Stories

Tue, 24 Mar 2026

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 Royal Mail staff say they were told to hide post to look like delivery targets met

BBC Your Voice hears from postal workers who say "take the mail for ride" is a common phrase.

* Postal workers in the UK claim they are being asked to hide or move mail from senior bosses to make it appear that delivery targets are being met.
* The phrase "take the mail for a ride" is allegedly used by managers to instruct postal workers to prioritize parcels over letters, making it seem like all deliveries have been made.
* Royal Mail has a legal obligation to deliver first-class post six days a week, but 77% of first-class mail was delivered on time in the 2024-25 financial year.
* The company claims that 92.5% of second-class mail was delivered on time, falling short of its target of 98.5%.
* Postal workers say they are under pressure to deliver parcels quickly, but lack the resources and staff to also meet letter delivery targets.
* The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) blames low wages and poor conditions for the recruitment and retention crisis in Royal Mail.
* Royal Mail has been fined £37m by Ofcom in recent years for poor performance delivering letters.
* The company is due to answer questions from MPs on Tuesday about the ongoing postal delays affecting millions of people across the UK.