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Royal Mail has been accused of acting like Scrooge this Christmas.
The partner of a casual worker taken on at Patchway Delivery Office this month claims they have been left short of money as a result of a reduction in “guaranteed hours”.
She told Bristol Live: “People had counted on this job and were completely misled and let down by Royal Mail.”
The company has responded, saying it “employs people through agency arrangements when required”.
The source, who lives in Filton with her partner and step-child, said her partner signed up to start work on December 9, with a “guaranteed” 31.5 hours a week ending on December 27.
She says there was also talk of work being available long-term for staff who performed well as Christmas temporary workers.
But after being told shifts would be 2-10pm, it transpired there would only be 6-10pm shifts running only up to Christmas.
It means that workers in that team will receive a week’s pay of £190 before Christmas.
The source, who does not wish to be named, said: “After receiving the pay slips, there were mothers crying because they wouldn’t be able to afford Christmas.
“The whole team was generally upset. The workers had believed that they would have been given enough hours in the run up to Christmas.
“People had counted on this job and were completely misled and let down by Royal Mail.
“The managers on site were unsympathetic and told workers to call the Christmas helpline number.
“The helpline is automated and unmanned and no one responds to emails.
“For many, Christmas has been ruined.
“If they knew that they were cutting hours and laying everyone off before Xmas, they could have at least ensured that the workers were paid for their full two weeks’ work before Christmas.
“These workers signed up for full time hours and waited weeks for the work to start.
“Everyone said that they would have sought work elsewhere had they known that Royal Mail would do this.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail recruits temporary workers to help deal with fluctuating volumes of work at different times of the year.
“This recruitment is particularly high at peak periods such as Christmas where temporary workers deal with increased volumes of Christmas post and parcels generated by online Christmas shopping.
“Like many other businesses, Royal Mail employs people through agency arrangements when required.
“We deploy temporary workers across different shift patterns and days depending on the fluctuation in work that comes through or unexpectedly high levels of sickness.
“Royal Mail also permits agency workers to work for other companies if they wish to do so.”
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