Weston-super-Mare's MP has said that workers at the Royal Mail are 'constantly in crisis mode', with staff reportedly being told to hide undelivered post.
Dan Aldridge, MP for Weston-super-Mare and member of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has challenged senior leadership at Royal Mail over serious concerns about declining service.
In response, a spokesperson for the service said that they 'recognise that there is more to do' to deliver an improved service.
Dan Aldridge challenged senior leadership at Royal Mail over serious concerns about declining service and reports of staff being told to hide undelivered post. (Image: Supplied)
During a Parliamentary evidence session, Dan Aldridge directly questioned Alistair Cochrane, chief executive officer of Royal Mail, raising concerns from frontline postal workers about pressure on staff and reports that some may have been told to deliberately delay deliveries.
He said: "From what I’ve seen in my local sorting office, staff feel like they’re constantly in crisis mode, like they’re never going to get the job done.
"I have heard reports that some postal workers feel they are being told to deliberately fail mail, even when they are willing to deliver it.
"That’s incredibly concerning. This isn’t just about targets and numbers, it’s about the reality on the ground and the pressure staff are under."
New figures show that 74.9 per cent of first-class mail is being delivered on time, below the Royal Mail's 93 per cent target, with around 126 million first-class letters arriving late this year.
Dan added: “People in Weston rely on the postal service every day. We need honesty, accountability and a system that works, for customers and for the staff doing their best under pressure.”
A spokesperson for the Royal Mail said that they 'recognise there is more to do' to improve the service.
The spokesperson said: "Attending the Business and Trade Committee gave us the opportunity to discuss the work we are doing to transform Royal Mail and the urgent need to implement changes to the Universal Service to deliver the services our customers want and ensure we are financially sustainable for the long term.
“We recognise there is more to do to deliver a consistently high level of service everywhere. Recent quality of service figures show 5.8 billion letters, which equates to 92% of letters, are delivered on time.”