Royal Mail has experienced an increase in staff departures since implementing DM26, a new delivery system introduced earlier this year. The Communication Workers Union reports approximately 400 postmen and women are exiting the workforce weekly, up from around 330 per week before the reorganization. The system restructures delivery routes and aims to improve performance by delivering second class mail every other weekday while guaranteeing daily first and second class service through three-person work groups.
Postal workers interviewed by BBC Your Voice described operational challenges with the new approach. They reported instances where parcels are being prioritized over letters, mail is left undelivered, and increased workloads. Eight workers tracked their daily step counts and found increases of approximately 25 to 33 percent since implementation, often reaching around 25,000 steps daily. Multiple staff members expressed concerns about service quality during the upcoming peak period. One worker who departed in July stated the system represented an impossible workload distribution.
The DM26 rollout has been deployed in approximately 1,000 of Royal Mail’s 1,200 delivery offices. The Communication Workers Union stated that while the system operates successfully in around 500 offices, it has encountered significant difficulties in hundreds of others. Union leadership has called for a pause in further expansion pending negotiations with management to address identified problems. The union indicated that departing staff consist primarily of newer part-time employees, though experienced workers on legacy contracts are also leaving.
Royal Mail maintains the system is functioning as intended and on track for full deployment by Christmas. The company reported delivering to 95 percent of UK addresses daily, up from 88 percent before implementation, and stated the rollout is 90 percent complete. The firm is recruiting 22,000 temporary workers for the seasonal period. Separately, Royal Mail announced plans to eliminate 2,500 head office and support positions by the end of 2027.
Regulatory oversight continues as Ofcom has assessed over £37 million in penalties against Royal Mail over the past three years for missed delivery targets. Postal Services Minister Kate Dearden stated the company’s improvement plan represents progress but emphasized the need for concrete customer service enhancements. Some members of Parliament are pursuing discussions with regulators to explore alternative approaches to address ongoing service concerns.
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