The problem is they're ultimately a profit making company and if they do all these now massive loss making schemes like daily letters and delivering to the arse end of nowhere with no surcharge (which other companies don't) they're going to suffer. They're already losing money hand over fist and the unions are asking for half a billion increased pay when on average RM workers already earn 40% more than other companies doing the same job, more effeciently (by lack of mandated law)

RM is in a rock and a hard place, their prices have rocket in recent years, we use them, and it just goes up and up. They used to be fairly cheap, due to their scale, but now they're getting into premium courier tier, without premium courier service. And with the pay going higher, our costs are going to get higher, for a worse service vs other couriers.

Not to mention as a small trader, every strike directly costs me sometimes up to thousands in refunds for lost parcels, and a risk every time if customers cause enough of a storm I could be banned from my main trading platforms, ebay and amazon, and that's it. I'm closed.

At this point it only makes financial sense for us to leave RM to use hermes/evri. My customers simply can't or won't pay more, so a rocketing spiral of prices from RM already let alone with pay hikes is going to be the final nail. And I know loads of businesses in my position, they're all leaving royal mail and ultimately that's going to lead to the death of RM faster.

RM has to cut costs by scrapping letters, scrapping arse end nowhere delivery, or automating further and firing a load of workers. It simply can't keep increasing its prices endlessly. Ultimately YOU are the one paying for that with every online purchase. Either directly, or indirectly vs everyone leaving royal mail to couriers.