Royal Mail 'on brink of collapse' as 400 workers quit every week ahead of Christmas rush, claims union

Royal Mail will be 'on the brink of collapse' without intervention as around 400 posties leave every week ahead of the Christmas rush, its union has claimed.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has sounded the alarm over a staff crisis that is a 'ticking timebomb' amid a major overhaul at the ailing Royal Mail that it says will improve services.

The union has called for emergency talks between the Government and employers after staff are quitting in droves amid a rollout of changes to the frequency of post deliveries. 

The number of people leaving the business per week has increased from around 330 a week to 400 since the introduction of new routes, the CWU said. 

Staff are unhappy with the increased workload and have told the BBC the delivery of parcels is being prioritised while letters are left behind.

One postman told the BBC that he and his colleagues 'all think this Christmas will be the worst ever, for us and our customers.'

Most workers leaving the company are new recruits who are on part-time contracts and quitting, according to the CWU. Many posties 'feel physically exhausted' under the new arrangement as they are now walking between 12 to 15 miles a day.

The once British institution has vowed to improve its service after being fined £21million by regulator Ofcom last year for missing targets.

Royal Mail's parent company International Distribution Services was bought last year by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. He told MPs in March that he was 'deeply sorry' for the state of the organisation.

A new 'DM26' model has reorganised routes in the hopes of improving delivery services. It has been introduced in all but around 200 of the group's 1,200 delivery offices.

Under the new system, second class post is allowed to be delivered only every other weekday while first class letters and parcels are supposed to be delivered six days a week.

But the CWU has asked its members to stop introducing the new system until a plan is agreed to address problems in hundreds of offices.

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.

'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.

'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.'

A spokesman for Royal Mail said it was seeing 'positive results' after implementing its new delivery model. It said it now delivers on average to 95 per cent of addresses every day across the UK compared to 88 per cent.

They added: 'The rollout continues across our network and we expect 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 company is also hiring an extra 22,000 temporary workers over Christmas.

During the three months to June 28, Royal Mail missed its delivery targets but hailed signs of improvement in services.

It delivered 85 per cent of first class mail the next day and 91.4 per cent of second-class items within three working days. This was against regulator Ofcom's targets for 90 per cent of first-class post to arrive on the following day, while 95 per cent of second-class letters should be delivered inside three days.

But Royal Mail said it did better than last year and has announced plans to invest £500million into improvements.

The postal service is grappling with declining letter volumes – down 10 per cent to 5.7billion last year – as people switch to digital communications and baulk at the soaring price of stamps.

The CWU's Ward added: 'For years, we have had select committees, promises of £500 million improvement plans, a broad array of agreements and threats to improve from Ofcom.

'Royal Mail is in serious need of a business vision that provides dignified work for employees and quality service for consumers and communities. The time for developing and implementing this vision is long overdue, and we must begin the work now.'