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A postman from Essex has pleaded with people to ‘get behind their postal workers’ amid criticism for Royal Mail delays.
The restrictions imposed upon the country as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have affected many industries and individual companies over the last 10 months.
It has had huge impact among Royal Mail’s sorting offices and delivery staff, many of whom are self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus.
Recently the Royal Mail apologised for postal delays as a number of Essex areas were left without post for weeks.
But, while it’s frustrating waiting a few extra days for your letters and parcels, the postal workers are going above and beyond to get as much delivered as physically possible.
Yesterday (January 13) Luke Elgar, a postman in Southend-On-Sea, Essex, asked for people to ‘get behind their postal workers’ in a Twitter video that was viewed over 400,000 times.
“We’re pushing on”
In the 58-second video Luke, who has been a postman for 10 years, responds to criticism that has recently been directed at postal workers.
The 28-year-old said: “You might have noticed that there are some delays going on around the country but I think it’s a given with a pandemic with so many self-isolating and trying to stay safe in these difficult circumstances.
“We have obviously got high numbers of people self-isolating and off but we’re pushing on despite that and I’d appreciate some support for our postal workers at the moment rather than just slating the delays.”
He went on to say: “We’re trying to get on while staying safe and going above our normal working hours to get as much delivered as possible, but it’s difficult.
“So, please get behind your postal worker.”
The video has been retweeted over 4,000 times and has over 14,000 likes.
One Twitter user responded: “Shouts to bin men too, f***** heroes really, imagine a world without them!”
While another wrote: “You are doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Fewer staff, and more people using the postal service. Stuff the haters.”
“Despite our best endeavours, it is possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Across the UK, our people are working hard to deliver as comprehensive a service as possible to all our customers in challenging circumstances.
“Despite our best endeavours, it is possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service levels due to higher volumes of mail during the lockdown, the ongoing impact of Covid-related staff absences and necessary social distancing measures at local mail centres and delivery offices.
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“Right from the start of this crisis, we have played a key role keeping the country connected. Like most organisations, we have a number of employees who are self-isolating in line with government guidance.
“This has a direct impact on our staffing levels, especially in areas where there are higher levels of local outbreaks. We are working hard to deliver as normal a service as we can, drawing in extra resource and offering additional overtime where possible.
“We remain grateful to all our customers in these areas for their patience and understanding as our dedicated workforce work hard to deliver these exceptional volumes, whilst also adhering to necessary social distancing measures.
“We always endeavour to keep our customers updated on any changes to our services. We have a dedicated section on our website. Throughout the pandemic, every decision we make puts the health of our people and customers first.”
