In tandem with this, the former Post Office has also changed its name to Consignia. About 2m was spent on the rebranding, which is designed to show that the operation involves a lot more than delivering mail. The new Consignia is not quite the cash happy enterprise you might think. The business has in recent weeks been criticised for the number of first class letters delivered in less than an express manner. The firm, which employs 200,000 people, has lost about 56,000 working days over the past 12 months due to industrial unrest or the hangover from October's Hatfield rail crash, which has caused delays to mail trains.
Labour relations are no doubt set for a stormy ride in the months ahead.
Billy Hayes beat the union's deputy general secretary John Keggie, who had been tipped to win. While the letter delivery market has been liberalised, it will still be tightly regulated by PostComm. Firms wanting to deliver letters will have to win a licence from PostComm. That licence currently covers the right to deliver mail up to 1 in value and 350g in weight. Candidates are likely to include the courier companies.