Royal Mail has reached an agreement with the Communications Workers Union on the rollout of changes nationwide, according to multiple reports. The deal will see Royal Mail ditch second-class letter deliveries on Saturdays across the UK, with those deliveries rescheduled to every other weekday from Monday to Friday. Royal Mail aims to deliver second-class mail within three weekdays under the new schedule.
The specific timeline for the rollout of these changes nationwide has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear when exactly the new delivery schedule for second-class letters will take effect. 75% pay rise for those who joined on or after December 1, 2022, and a 3% salary increase for workers on legacy contracts, multiple reports indicate. Details of the 'better terms' mentioned for workers who joined on or after December 1, 2022 have not been specified.
Changes extend to business mail, with standard bulk business letters, used for items like bills and statements, moving to a three-day delivery aim aligned with second-class. Workforce adjustments include allowing around 6,000 part-time postal workers to increase their average weekly hours if needed as part of the second-class post reforms, though how this increase will be implemented and managed is not detailed. New starters will have contracts based on standard 37-hour working weeks.
It is unknown how the changes will affect first-class letter deliveries on Saturdays.