I would love to say it is just because we are nice people, and of course we are, but it is also because we need to retain and motivate a workforce,” explained Baldock.
He said Currys’ staff needed a high level of expertise in order to help customers and the higher wages were the price they were paying “for the right talent”.
Workers at Royal Mail are calling for wage rises to keep pace with inflation, which reached 11% in October. But the delivery giant has warned it could make 6,000 people redundant if industry action continues, as the company faces rising losses.
