Private courier delays as customers desert strike-hit Royal Mail

PRIVATE delivery firms have been beset by delays caused by unprecedented demand as customers turn away from Royal Mail amid strike chaos.

Retailers using DPD and Evri have put out statements apologising for late deliveries in the run-up to Christmas.

Evri, formerly Hermes, said: “We are delivering more than three million parcels a day. However, like others in the sector, we are experiencing some delays due to extremely busy Christmas volumes, Royal Mail strikes and staff shortages.”

Last night DPD appeared to have disabled the next-day delivery service option on its website, suggesting the guaranteed fast-turnaround is currently not possible.

Union sources have warned that Christmas cards may not arrive until February because of backlogs.

Millions of letters have reportedly piled up since members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 115,000 postal workers, staged walkouts on Friday and yesterday, with further dates planned for December, 14, 15, 23 and 24.

Royal Mail claimed there is “no evidence” to suggest this will happen and said there are contingency plans in place to minimise delays.

Today is the cut-off for sending second-class Christmas post by Royal Mail, the earliest recommended postage date in the history of the service.

Muscle Food, an online meat delivery service, apologised to customers on Twitter for courier delivery delays. They wrote: “DPD and Evri are experiencing delays across their network which is due to higher than forecasted demand from Black Friday orders and Royal Mail strike action.

“They are also going through a staff shortage due to illness which has also added to the issue”.

Another firm, Sunderland-based Washington Vapes, said DPD had warned of “potential service delays over the coming weeks”.

Writing on social media, they said the hold-up was because of “significantly increased demand due to Royal mail and rail strikes as well as the demands of the festive season”.

They said 98 per cent of their orders usually arrive the next working day, but current delays are expected to stretch to two or three business days.

Thousands of Royal Mail staff gathered for a rally in central London on Friday to protest against pay and conditions in what they claimed was the biggest postal workers’ demonstration in living memory. Royal Mail is trying to overhaul the 500-year-old business into a parcels-led company to try to compete against rivals such as Amazon. They say it is losing £1million a day, making the status quo untenable.

The union accused it of wanting to make the service like a “gig economy”.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward has claimed the “unachievable” conditions proposed would “destroy the future of Royal Mail”.

Nick Landon, Royal Mail’s chief commercial officer, has accused the union, of “holding Christmas to ransom”.