Christmas/Peak arrangements 2025 LTB 214/25

[yellowbelly]

Published by CWU

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-214-25-roya ... ents-2025/

LTB 214/25 – Royal Mail – Peak / Christmas Arrangements 2025
No. 214/25

1st October 2025

For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches
Divisional Representatives
Area Delivery Representatives
Area Processing Representatives
Area Distribution Representatives

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail – Peak / Christmas Arrangements 2025

Branches are advised that discussions have been ongoing with Royal Mail for some time with regards to a Peak/Christmas Arrangements document for 2025. In recent years discussions have become protracted and delayed a resolution and given the business has stated that 2025 will potentially see traffic volumes during peak break RM records, we have pressed the business to ensure that agreed arrangements were concluded earlier this year, to help ensure that better strategic involvement takes place at the local / area levels.

Attached for the information of Branches and Representatives are the agreed Peak/ Christmas arrangements for 2025. The document follows the tried and tested format of previous years and largely mirrors the arrangements from last year, with only minor updates, which do not change the substance of the content.

Regarding the Attendance and Resourcing arrangements, there are no additional Non/USO days this year so section 3 mirrors last year’s arrangements and retains all of the established principles and protections.

The document confirms the Christmas Supplement and the additional £100 ex Colleague Share payment will be made as usual and are unaffected by the Peak Incentive Scheme. The traditional paragraphs on Scheduled Attendance, SA Holiday Pay and Temporary Variation to Contract have been retained unaltered in the final draft.

Further talks will take place with the business regarding the 35 USO pilot offices, covering what guidance is needed to support them during Peak. In addition, discussions continue on the 2025 Peak and Bank Holiday Resourcing arrangements for Network Professional Drivers. Further updates on both issues will be provided as talks develop.

Whilst those discussions continue, we believe that the publication of the attached arrangements much earlier than in previous years will be welcomed and will provide guidance to Reps and Branches.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:

Processing/Distribution: Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: jrodrigues@cwu.org; quoting reference LTB 214/25.

Deliveries/Collections: Tony Bouch, Assistant Secretary, email: pharacz@cwu.org; quoting reference LTB 214/25.

Yours sincerely,

Davie Robertson
Assistant Secretary

Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary

[A2B]

So we are all back on delivery Saturday 27th, can't say I'm surprised,

[tramssirhc]

The CWU at it again. Begging the post 2022 contracts to join their tawdry union and then agreeing to make them work until 9 pm on delivery. Dont give that tinpot outfit a penny.

[mmalecki88]

A few months back, Mr. Ward said that the £100 Christmas supplement needed to change because, from the time it was introduced, the payment was never lifted. Of course, they forgot about it.

[clashcityrocker]

If RM are expecting record levels of parcels perhaps they should consider record levels of staffing?
Just a thought.

[Jefferson Starfish]

So we are all back on delivery Saturday 27th, can't say I'm surprised,

It's not a bank holiday or a replacement bank holiday. What else do you expect?

[Kenfandango]

Nice to see that the many, many posties on less than "full time" contracts who nonetheless work full time hours all year continue to get shafted when a bonus rolls along.

[Acca Dacca]

Nice to see that the many, many posties on less than "full time" contracts who nonetheless work full time hours all year continue to get shafted when a bonus rolls along.

The bonus has always been paid based on hours worked over xmas at ours - if do the ''temporary uplift'' and work FT you'll get the full bonus

''The eligibility criteria for the Christmas supplement payment will be the same as
last year, based on the four December weeks (commencing Monday, 24
th November).''

[A2B]

So we are all back on delivery Saturday 27th, can't say I'm surprised,

It's not a bank holiday or a replacement bank holiday. What else do you expect?

I didn't expect anything but seem to remember the last time this happened RM gave us the additional day

[Playmail]

I was waiting for the seasonal variation to be back least that hasn't returned sneakily

[Kenfandango]

Nice to see that the many, many posties on less than "full time" contracts who nonetheless work full time hours all year continue to get shafted when a bonus rolls along.

The bonus has always been paid based on hours worked over xmas at ours - if do the ''temporary uplift'' and work FT you'll get the full bonus

''The eligibility criteria for the Christmas supplement payment will be the same as
last year, based on the four December weeks (commencing Monday, 24
th November).''

Ah I missed that bit, only half of us were allowed that privilege last year in my DO as some sort of authoritarian "we'll show them" display which obviously lead to a lot more "I'll work my exact hours and cut off"

[SpacePhoenix]

Nothing in there about the DTS being turned off on the CSS machines during Xmas pressure. With near enough all Xmas cards being sent by 2C we'll quickly end up way over capacity. RM will need to turn it off nationally or we'll end up having to send a load as manual every couple of days.

[JKSmudge]

Quite happily going to do just my 35 contracted hours this year, let the managers worry about how it's all going to be delivered

[Clappedoutpostie]

They have been worrying since last Xmas about their budgets so most at our office will help keep their budget down during this Xmas.

[Mr Rush]

So we are all back on delivery Saturday 27th, can't say I'm surprised,

We can't let the public down! Well, we can but not if it benefits us in any way.

They clapped for us in 2020, now how about a singular non-service day half a decade later for the nation's heroic key workers?