I am increasingly aware of the increase in competition to Royal Mail from other postal companies operating in towns and cities across the UK. Residents generally rely on their local postie to deliver their mail but companies such as TNT plan to expand in urban areas from 3,000 employees to 20,000 by 2017 and this will undoubtedly have a knock on effect to those of us living in more rural areas.

Royal Mail is heavily regulated yet there is a growth in unregulated postal companies who choose to deliver in cities because it so much cheaper for them, which means larger profits.

Royal Mail is charged with delivering the universal service obligation (USO), so wherever you are it’s the same price to send a letter to anyone in the UK.

We’re not shy about competition but TNT can pick and choose when, where and what they deliver. I’m concerned that if this is allowed to continue, it is rural communities such as ours which will met with higher postage costs or a deterioration in service.

TNT is not introducing new jobs, it is just replacing decent and well-paid Royal Mail jobs with zero-hours contracts at minimum wage and supporting the growth of a low-pay insecure job market.

We need to make our elected representatives aware of this race to the bottom and ask them to help save the USO for us and for future generations.

Keith Franklin, Political officer, Western Counties Branch, Communication Workers Union.