Royal Mail losing 400 postal workers a week, says union
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Royal Mail is losing approximately 400 postal workers per week, according to the Communication Workers Union (CWU). This figure has increased since the company introduced DM26, a new delivery system, earlier this year.
The CWU asserts that Royal Mail had been losing around 330 postal staff weekly from a workforce of 83,000 prior to the implementation of DM26.
The new system, DM26, aims to improve delivery performance by reorganizing routes, but posties claim it's not working in many offices.
Staff have reported issues with parcel prioritization, letters left behind, and wasted time in sorting mail. Additionally, some postal workers have expressed concerns about increased workloads and the potential for a "nightmare" Christmas due to rising parcel volumes.
Royal Mail, however, maintains that the reforms are intended to deliver a more "efficient and financially sustainable" service.
Over the past year, BBC Your Voice has reached out to over 30 postal staff across the UK, all of whom have switched to DM26. The system allows for second-class post to be delivered only every other weekday, while guaranteeing first-class mail and parcels are delivered daily by grouping workers into threes and altering round-walking patterns.
But anonymous posties claim parcels are still given priority, letters are left behind, and time is wasted on sorting and dividing mail into first and second class.
"I didn't deliver any first-class mail on my last shift because I was on a road that had been left behind for weeks," a worker in the West Midlands shared. "But I'm sure a manager would have checked a box to say all first-class mail had been delivered."
A Royal Mail spokesperson stated that the company is committed to ensuring all mail, both letters and parcels, is delivered on time.
Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 jobs, further raising concerns among postal workers.