Royal Mail may reduce services after union urges workers to stay home over safety fears

ROYAL MAIL deliveries could come to a halt amid a row over whether postal workers should be designated the UK’S “fifth emergency service”.

The postal service has admitted soaring absence rates may lead to “reductions in services” after union leaders urged staff to call in sick rather than risk contracting coronavirus.

Staff are unhappy at being made to deliver “pointless junk mail” and fear a lack of protective equipment is putting them at risk, union sources said.

Royal Mail staff were designated “key workers” by the Government in order to keep deliveries flowing during the coronavirus crisis. But ministers turned down an offer from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to become Britain’s “fifth emergency service” by delivering only essential supplies including food, testing kits and medicines. The

‘It’s not right that postal workers should be risking their lives to deliver pointless junk mail’

refusal has triggered a dispute between union leaders and company bosses.

A CWU spokesman told The Telegraph: “We made this offer in good faith because we want to help the country, but we’ve been totally ignored. It’s not right that postal workers should be risking their lives to deliver pointless junk mail and shopping offers.

“If the Government doesn’t accept our offer then in three weeks we will have to look again at our support for the key worker status.

“Our members are risking their lives. They don’t have the proper protective equipment. We’ve told them the Government’s health advice is confusing. If you don’t feel safe, don’t come into work and we’ll back you all the way.”

While letter volume has declined due to coronavirus, parcel demand has been high due to a rise in online deliveries.

Royal Mail has also imposed new rules to keep staff separated inside postal depots while van sharing has been banned.