Royal Mail has warned of delivery disruption across 13 UK postcode areas on Monday, September 28, including two in the North East. The affected postcodes in Houghton-Le-Spring are DH4 and DH5.
Royal Mail said it aims to deliver to all addresses six days a week. However, it added: "In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors."
Disruption details and affected areas
The company said it would rotate deliveries to minimise delay to individual customers. It also said it provides targeted support to affected offices to restore service to the high standard customers normally receive.
The full list of 13 areas where disruption is possible includes Bicester (OX25-OX27), Birchwood (WA3), Bridge of Don (AB22, AB23), Bristol North (BS6, BS7), Golders Green (NW11), Houghton Le Spring (DH4, DH5), Ilfracombe (EX34), Nuneaton (CV10, CV11, CV13), Teignmouth (TQ14), Thornbury (BS35), Wandsworth (SW18), Warrington (WA1, WA2, WA4, WA5, WA55) and Witham (CM8).
Christmas recruitment drive
Last week, Royal Mail announced it was recruiting almost 22,000 temporary workers to help with the additional parcels and mail expected over the Christmas period. Over 12,500 mail sorting roles will be available in England, 1,243 in Scotland, 485 in Northern Ireland and 355 in Wales.
There are also 5,000 delivery and collection roles available across the country and 2,100 temporary truck driver roles. The temporary positions will be located in two parcel super hubs in Warrington and Daventry, five seasonal parcel sort centres, four parcel hubs and 37 mail centres across the country.
A total of 152,300 sqm of extra temporary space – equivalent to almost 22 football pitches – has been created across the five seasonal parcel sort centres located in Atherstone, Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Daventry. The four parcel hubs are based in Stonebridge Park, London, Wishaw, Scotland, Severn Beach, Bristol, and Wakefield, Yorkshire.
