Royal Mail plans could see deliveries made later in day for parts of UK

LATE NIGHT POST: Some areas may not see deliveries until 7.30pm (Image: Unsplash/Brett Jordan)

Over 100 areas of the UK could reportedly be waiting for deliveries until at least 6pm, with some areas not seeing anything until 7.30pm.

Royal Mail says it is having to redesign its network to keep up with rival firms as people are ordering parcels later at night.

In a bid to speed up the delivery of parcels, the national postal service and courier company plans to push things back, the Mirror reports.

With people ordering more and more online late at night, it is hoped having posties starting later will allow for sorting offices to process ‘next day’ deliveries on time.

Areas including London, Cornwall, Cumbria, Wales and Scotland, may not see their post until 6pm at the earliest.

It’s estimated residents of Kinross, near Perth, might not see anything until 7.30pm.

A Royal Mail spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph the timings were based on “high level” estimates but nothing has been finalised.

She was adamant letters would arrive by 5pm, just an hour after they do under the current scheme.

Other changes proposed include introducing more automatic sorting machines, with post often still currently sorted by hand, as well as a seven-day working week to keep in touch with rival companies.

The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) is threatening nationwide strikes, with a majority of its more than 100,000 members voting for industrial action over pay and conditions.

A CWU spokesman told the newspaper: “The changes would see our members delivering up to five hours in the height of summer heat and in the darkness of winter.

“This is just one example of how Royal Mail are running down the postal service in the UK and why our members are balloting for strike action to defend it.

“Postal workers need and deserve the support of the public to win this battle.”

Despite a pay rise of two per cent, backdated to April 1, as well as an offer of three and a half per cent depending on productivity, the union says it is a “serious real-terms wage cut” based on the increased cost of living.

READ MORE:

Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from your local InYourArea feed.