Royal Mail union warns service on 'brink of collapse' as 400 staff quit weekly

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has warned that Royal Mail is "on the brink of collapse," citing the loss of approximately 400 postal staff members each week. The union attributes this surge in departures primarily to the rollout of a new delivery system, known as DM26, alongside issues with pay and unmanageable workloads.

Union Concerns and Staff Departures

According to the CWU, Royal Mail was losing around 330 postal employees weekly from its 83,000 workforce prior to the launch of DM26, an initiative designed to reorganise routes and improve delivery performance. A CWU spokesperson stated that the rollout is a "major factor" behind employees leaving. The union has called for the rollout of the new delivery model to be paused, claiming the system is not working in hundreds of offices.

To address what the union describes as a "serious crisis," the CWU has requested an urgent summit with the Government, union representatives, and management. CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "We are calling for a summit between stakeholders and the Government to address the ticking timebomb that is Royal Mail."

Ward added: "Royal Mail has been in structural decline for well over a decade, and the continuous failure to deliver quality of service is killing the brand, demoralising the workforce, and letting down the communities that postal workers are proud to serve."

He further stated: "At this stage, it doesn’t matter what delivery model is adopted. Unless the company faces up to its self-inflicted recruitment and retention crisis, the company is on the brink of collapse."

Royal Mail Response and Operational Updates

A Royal Mail spokesperson provided data on the current status of the new delivery model. "The rollout of our new delivery model is now 90% complete across our 1,200 delivery offices and we are continuing to see positive results – delivering on average to 95% of addresses every day across the UK, up from 88% before deployment," the spokesperson said.

The company stated that the rollout continues across its network and that it expects quality of service to improve as deployment progresses. "These reforms are an important part of our plan to deliver a more reliable, efficient and financially sustainable Universal Service for customers across the UK," the spokesperson added.

Royal Mail has acknowledged there is more to do on meeting delivery targets. In April, the company published an improvement plan that included a commitment to invest £500 million in quality of service over five years.

Preparation for Peak Season

Amidst the staffing concerns, Royal Mail is hiring 22,000 temporary workers over the Christmas period. These workers will help transport, sort and deliver the additional mail expected over the festive period.

Why it matters

The dispute highlights significant tensions between Royal Mail management and the CWU regarding the implementation of the DM26 delivery model. While the union argues that the changes are driving staff away and threatening the service's stability, the company maintains that the rollout is largely complete and has improved delivery performance. The call for a government-led summit indicates the union's view that the issue requires intervention beyond internal negotiations.

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Sources

• independent.co.uk: Royal Mail on ‘brink of collapse’ as 400 staff quitting each week, union warns | The Independent
• aol.co.uk: Royal Mail ‘on the brink of collapse’ as union warns 400 postal workers quitting a week - AOL

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.