Royal Mail losing 400 postal workers a week, says union

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) reports that Royal Mail is losing approximately 400 postal workers each week following the introduction of a new delivery system called DM26. This figure has risen since the company implemented the system earlier this year. Prior to DM26, Royal Mail was losing around 330 staff per week, with a workforce of 83,000.

The union claims that DM26 is not functioning properly in hundreds of offices and warns of a "nightmare" Christmas ahead due to the surge in parcel deliveries. BBC Your Voice has received reports from staff expressing concerns about delays and prioritization of parcels over letters. Royal Mail maintains that the reforms are part of its plan to deliver a more efficient and financially sustainable service, adding that they always work to ensure all mail is delivered on time.

Royal Mail states that only three-quarters of first-class mail is delivered on time, while some postal workers report increased workloads, with average step counts increasing by a quarter to a third since the switch to DM26. One postman in the East Midlands even predicts that this Christmas will be the worst ever, both for the workers and their customers.

Bryn Dymott, a former Royal Mail worker, left the company in July, stating he couldn't face another shambolic Christmas, as he believes the company cannot deliver adequate service with fewer staff. The CWU has urged its members to pause further roll-out of DM26 until a plan can be agreed to address the issues.