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BARROW residents could be waiting past 6pm for their packages in a proposed shake-up at the Royal Mail.
The national post service said it was redesigning its network in a bid to keep up with its competitors.
Pressure to ensure parcels and next-day items arrive on time has led to postal bosses reorganising how deliveries are made, which could see millions of Britons waiting until after 6pm to receive their orders.
Because most online orders are made late at night, post bosses want postal workers to begin rounds later in the day to maximise the chances of customers receiving their purchases the next day.
A projected map of the changes suggests that over 100 areas of the UK will receive post after 5pm, including parts of London, Cornwall, Cumbria, Wales and Scotland, The Telegraph reports.
But in 17 areas, including Barrow, Britons could be waiting past 6pm for their packages.
A Royal Mail spokesman told the Daily Mail that all letters would be delivered by 5pm ‘at the latest’ as opposed to the current 4pm cut-off point.
It comes as 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 said: “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.”
A Royal Mail spokesman told the Daily Telegraph the timings were based on ‘high level’ estimates but nothing has been finalised.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are in discussion with the Communication Workers’ Union about moving start times later to meet the growing customer demand for more next-day parcel deliveries, and to reduce our environmental impact by moving more mail by rail over time.
“We have made it clear that these proposal are all subject to negotiation and detailed design, and no plans have been finalised.
“More parcel companies are now delivering later into the evening to meet changing customer needs, and we are redesigning out network to deal with growing numbers of parcels, including investing in two new super hubs.
“As part of our ongoing planning and negotiation, we are exploring a number of changes that would mean that we would still deliver letters by 5pm, as opposed to 4pm currently.”
