Royal Mail blames poor weather and sickness for delayed deliveries

Royal Mail has warned of imaginable work delays crossed much than 100 UK postcodes, citing caller storms and accrued unit sickness arsenic nan origin of disruption.

The announcement follows a play of mounting complaints regarding delayed mail, pinch concerns besides raised that parcels are being prioritised complete letters.

On Monday, nan postal patient identified 38 transportation offices crossed nan country, covering astir 100 postcodes, arsenic those astir apt to acquisition slower service.

A spokesperson for nan institution explained that "adverse weather, including storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra successful January, alongside higher-than-usual sick absence, has caused immoderate short-term disruption to definite routes."

Royal Mail sought to reassure customers, stating: "We want to reassure customers that nan immense mostly of message is delivered arsenic planned and understand really frustrating it is erstwhile station does not get arsenic expected."

The institution added that it would deploy other support to affected routes to "restore deliveries arsenic quickly arsenic possible."

Meanwhile, a study by nan BBC uncovered instances wherever immoderate letters were reportedly held successful transportation offices for weeks, starring individuals to miss urgent communications specified arsenic assignment notices and slope statements.

Citing anonymous postal workers, nan study said that parcels were being prioritised complete letters successful immoderate depots, moreover if they are first class, while unit shortages were much broadly impacting nan service.

It is understood that Royal Mail will opt to clear parcels first if they build up quickly and artifact walkways successful transportation offices.

The institution has said it is delivering much parcels arsenic online shopping continues to grow, while nan number of addressed letters going done its web is falling.

Royal Mail serves astir 2 cardinal postcodes and is required to present message six days a week, and intends to present some letters and parcels connected time.

Regulator Ofcom past twelvemonth gave nan go-ahead for Royal Mail to scrap 2nd people missive deliveries connected Saturdays and alteration nan work to each different weekday.

It launched nan changes crossed 35 transportation offices arsenic a pilot, but has yet to grow this nationwide crossed each 1,200 sites owed to failing to scope statement pinch nan unit union.

It is successful nan mediate of a month-long conflict solution process with nan Communication Workers Union pinch nan purpose of reaching an statement complete really nan workforce will beryllium impacted by nan overhaul.