It’s nearly a decade since we avoided a strike at Royal Mail. It involved a sympathetic Royal Mail management, a powerful voice from the CWU and a large injection of pension savvy from consultants. Jon Millidge, Terry Pullinger , Hilary Salt and Derek Benstead remain friends and inspiration to many who now aim to take forward the collective pension they pioneered in the UK.

The style of CDC they adopted suits a workforce that is stable and a service that is reliable but I fear that both are under threat.

Anyone trusting in reasonable certainty in delivery of surface mail must now consider digital alternatives for all but the few who don’t have email or social media.

The postal monopoly has largely completed changes to the way in which it delivers second-class mail. Rounds that were conducted six days a week are now completed every other weekday. Many I speak to estimate a week as a reasonable expectation for a second class letter to be delivered. This is not people friendly either for customer of pensions. The Times tells us

the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents tens of thousands of Royal Mail workers, has withdrawn its support over claims that working practice changes are a “major factor” behind about 400 people leaving the company every week.

This the same CWU that worked out a way forward over a wage for postal workers in retirement that was based on a stable workforce. The CWU are going further

The dispute intensified last week when Dave Ward, the CWU general secretary, alleged that Royal Mail was on the “brink of collapse” and accused the company of a “self-inflicted recruitment and retention crisis”.

I hope that new owner, Daniel Kretinsky can stop this dispute from escalating. I have three concerns, firstly for posties who are an important part of every local community for what they do and what they represent. Secondly for a business that is a legitimate alternative to Amazon, DHK and other delivery firms. Thirdly for collective pensions that can point to Royal Mail as a flag bearer for pensions over pots in what has been called CDC.

“The volume of concerns raised by MPs, customers and the media demonstrates the scale of the challenge Royal Mail still faces in restoring quality of service standards.”

Kretinsky acquired Royal Mail last year for £3.6bn through the investment vehicle EP Group. Representatives for EP wrote to the CWU leadership on Thursday “confirming that they will be travelling to London on Tuesday to meet with the union”.

The CWU  said there would be two points in its negotiation : the growing recruitment and retention crisis at Royal Mail and fixing those delivery offices where the rollout of the new second-class post regime was “not working”.

Royal Mail say that they are currently recruiting 480 people a week. That strikes me as high turnover for a low-turnover business and a worry for the trustees of its collective pension scheme.