Letter from Daniel Kretínský, Chairman of EP Group and IDS to all Royal Mail colleagues

Letter from Daniel Kretínský, Chairman of EP Group and IDS to all Royal Mail colleagues

Dear Royal Mail colleagues,

We are at the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Royal Mail, one of the United Kingdom’s most cherished institutions. Our acquisition of Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services (IDS), is complete and the new Board has now been appointed.

First and foremost, chairing IDS is a profound honour for me. I have always deeply admired and respected the UK, and Royal Mail embodies the very best of your people, values, institutions and traditions. I approach this new responsibility with humility and the utmost respect for the more than 500 years of service that Royal Mail has dedicated to the UK.

We are committed investors and partners and believe the pathway to success lies in taking a truly long-term view of the future, putting customers and colleagues at the heart of everything Royal Mail does, supporting the investments needed to deliver high quality services and products and sharing the fruits of success with colleagues.

Despite a very challenging market environment, the difficult financial situation for Royal Mail and ongoing uncertainty about desired Universal Service regulatory changes, we have offered CWU a three year pay deal, with greater job security. These discussions are ongoing and we hope an
agreement can be reached soon.

We are committed to the agreements reached with CWU and Unite CMA in December 2024, and recognise the importance of working together with our trade unions to ensure a successful future for Royal Mail and a fresh start for our industrial relations. We are also committed to working jointly with CWU and Unite CMA to create a better environment for colleagues, including through the implementation of new earning opportunities.

This underlines what I have said from the very beginning of this process: we all need to be “on the same ship” because if Royal Mail succeeds, we will all benefit.

I know many of you have questions about what the recent takeover means for you and for the future of Royal Mail. I recently sat down with Jenny Hall and Martin Seidenberg for a conversation about EP
Group and our plans for IDS and Royal Mail,

Thank you for everything you have done to get Royal Mail to this point. We have strengths that no other company can match – such our brand heritage and our beloved posties. Our joint mission is to make sure that it has also a bright future and we are sure we will jointly manage it.

Alongside Martin, Alistair and the Royal Mail management team, I am looking forward to working closely with you all to deliver on our goals. I have no doubt that with your support and a clear, shared vision for the future, we will be able to make Royal Mail the clear market leader, as well as a responsible and attractive employer and partner.

Kind regards,

Daniel Křetínský

Chairman of EP Group and IDS