The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has warned that Royal Mail workers are being instructed to leave doctors' and hospital letters in racks to prioritise parcel deliveries, describing the service as 'chaotic'. Martin Walsh, deputy general secretary of the CWU, told the Business and Trade Committee that a 'pyramid framework' dictates delivery priorities, with special delivery items at the top, followed by parcels and tracked items, then first-class mail, and second-class mail at the bottom.
Walsh said postal workers are 'working harder than they've ever done in really challenging conditions' but cannot clear daily workloads, leading to a 'retention crisis'. He added that staff feel 'very aggrieved' when told to leave medical letters behind to prioritise tracked items. Dave Ward, CWU general secretary, described the service as 'chaotic' and the environment as 'demoralising' for frontline workers in most post offices.
Royal Mail owner Daniel Kretinsky, chairman of parent firm EP Group, disputed the claims, stating there is no management decision to prioritise parcels over letters. He said: 'I have never heard any instruction, any discussion, or any exchange which would suggest that Royal Mail is prioritising parcels over letters.' He also apologised for delayed letters, saying he is 'deeply sorry for any letter that arrives late'.
Kretinsky noted that Royal Mail has introduced a specialised NHS barcode to speed up delivery of NHS letters, but it is currently used by a minority of providers. He argued that reform of the universal service obligation (USO), including scrapping second-class post on Saturdays, is needed to fix service issues. Talks with the CWU on reforms have been extended to the end of March, with the union saying it does not want industrial action but 'cannot rule it out'.
