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Under-pressure postal workers have spoken out after Royal Mail customers complained of long waits for Christmas parcels.
The service is currently dealing with an ‘exceptional volume’ of parcels and has been inundated with messages from customers waiting for gifts to arrive.
Online shoppers say they have been experiencing long waits for parcels due to an increase in online shopping and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
One postman said “most of us are doing what we can” as he revealed he had worked 67 hours this week, walking 175,000 steps – a total of 85 miles.
Another said: “Posties are working under immense pressure- unprecedented amounts of Mail and parcels, staff isolating or off sick.
“Postal workers are only human, have to social distance and isolate like the rest of the population- we aren’t immune to the virus!! Give us a break!!
“We are working SO many hours, in all weathers, walking miles and miles each day. Vans packed full to the brim – and still with a smile to our customers, wishing them a good day.
“Yes, there might be delays, but by god there has NEVER been this level of Mail and parcels come through the system!!!
“Thank your postie for those extra miles walked to try and clear the volume of stuff they are expected to deliver, for the hours they are putting in, for little thanks, for the love of the job!!
“I really do wish that the people slating Royal Mail and how we work would come down to my delivery office any week day around 4.30 and see what’s facing us when we start.”
A woman whose partner is a postman in Bradford said staff are struggling with demand.
She said: “My boyfriend is a postman, not at Leeds but in Bradford. The amount pressure they are put under is immense!
“The postmen/ women are working to their limits to reach targets and trying to ensure deliveries are made on time, but the harsh truth is Royal Mail are so understaffed and do not treat their staff with respect, so to be honest it’s completely understandable why they’re not doing the parcels.”
Watch: Royal Mail last posting dates for Christmas
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In response to delayed deliveries, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail is working hard to deliver the most comprehensive and high quality service we can to all our customers, large and small. The combination of greatly increased uptake of online Christmas shopping, in no small part driven by the recent lockdown, and the ongoing COVID restrictions mean that all delivery companies are experiencing exceptionally high volumes this year.
“Every single parcel, letter and card is important to us. Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards. This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices. In such cases, we always work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
